(The Long Road to New Jersey’s First Electric Boating Center)
by Tony Novak
My earliest memories include boating with my dad, his father, and my brother. We were a working-class, single-income family, so we didn’t get out on the water often. By age 21, I had my first small aluminum electric-powered boat with a friend, and by 25, I owned a small center-console Boston Whaler. We used it every possible weekend. Years later, I was blessed to spend the same kind of time with my children on a small electric-powered boat in Great Egg Bay, launching from our house in Ocean City.
Over the years, I nurtured my love of boating into a dream of operating New Jersey’s first electric boating aquaculture facility. I traveled up and down the East Coast, visiting marinas and seeking advice from others in the industry. I applied for state licenses—some have been approved, others are still pending. When a property became available that could serve as the aquaculture center, I purchased it with the help of a family loan. Once that was paid off, I acquired an adjacent property. In those days, mortgages weren’t available in that rural coastal area, so I had to beg and borrow to grow the business. Over the next 15 years, I reinvested every dollar I earned into building this dream.
Now, I see that the total cost will far exceed my available resources, so I’ve applied to several small business support organizations in search of startup capital. None have been approved yet. I will continue to invest what I can—maybe another half million dollars—but that’s just a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of developing a marine facility today.
The journey to build a boating business hasn’t been easy. The original plan was to build the infrastructure during my working years and then retire into operating the marina. That plan did not unfold as envisioned. I experienced a disability and a loss of income. My best friend and business partner—the boatyard manager—passed away. Local boat mechanics and one of my key investors also died of COVID. We’ve struggled to find anyone with the same passion to take over and operate the business. During the pandemic, much of our equipment was stolen, and a funnel cloud in 2020 caused further devastation. Financially, I fell behind. The boatyard has remained closed since the COVID shutdown in 2020.
Today, I’m down to just two electric motors, four working outboards, and a handful of boats. But this year, I will resume rental boat operations and hope to bring on a partner as the project moves forward. I recently read an inspiring story about the owner of a large trucking company who started with just one truck—then added a second, a third, and so on. That’s the current plan.
The boatyard now has one small rental boat in service and a fleet of kayaks available. I expect to add several more boats soon. I’m blessed to live on one of New Jersey’s most ideal locations for small-vessel recreational boating—on the middle Delaware Bay—surrounded by thousands of acres of wetlands and backwater creeks, a constant source of inspiration and opportunity.
I will rebuild from these recent setbacks, one small step at a time. In the meantime, I’ll continue to seek others who share my love of boating—and who may be interested in joining this adventure.
