Gales Ferry Marina A Tranquil Destination For Boat Owners

It is a quiet place, an isolated place – a small cove surrounded by lush trees and, on a hot summer’s day, there is barely a ripple on the water. 

This is Clark’s Cove, home to the , securely tucked away from the busy thoroughfare that is Route 12 in Gales Ferry. It is a bucolic location on a dead-end that is Chapman Lane, and it provides an escape from life’s hustle-bustle. Its owners say most town residents don’t know it exists. 

James Lewis and Lucille Lupinacci, the married couple who own the business, call it the best-kept secret in Ledyard. 

“There are people who live in town all their lives and don’t know there’s a marina here,” Lewis said. “They know more about Cape Cod than they do about us.” 

Lupinacci said the marina is 20 minutes from Long Island Sound, but many boat enthusiasts are willing to forego closeness in favor of a quiet place to dock and enjoy views of a natural habitat.

“Closer to the water waves are constantly hitting boats against the dock,” Lupinacci said. “They’d rather travel the 20 minutes and enjoy the tranquility of the cove.” 

It is a full-service operation, providing dockage, storage, sales, and service and maintenance. Like most every part of the economy, the marina has been affected by difficult financial times.  Lupinacci said the sector of the business that is doing best is maintenance and repair. “People aren’t buying new but they’re finding the money to fix up what they already own,” she said. 

Seventy of 80 slips are rented, she said, and customers have been affected by the high cost of fuel. She said boat owners here are regular middle-class, hard-working people, who see boating as an escape. 

“Because of the fuel prices, some people stay right in the cove,” she said. “They put their boats in the water here and visit one another. They become close friends. This becomes their summer vacation.” 

She said others have discovered this place. Among them are swans and egrets. And sometimes kayak operators will slip past the railroad trestle to enjoy a peaceful lunch. 

Lewis said it is a family operation. He  bought the land in the late 1950s and worked a little on boats. It became a full-fledged business in 1963.  There were 20 slips in the beginning, compared to four times that number today. There are four employees. Sailboats are welcome but, because of the railroad trestle, owners have to lower their masts before they enter the cove.

“It started very small and grew to what it is today.” Lupinacci said. “And it’s a family business, not owned by some corporation.”