Reef Point Marina, Racine

My wife and I moved our boat from Illinois to Reefpoint Marina this summer and it has been a fantastic decision! The marina is clean and beautiful, and the location on Lake Michigan and downtown Racine couldn't be better. The docks are well maintained, the water clear, and the staff friendly, expedient, and attentive. The marina provides grills for bbq's, dock boxes for extra storage, and the bathrooms and facilities are always clean and well attended. There is so much to do in Racine, from festivals and live music, to the zoo, to great restaurants and nightlife within walking distance from the marina, that even bad boating days on the lake turn into enjoyable time spent in and around the marina. We know we made a great decision to move our boat to Reefpoint, and can't wait for boating season to return!

I've grown up boating at Reef Point. As a kid it use to be fun. We use to be able to swim in the marina, float around on tubes, had big drive by water gun fights with dingy's wave runners and even the sheriff played along. Was great family fun! Now 10 years later docks are in horrible shape, bathrooms aren't cleaned like they use to be, pool wasn't open on the first holiday weekend, management is NOT friendly towards us (kids), we can no longer swim let alone float on a tube in the harbor, we can not stay in the pool after 10 pm if we do not have our I.D to prove that we are 18. Even though we may be with our parents not all of us are lucky enough to be 18 and able to stay, so EVERYONE (as a group) leaves and has nothing to do in the marina. So as the NEXT GENERATION BOATERS, why would Reef Point be our choice?? Or is Reef Point becoming a retirement village? Whats the next rule? No kids under 21?!?!

Reefpoint has a new manager and assistant manager. These guys are young and energetic and on the ball. They were hired late last summer, around August 2010 or so. The previous harbormasters were rarely out of the office, but you see these new guys out there sweating every day. They actually care about the marina and the boaters! Docks are cleaned regularly, and the whole place was power washed in the spring of 2010. Boards are replaced as needed. I called once about a board and it got changed pretty quick. WiFi is actually free, and I never had a problem getting on and staying on. It's not the fastest, but it works and is dependable. I never saw dog droppings - dog owners seemed pretty respectful to me. Showers and bathrooms are clean, for the most part, and are air-conditioned. I didn't see much weed growth in 2010, so the new guys must have corrected that problem. The customer service is really great. I needed a new dock box, and had one within a day of my call to the office. I saw they're doing dockside transient registration, so you don't have to walk up to the office to register when you come in for the night. And I heard they're moving the offices downstairs and taking over the Deli from the restaurant. Not sure how that's going to work, but having regular hours seven days a week is going to be a huge plus. The restaurant does a good job. Bar is fun. The staff really cares. I think the place is really turning around. I don't think it's in some "death spiral" like that other guy said!!! It didn't need a bunch of money to fix the place up, it just needed someone to put in a little TLC!

What a great trip! Right from asking directions to our slip (given in a manner that any visitor should not have a problem finding a slip) to the friendly staff catching our lines and our dock neighbors welcoming us to their dock. The restrooms and showers were quite busy during our visit but always clean. The restaurant Spinnakers was fun and had good food, we didn't have to go far. But we did, we took a walk downtown, it is a great area, we loved it! And the marina personnel at their fuel dock were helpful and smiling even though they were very busy. We will definately be going back, even thinking about making it our home port. Well done Reefpoint!

Spent 15 years there and watched the decline. Security poor as well as care of the staff. Very sad as it was so great when we went to the boat show in 1990 and love the place , moved there to E12

Reefpoint Marina, once the jewel of the Lake Michigan west shore, after about twenty years of neglect, appears to be in a financial death spiral. The operations look to be driven by the expense line not the revenue. One could argue that every dock board needs replacement. If not all the boards then certainly the rusting screws that in many cases have popped up as much as an inch to tear at your toe or shoe. The dog droppings aren't an appreciated greeting but are there almost every morning and stay 'til the next rain. Security has not been a serious problem, but is a sometimes thing. The competition from Kenosha's sparkling new marina has seriously hurt Reefpoint. There have been over two dozen defections from Reefpoint to Kenosha - and this just from the upper end 40 foot+ crowd. WiFi is a joke and is expensive. TV cable-nope. Fuel service- you pump or no fuel. Skipper Bud's, the managers under contract, don't pump fuel. They are afraid of the liability. The local manager has been seen on the docks a few times this year. The boss may have put some heat on. It won't make much difference, she has no budget. The combination of almost 500 empty slips, low water levels and maybe clearer water caused by zebra mussels has brought on a very serious problem with weed growth. If you wander into the grass with our outboard powered dinghy you may have to paddle to get out. Many have learned the value of the intake strainers on their boats. If making a visit, be sure to get a "clean" slip assignment. This is a serious problem that Skipper Bud's has done little about. They won't say that. But the evidence is there. One (1) herbicide treatment earlier in the year (2007) and in early September a pathetic effort - two men breaking their backs, armed with swimming pool cleaning tools and two marina carts dragging grass from a few slips. This job is a big one and requires some serious effort and equipment. Probably won't happen. Why is it that Sister Bay, WI, Luddington, MI, Frankfort, MI and so many other marinas have such up beat helpful employees on the docks? In contrast, Reefpoint loses its seasonal workers in August and all the work is left to two or three good long time employees and whatever part time help can be secured. Recruiting, wage and training issues? The good news! A new iteration of the marina restaurant. Spinnakers. The new consessionaire is giving it her best. Unless you want really loud stay out of "Smoking". Get reservations in Non-smoking. Good food. Good bar. There are very few well trained service people in Racine restaurants. But these wait people try and have a cheerful attitude. Good menu. The marina is still walking distance to Waves, Salute' and several other places to eat. A bunch of boaters wandering around downtown should feel comfortable. Reefpoint still has a lot to offer but is going to have to reverse course to stay a home port or destination of choice. That will be difficult to do with today"s boater interest diminished by the oil driven increases in costs. We'll see.