Adding Storage to Meet Demand

Sebago Lake in southwestern Maine has 105 miles of shoreline and measures 12 miles down the middle. The lake is the freshwater supply for the city of Portland and home to Sebago Lake State Park and a hotbed of water-based activities, including boating.

The downside is the limited public access. There are only two public launch ramps and a few marinas to serve the high number of boaters who want to enjoy the lake.

“There are not many places on Sebago Lake for you to keep your boat,” said Rob Soucy, president of Port Harbor Marine, which owns a marina/boat dealership on the lake’s Jordan Bay in Raymond, Maine. “For the size of lake, it’s lacking in marinas to support the demand. Every marina on the lake is at full capacity with a waiting list.”

A Needed Expansion
That’s why Soucy and his brother decided to put up a new building with racks for 85 boats for winter storage and valet service during the boating season. It should be operational for the 2026 boating season. In addition to providing storage for boats, the building houses new bathrooms and showers.

Soucy and his team were looking for ways to put up a building when the opportunity to purchase the property adjacent to their marina in Raymond presented itself. The parcel was originally owned by the Hartley family, which had also been the operators of the marina. After the family matriarch died, her son inherited the property, and he rented it to tenants. About three years ago, the son asked Soucy and his brother if they wanted to purchase the house and surrounding land.

The only caveat was that they had to honor the lease on the house. There was open, level land to the side, so Port Harbor Marine cleared that area and started storing boats on the lot. Then the leases expired, weren’t renewed, and the tenants moved out. The house was torn down, and the plans for a rack storage building started. Port Harbor Marine contracted with Patco Construction in Sanford, Maine, to erect the building. It consists of a steel structure with aluminum sides and roof. Since the building is partially on a hill, some additional grading and site work had to be done. For proper fire protection, the local fire inspector made the marina redo the sprinkler system, so there’s a sprinkler dedicated to each slot. Beyond that, Soucy said the permitting process went smoothly.

Local boaters complain about the high slip rates at marinas, and Soucy said that the new rack storage building is an answer to those concerns. “There’s always the balance as a marina owner and boat dealership,” he said. “You want to make boating as affordable as you can, and you still need to be able to make a profit.”

The building measures 120 by 160 feet with the main door at 64 by 60 feet. It has three tiers inside and can handle up to a 26-foot boat. Port Harbor will offer valet service during the boating season and expects to store a total of about 85 boats in the racks and another 20 or so on the floor in the winter. The racks have been configured so they can take pontoon and conventional fiberglass boats. For valet service during the season, the fee is $2,350 per slot. Winter storage rates had not been set as of mid-May.

“A lot of people at first are skeptical about valet service, but they realize after a few trips how easy and convenient it is,” Soucy said. He added that the indoor storage provides an extra element of protection because the boat isn’t constantly exposed to the elements.

He said, “It’s going to provide a nice income stream, and it’s going to help satisfy a need for additional access to water.”