Lakeland Boating — July 2017

Southside Municipal Marina

Convenient South Haven marina with a welcoming community.

I

t’s a well-known real estate truism that the three most

important characteristics a property needs to have are

“location, location, location!” The saying applies not only

to homes but marinas, too. Southside Municipal Transient

Marina, located in South Haven, Michigan, is a marina that

has “location, location, location” in spades.

Nestled just inside the pierhead from Lake Michigan,

Southside Marina sits right in between downtown South

Haven and the beach. The area is a hub of activity;

right across from Riverfront Park, Southside Marina has

front-row seats to the park’s many festivals, concerts and

fishing tournaments.

“The Southside Marina is really nice because it’s truly a

five-minute walk into town,” says Kate Hosier, harbormaster

in South Haven. “There’s always something to do here.”

Boaters should mark their calendars for Harborfest

in mid-June, the Blueberry Festival in mid-August and

a pro fishing tournament in May. During the summer,

there is live music on Thursday evenings. Hosier says

even though the dock is for transient boaters, it’s easy

to feel part of the community due to everything that’s

going on and the proximity to downtown.

Although Southside Municipal Transient Marina is truly a

docking facility, it’s close enough to other services so boaters

don’t have to go too far out of their way to find engine repair,

storage, launch ramps and other conveniences. Boaters will

be able to find showers and laundry on-site. Nearby South

Haven Yacht Club also offers gas and pump-out.

Southside Marina’s ideal location is no secret; the marina is

a hot commodity, often hosting rendezvous and other groups.

In fact, Hosier says the marina had already received a few

reservations in January for June. Hosier highly recommends

making reservations by calling the marina directly or going

through the Michigan DNR State Park and Harbor

Reservations website [MIDNRRESERVATIONS.COM].

Once boaters nail down a reservation time, they can relax

knowing there will be no shortage of things to do. Hosier

says boaters can rely on seeing a friendly face as soon as

they arrive: “We always try to welcome boats and catch

their lines when they come in.” ★

by Sarah Kollmorgen

MARINA WATCH

MORE

INFORMATION

Southside Municipal

Transient Marina

345 Water St.

South Haven, MI 49090

269-637-3171

SOUTHHAVENMUNICIPAL

MARINA.COM

Amenities

Transient slips: Y

Pump-out: Nearby

Gas: Nearby

Diesel: Nearby

Lifts: N

Launch ramp: Nearby

Engine repair: N

Hull repair: N

Marine store: N

Restaurant: Nearby

Showers: Y

Laundromat: Y

68 JULY 2017 | LAKELANDBOATING.COM

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