Brunswick Celebrates Historic Milestones

The city of Brunswick, GA, may be small — but small-town pride from the local boating community is immeasurable. Located along Georgia’s gorgeous Golden Isles, the historic town has a lot to celebrate this year with the centennial of F.J. Torras Causeway, a major route connecting Brunswick to St. Simons Island, as well as the 30^th anniversary of Brunswick Landing Marina. On July 13, the Golden Isles community commemorated the causeway's 100^th anniversary with a day of live music, vendors and themed celebrations. 

Both the causeway and spacious 387-slip Brunswick Landing Marina are local Torras family legacies. Since 1994, the Torras family has grown the marina into a top-notch facility and strong boating community ranging from local liveaboards to returning visitors from across the world. 

Located along the East River, the property has prospered into a popular social hub with free weekly happy hours and events, some even coordinated by the marina guests such as the recent “Brunswick Landing Marina Summer Olympics,” where boaters competed in fun, creative games.

The community is so dedicated that a few marina members participated in the “Decades” segment of the city’s Causeway Centennial Celebration where they represented the 1980s with a choreographed dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” dressing the part and executing a hilarious yet fabulous performance at the event. 

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Built on Family Traditions

The family-owned marina is currently managed by Michael Torras, whose great-great-grandfather, Rosendo Torras, originally immigrated from Spain as a merchant sailor who settled in Brunswick and ran a lumber exporting business. His son, Fernando Joseph Torras, became an engineer, served as city manager and built the F.J. Torras Causeway in 1924. 

The next generation of Torras purchased an old manufacturing plant with deteriorating boats and sunken barges along downtown Brunswick’s waterfront and eventually bought 101 acres of the surrounding land from the local railroad company. The family built what began as a small marina with just five slips to what is now Brunswick Landing Marina’s thriving 387-slip destination. 

“My grandfather grew up fishing and so did my dad and I, and when my grandfather said he wanted to put a marina there one day everyone told him he was crazy, because at the time, people kept their boats on St. Simons, Jekyll or Sea Island, and there wasn’t a need for big docks in downtown Brunswick,” says Michael Torras, “But he said he was going to do it anyway.” 

After spending nearly a decade acquiring permits, Brunswick Landing Marina originally offered free dockage to fill up the first slips and then kept expanding every few years as customers grew. They constructed a yacht club facility onsite in 2010 with lounge areas, TVs and a fully stocked bar to continue the generous freebie tradition, transitioning from free dockage to free drinks. It began with complimentary beer on football Sundays, then free wine on “Wine Wednesdays,” and now the beloved present-day free happy hours hosted three times per week. 

The marina completed the most recent dock expansion in 2021. “It is remarkable when you look at what’s been accomplished over that 30 years and you look at the fact that it started out as one dock and now it’s a massive area,” says President Daren Pietsch. 

“My grandfather and dad built it up and Daren and I got to polish it up,” adds Torras. “We’re now working on the uplands.” 

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A Bright Future for Brunswick

The property continues to grow and accommodate boaters with a major waterfront renovation project in the works. They recently remodeled the marina office and opened a dedicated mail room for boaters. They also plan to add more docks and dry storage, open a new on-site restaurant, and work with the city to build a public boardwalk with retail, restaurants, and mixed-use space for offices and condos. 

“We live in this coastal area, and there’s hardly any access to the waterfront and about only two restaurants where you can see the water,” says Torras. “So, we really wanted to open up the enjoyment of our area’s natural beauty.” 

The facility also offers boat repair, concierge services and amenities such as a fitness center, bathhouses, laundry, lounges and propane grills on every dock. Conveniently located just 400 feet from the heart of downtown Brunswick, marina guests enjoy historic sightseeing and attractions including the Victorian-era Old Town Historic District.

Brunswick Landing Marina is a partner of the annual PorchFest, a free neighborhood music festival where front porches across Brunswick transform into small stages for a day of live performances and local vendors. Don’t miss this year’s festival on November 10, as well as the marina’s oyster festivals held in October, November and January. 

Visit brunswicklandingmarina.com