MarineMax at Chelsea Piers

For more than a century, Chelsea Piers, in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, has been a household name. The piers once accommodated luxury liner berths in the early 1910s, and Pier 59 was the intended final destination for the Titanic which notoriously never made it. After many decades of serving as a cargo terminal and port for ships, a decision was made to demolish the historical piers, but luckily the Westway Plan for a highway that would have run along the west side of Manhattan never came to fruition. You can thank the protected striped bass in New York harbor for that failure. In 1992, the site was purchased by Chelsea Piers Management Incorporated, and in July of 1994, construction began on the Chelsea Piers we know today.Chelsea Piers is a 28-acre complex that includes a golf club, sports center, health club, spa, sky rink, field house, bowling lanes, event centers, studios and marina known as MarineMax at Chelsea Piers. The marina currently has 75 small boat slips and 15 large-boat slips that can accommodate vessels up to 300 feet. MarineMax at Chelsea Piers prides itself on its efficient and professional customer service dockhands are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A newly constructed dock hut allows the dockhands to be closer to the boaters' needs around the clock. In addition to serving as a marina, MarineMax operates yacht charter services and provides on-site boat sales including Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Meridian, Azimut and Benetti Yachts.In the fall of 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused significant damage to the famous site. Reconstruction is now fully under way, and includes many renovations to the damaged piers, as well as a brand new marina office to replace the one destroyed during Sandy (ready for the 2013 season). The new MarineMax office will have a yachty, contemporary feel to it and will cater to the mega-yachts and transient boaters that flock to the marina during the season. The finger piers are being enlarged from 40 to 50 feet in length, and from 4 to 6 feet in width. One of the most significant changes will be the building of a permanent wave wall. This will provide the marina with the protection it needs from passing boat traffic. Construction is planned to begin in early 2014.What is it that has drawn boaters to Chelsea Piers all these years? For starters, Chelsea Piers is in the heart of Manhattan, next to the thriving Meat Packing District. Location, location, location, says marina manager Scott Seisler, who has been at Chelsea Piers since 1999. Everything is at our fingertips. Parking, transportation, restaurants and entertainment are all within walking distance.Exploring New York harbor is a great activity for the spring, summer and fall months, and docking at Chelsea Pierswill provide you with an experience of NYC that you will never forget!