News from St. Hazards

Middle Bass Marina is Open!

2009-07-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

After more than a year of construction, the Middle Bass Marina open today, July 1st. The marina is right next to St. Hazards and Hazards microbrewery. Stay until 7 PM and the boat slip is only $15 regardless of size. Overnight rates are $1.25 per ft. Reservations are accepted until Thursday for the weekend ahead. After that it's first come, first served. More than 100 slips are available to rent. Boat launching is free.

You can call St. Hazards to reserve your slip at 419-285-6121. A minimum $30 deposit is required.

Hazards Microbrewery Beer

2009-06-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hazards has a new brew master this year.

His name is Clint McLaughlin and he is also the assistant brewer at the Maumee Bay Brewing Co. in Toledo.

Pictured here is Clint making a batch of German style ale called Colsch. It's brewered like a lager and has a clean peachy flavor.

Hazards is the biggest microbrewery on Middle Bass and the only one where you can see the brewery equipment from the bar.

Hazards Microbrewery beer is paired well with the lobster macaroni and cheese they feature or a fish sandwich.

Great Lakes, Sam Adams, Lienie's Sunset Wheat and Bud Light are also on draft. And there's also daily draft beer specials starting at $2.

Hazards is known for its' good food at affordable prices. Now you'll need to try out the beer made right here on Middle Bass Island.

Hazards open for the 2009 season

2009-05-27T18:08:00.001-07:00

Hazards opened for the 2009 season and the first pizza was served. Don and Sandy, 10 year residents at St. Hazards, were the first official pizza customers.

Memorial Weekend was our busiest in two years, so a fun year is expected.

The full Hazards entertainment schedule starts in June.

We had computer problems with updates, but all is fixed and expect frequent ones now.

Docks are Installed at the Middle Bass Marina

2009-04-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

The marina basin was completed last year and now the first docks have been installed. Construction crews are on Middle Bass this spring to finish the docks so that the first boats can arrive by the June 1st completion date.
Keep checking this blog for the latest marina information.

Middle Bass Marina Before and After

2009-04-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo we took about seven years ago of the Middle Bass marina and one taken last week. You can see the entire middle area has been removed and the entrance is now to the north of the old channel (part of the old channel is still visible). Back then the St. Hazards condos were still under construction.

The floating docks are scheduled to start arriving the week of April 13th.

Latest Aerial Photos of the New Marina

2009-04-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks to pilot Terry Kelly from Sandusky, we were able to take some new photos of the Middle Bass marina. These photos were taken on April 2 before the construction crews were back on the island. A barge with the docks is to arrive the week of April 6th to start that installation. Work on the water, sewer and electric lines should also start then.

First Scheduled Miller Ferry of 2009 arrives

2009-03-30T16:46:00.001-07:00

Friday March 27th marked the first scheduled arrival of the Miller Ferry to Middle Bass Island. The first crew members of St. Hazards also arrived to start the long spring cleaning process that will take more than a month. Next week work on the new marina will also resume. It's still scheduled to open by June.

Also seen on Friday was Captain Stan's school boat (the white one in the photo) going to Put-in-Bay to pick up the kids from school and a barge working for Ohio Edison to make improvements to the electric service. Middle Bass Island gets its' electricity by an underwater cable from Put-in-Bay.

St. Hazards Flag Flown in St. Barths

2009-03-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Back in 1997 the inspiration for St. Hazards came from a visit to St. Barths in the Caribbean.

St. Barths is near St. Martin and about 2,000 miles south east of Middle Bass.
A small bar there called LeSelect was the specific model that the atmosphere of Hazards has followed.

Ed, the guy who built St. Hazards, has returned to St. Barths about 20 times since then to visit his special friend Marius Stakelborough and many others who are drawn to this special place. Marius is now 85 years old and will celebrate his 60th anniversary of starting LeSelect this Novemebr. He's in the picture with Ed and his son Gary, who now runs the place.

We are very proud to have our St. Hazards flag fly in one of the oldest and most authentic (and friendly) places in all of the Caribbean.

And best of all, Marius came to visit St. Hazards back in 2006. He gave us his seal of approval.

WHen you visit Hazards, you will see lots of photos and other items from St. Barths and LeSelect. Including pictures of Marius' friend, Jimmy Buffett. Jimmy is expected to be at the LeSelect 60th anniversary party in Novemeber.

Middle Bass Marina Seasonal Docks are Available

2009-03-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

About half of the seasonal docks at the new State of Ohio marina have been reserved. There are still more than 30 left to lease by the season. The rates are posted in a previous post, so scroll down to get that info.
For more information on seasonal docks, call the marina office at 419-797-4530.

Middle Bass Marina Update

2009-03-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest information that the State Park has released regarding the new Middle Bass Marina.

* Lottery: An Update for those that have been following this
program
We had 35 applications received by the deadline of February 25,
2009, 5:00PM at the Catawba State Park Office. We have a total of 70
slips that were set aside for the seasonal dock lottery.
The drawing will be conducted at the Catawba State Park office
on March 5, 2009, 6:00 PM

* Spring 2009 Construction Plans:
It is hoped that by the end of March we will again be on the
island with construction continuing.

* Construction on the Water Tower and lines will continue

* The Electric infrastructure will be built out.

* New Roadways will be further planned and temporary roads will be
used.

* There are to be some finishing touches to the marina basin,
including 2 pipe piles and some rock in the channel to be cleared out.

* Docks are currently scheduled to be completed for public use the
beginning of June.

2009-01-15T19:16:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest information from the State of Ohio regarding the marina construction schedule. It seems that docking will be available by June 1, 2009, but electric and water connections will not be completed until later in the summer.

The picture to the right is of the moon rising as seen from the St. Hazards condos this past summer. This is the same view you would see at the new marina entrance. Our moon offers spectacular views like this throughout the summer.

Marina Basin:

* The marina basin has been re-watered as of this past November, 2008.

* Major "in-water" work within the basin is completed with the exception of dock installation and vegetative bed shallow plantings.

* There is to be some final bottom depth grading at the entrance area.

Access Roads & Parking Spring 2009:

* Roadways will be established this spring, 2009.

* The New Ramp is usable now, but remains closed until after the improvements can be finished. The current road access will be refined further, along with the designated parking area. Both these will be usable as soon as the area is established.

* Temporary Electric - Safety Lighting.

* A more permanent road along with electric, water & sewer is to be established along the south side of the marina basin later this summer

Water Sewer & Electric:

* The water & sewer lines will be trenched in coming from the Burgundy Bay Association property this summer.

* Permanent electric lines will be trenched in during the summer.

* The elevated water tank, which was started this past fall will be finished this spring.

* This summer, 2009, our restroom facilities will consist of Port - a - Jons as our construction schedule does not have our water & sewer available until the end of the summer.

Docks:

* Docks are being constructed this winter, 2008 - 2009. And will be installed this late spring 2009. Anticipated Available for use starting the beginning of June, 2009.

* The Middle Bass Island Yacht Club will be purchasing their own docks as allowed by their lease agreement with the state. They will be constructing them using the same contractor the state is using. These docks will be installed shortly after the state's docks are installed.

* The docks will not have electric or water service available until late in the season, possibly after Labor Day.

* The docks that will be along the West end of the basin will designated mostly for seasonal lottery dockage

Middle Bass Dock Rates Set

2009-01-14T15:36:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest information about the Middle Bass Marina as sent by the State of Ohio. Pictured is the marina entrance and the St. Hazards condos.

Dock Lottery:

There will be a dock lottery for those desiring to have a Seasonal Dock. This up-date is not intended to give every detail regarding the lottery, but an over view. Specific forms, stipulations, rules and instructions will be made available in the near future on the ODNR, Middle Bass Island State Park Web Site as well as by mail or fax. I will provide another update note when these forms are available.
* A Seasonal Dock is defined as a dock that is paid for by a person who wants to have personal use of the dock for his /her boat only, for the entire season.

* The Dock Lottery will be structured to include 2 tiers of applicants. They will be defined as Year Round Island Resident and The General Dock Lottery - all others.

* For the "Year Round Island Resident" Lottery, we will accept lottery applications for this lottery only from those people who can prove they are truly a "Year Round, Island Resident". A "Year Round, Island Resident" is defined as a person who is registered with the county auditor for the Ottawa County 2 ½ Primary Residence Roll-Back Property Tax applied to their residence on Middle Bass Island, or has a notarized statement declaring they are a year round resident, who resides on Middle Bass Island as their principal place of residence year round. This signed and notarized statement must be an "original" and accompany the application when submitted. If the statement is found to be false, the applicant will be subject to prosecution, and forfeiture of any and all docking privileges at Middle Bass Island State Park.

* The General Dock Lottery Applicants will be required to submit an application as well. Any "Year Round Island Resident" is also allowed to submit a "General Dock Lottery" application. If they are drawn in the Year Round Island Resident Lottery, their application in the General Lottery will be null and void.

* Applications will be available at the Ohio State Park Middle Bass Island State Park web site www.OhioStateParks.org or by mail. Send your request with a return self addressed and postage paid stamped envelope to Lake Erie Island State Park, 4049 E. Moores Dock Road, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452. An Application will be mailed. All applications shall have an original signature of the applicant when submitted.

* Only one application will be accepted per family and household address for the lottery you are eligible for.

Dock Rates:

For the Summer of 2009 the rates will be as follows

* Transient Docks Non - Electric
* Day Dockage $15.00. 10AM - 7PM or any portion thereof.

* Overnight Dockage $1.25/ boat foot, $30.00 minimum whichever is greater.

* Transient Docks With Electric (NOTE - as mentioned earlier electric is not anticipated to be available until the end of 2009 boating season)

* Day Dockage $20.00. 10AM - 7PM or any portion thereof.

* Overnight Dockage. $1.45/ boat foot, $30.00 minimum whichever is greater.

* Seasonal Docks
2009 2010 2011
26' * $780 26' $1040 26' $1300
28' 840 28' 1120 28' 1400
30' * 900 30' 1200 30' 1500
32' 960 32' 1280 32' 1600
34' * 1020 34' 1360 34' 1700
36' 1080 36' 1440 36' 1800
40' 1200 40' 1600 40' 2000
44' 1320 44' 1760 44' 2200
48' 1440 48' 1920 48' 2400
52' 1560 52' 2470 52' 2990

* * Denotes there is only one dock slip with this length.
* The length of the dock cannot be shorter than the overall boat length. This includes the swim platform, bow pulpits, etc.

St. Hazards at the Cleveland Boat Show

2009-01-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

The Cleveland Boat Show opens Friday Jan. 16th and runs until Sunday Jan. 25th. It's at the IX Center by the Cleveland airport. St. Hazards will have booth #99 at the show with the latest information about the new Middle Bass marina. Free discount cards for your visit to Middle Bass will also be passed out. Stop by and make sure you get one for yourself.

Here's a photo from last summer to remind us that we're only a few months away from opening time again.

Marina Daily Docking Rates Are Set

2008-12-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

The State of Ohio has set the daily docking rates at the new Middle Bass marina. Because electricity will not be available until later during the summer of 2009, these rates are all without electric hook-ups.
The daily rate with departure at 7PM is a flat $15. No reservations, just first come, first served.
The overnight rate with departure the next morning at 10 AM is $1.25 per ft. Reservations can be made later at 419-797-4530.
The marina is still expected to open around June 1, 2009.
Boat launching will be free. Stay at St. Hazards and store your boat for free also.
More rate info to come as we get it.

Middle Bass Marina is Filled

2008-11-22T17:11:00.000-08:00

The new great inner harbor on Middle Bass Island is now filled with water. The State of Ohio plans to open the marina in June of 2009. The floating docks will be in, but the electric and water connections will not be in place until later in the summer. Rental rates are not yet set for docking. Check this site in January for more information. If you stay at St. Hazards, you'll get both boat launching and boat storage for free during your visit. The boat launching area is right next to St. Hazards.
In 2009, Middle Bass will offer the best boating value on the Lake Erie Islands.

Rescue on the lake

2008-10-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

The Miller Ferry has provided safe and reliable service to the Lake Erie Islands for more than 100 years. For what may be the first time ever, one of the ferry boats had to tow off another ferry boat from a submerged reef to the southeast of Put-in-Bay. The ferry boat was fully loaded with construction materials for Middle Bass and the lake was at low levels because of strong winds from the west. The captain of the towing ferry expertly towed the other ferry back to the dock at Put-in-Bay without any further problems. The cargo was then transferred to another ferry to make it to Middle Bass.

Take a 360 Degree Tour of the Marina Work

2008-10-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

Click this link to see a 360 degree tour of the marina work. There's a selection of views on the top right of the page.

CLICK HERE FOR THE TOUR

Pilings for the Docks Installed at the Middle Bass Marina

2008-10-25T15:55:00.001-07:00

This week much of the piling work that will support the floating docks was installed at the marina. When filled, it looks like the cement truck in the photo would be under water. This will be one of the deepest marinas in the region.

Boat launching ramp in place

2008-10-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

The cement was poured for the new boat launching ramp at the State of Ohio marina that will be handle to handle two boats at once. The entrance to marina is also being dug out now and may be up to 14 ft. deep. This new entrance will be to the north of the original Lonz marina entrance and right next to the St. Hazards condo building. Most of the basin has been excavated and water will be brought in during the next few weeks.

Marina Cement Work Begins

2008-10-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

The cement work to put in the 30 ft. wide boat launching ramp is well underway and will be finished this month. This ramp will be wide enough to launch two boats at a time and is designed to be usable at all lake levels. It's anticipated that there will be no charge to use the ramp.

The depth of the marina can be appreciated when you see how much below ground level the equipment is.

Sidewalks that seem to go on for a half mile or more are also now being installed to the docks and Lake Erie break wall. The pilings for the floating docks will also be in place this month.

Most of the excavation work for the marina is complete and it is anticipated that the basin will be filled within three weeks. The floating docks will not be installed until next year.

The State of Ohio has still not released a construction schedule or completion date. Dock rates have also not been released. We are not sure of the official name or phone number for reservations.

Our guess is that the marina will open next spring without the electric and water utilities installed.

Action on Middle Bass

2008-09-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

The last Cornhole Tournament of the season took place with almost 20 teams participating. All of the free to enter tournaments were on Saturday afternoons and quickly became a popular addition to the Pool Party Fun.

The international staff at St. Hazards has all gone back to Jamaica, Bulgaria and Russia to continue their education. We thank them for their hard work this season.

Construction on the State of Ohio's new marina continues. The photo with the barge was taken from the third floor of the St. Hazards condo building. You can see how close the marina will be to St. Hazards.

Middle Bass Marina Gets Dug In

2008-08-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Long workweeks and great weather resulted in great progress on the new State of Ohio marina project on Middle Bass Island. As much as 11,000 gallons of diesel fuel were used in just one week to keep all of the equipment running. That's as many as two of the tanker trucks pictured each week.

The goal is to have water in the marina basin before November of this year. We'll keep you informed of progress on the possibly the largest marina project being constructed on the Great Lakes.

Volleyball/Cornhole weekend at St. Hazards

2008-08-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

The most successful August volleyball weekend at St. Hazards took place between August 22-24th.
More teams played than last year and for the first time a Cornhole Tournament was added. There were parties Friday and the famous Hazards Pool Party on Saturday.

Jonah Koslen, formerly of CLeveland's Michael Stanley Band, provided much of the entertainment and is a regular at Hazards.

The next tournament is scheduled for June. It's one event you do not want to miss.

St. Hazards Condo Moon

2008-08-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

Not a sunset, but a moon rise!

This photo was taken a few days ago from the third floor of the St. Hazards condo building. During the summer months, the moon is often rising right in front of the building. The moonshine lasts for hours as the moon slowly moves over the building.

All of the condos have direct waterfront views like this that make for some of the best lake views you will ever find. The third floor is the tallest place you can stay on the islands and the condo building is the closest structure built to the lake that you can stay in. A very remarkable place.

Middle Bass marina work fully underway

2008-08-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

The State of Ohio marina project on Middle Bass Island is probably the largest single project in the past 50 years on the U.S. Erie Islands. After spending about $10 million to acquire the land for the new state park, more than $12 million is being spent on the first part of the marina project. Eventually there will be more than 300 boat slips and a free bat launching ramp for visitors.

The first phase of the marina, which is directly next to St. Hazards, is planned to open next year.
These photos show the excavation that will result in about 10 feet of water to accommodate all kinds of power and sail boats.

For now, anchoring in front of the St. Hazards condos and beach is permitted. It's a short walk to Hazards from the beach.