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Kenport Marina gets new name, new owner
By Shane Donaldson/Independent Staff Writer
EAST MATUNUCK — When he looks out on the waters off Point Judith, Thomas Lockwood sees a history of fishing, and a future for his young son.
Lockwood grew up summering on the shores of Connecticut. A Massachusetts native, he’s an East Coast guy who has a passion for dropping a line in the water and seeing if the fish will bite.
In late February, he landed a whopper. Lockwood bought Kenport Marina - located on Succotash Road - which he is renaming Lockwoods Marina. A summer resident on Potter Pond for the last seven years, Lockwood wanted to ensure that the marina would remain a haven for local fisherman for years to come.
In making the purchase, he had a particular fisherman - his 9-year-old son, T.J. - in mind.
“The main reason for making this investment for the future is T.J.,” Lockwood said. “He’s an avid fisherman now and loves the marina. I bought it for him. Someday it will be his baby.”
With 90 boats on the marina, Lockwood knows his decision to buy the marina reaches far beyond his own family.
“It was really important to make sure that we’d be able to keep it a marina that caters to the fisherman,” Lockwood said. “My goal is to keep the marina as a marina long term. We want to be able to enjoy the environment that Snug Harbor and Point Judith provide for years to come.”
Lockwood praised the previous ownership group - which included Donald Mattera and Mike Haas - for creating an environment enjoyed by marina fishermen. Over the past several years, Lockwood got to know the owners, and he made it clear he would be interested in purchasing the property if the opportunity came about.
“I had been purchasing tackle and bait from the previous owners for years, so the owners knew my son, and me,” Lockwood said. “Mike and Donnie have made the transition in ownership smooth. They didn’t want to see this go to some big developer who would turn it into condo properties.”
Now that he has the marina, Lockwood is making some changes he hopes will help improve the business. He installed a $30,000 security system that makes Lockwoods Marina the only marina on the Block Island Sound with a 24-hour security system. Boat owners are able to view the marina from cameras via the Web. The security cameras film constantly and are backlogged for up to two months.
“It was something I felt would really help deter any thefts,” said Lockwood, who builds computer software for a living. “I wanted to give boaters the ability to say, ‘I forgot a rod on the boat, I’ll check the site to see if the boat tied up.’ If there is inclement weather, owners can check on their boats on the site and make sure things look OK.”
In addition to the security upgrades, Lockwood has reached an agreement to lease the bait shop to J&B Tackle of Niantic, Conn. New England’s largest tackle shop is renovating the shop for a May 1 opening. Known for its Tri-State Canyon Shootout fishing tournament off Block Island, J&B Tackle will provide off-shore tackle, in-shore tackle, lobsters, clams, live bait, frozen bait and rigged bait for sharking, tuna and swordfish.
“It’s a huge addition to the local community because of their reputation,” Lockwood said. “Everybody that fishes typically knows about J&B. As an avid fisherman myself, I am excited about that.”
Lockwood also is in the process of redoing the boat ramp at the marina, as well as renovating most of the docks. He wants to remove the Styrofoam floats and replace them with more environmentally safe models.
“One of my main goals is to be conscious of the environment,” Lockwood said. “We want to make sure there are a lot of healthy fish for the children and for generations to come. I am aware of the rules and regulations that are coming around the bend, and I want to stay ahead of the curve on that. As someone who has been here for years, I would want that anyway.”
Lockwood has a general contractor, Scott Miller, whom he works with to ensure all the changes are meeting state Coastal Resources Management Council codes. He also intends to have a mechanic on staff full time who will help local boaters with any issues that come up.
“So far we have had nothing but positive responses since the change,” Lockwood said. “This is a spot that is important to our family, and the many others here.”
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