Charting our next chapter: the Ferry Beach Dock Project

Questions & Answers

The Project

What is the Ferry Beach Dock Project?

A proposal to build two 80-foot floating docks, with gangways from shore and stairs to the beach at Ferry Beach in Charlevoix, giving Sail Charlevoix a permanent teaching home alongside the Charlevoix Yacht Club and Irish Boat Shop.

Where exactly would it go?

Along the Ferry Beach shoreline, next to the Charlevoix Yacht Club and Irish Boat Shop on Ferry Avenue.

Why move from Depot Beach?

Our current dock holds 6 boats and we run programs with more than 20. The rest beach-launch, which slows every session and limits what we can teach. There is no classroom, minimal storage, and the docks need constant repair. Depot Beach has served us well for decades. We have simply outgrown it.

Who designed it?

Edgewater Resources completed the coastal engineering and wave analysis and delivered a permit-ready design. Flotation Dock Systems of Cedarville, Michigan, a proven Great Lakes dock builder, would construct it.

How long will the docks last?

More than 25 years. They are modular and everything will get moved over to the Irish Boat Shop north marina every fall, which is what protects them through a northern Michigan winter and gets you that lifespan.

When would it be built?

The next step is the City license agreement. Once that is settled we will post a construction timeline here.

What will it cost?

About $400,000, covering coastal engineering and the construction and installation of the docks. That is our working figure until we have a firm construction estimate.

Ferry Beach and Public Access

Does Ferry Beach stay a public beach?

Yes. The docks are seasonal and come out every fall, so the beach, the swim area, and the shoreline are fully open to everyone the rest of the year.

Will the swim area change?

No.

What happens to the pavilion and the horseshoe pits?

Nothing. They do not move.

Will boats or equipment be stored on the beach?

No. Nothing would be permanently stored on the shore: no boats, no equipment, no racks. Winter storage happens next door at Ferry Avenue Marina, handled by Irish Boat Shop.

How much beach space would this actually take up?

Our footprint on shore is planned to be about 50 feet wide and 10 feet back from the waterline, for the access gangways. The floating docks extend into the water and get moved (along with gangways) in the off-season. Everything already at Ferry Beach Park stays, including the horseshoe pits and the storm drain.

Will the beach feel more crowded?

The space we would use at Ferry Beach is smaller than what we occupy at Depot Beach today. Our footprint gets smaller, not bigger.

How do you get out to the docks?

Two removable gangways connect the shore to the floating docks. A set of stairs will be built from the corner of the marina parking lot down to the beach. The gangways are stored on top of the docks over the winter.

Is the dock accessible?

We are not presenting the dock as an accessible facility, and we do not want to overstate it. What the Ferry Beach design does do is make adaptive programming a realistic possibility in the future, for sailors with disabilities, in a way that is not workable at Depot Beach today. A stable, purpose-built dock with room to move around is the precondition for that kind of program. It is a possibility we want, not a commitment we are making yet.

What about boats that anchor in this area?

Some boaters do anchor here, particularly on summer weekends when we are not running programs. A seasonal structure with a designated use actually helps organize the waterfront into clear recreational zones, and the area returns to full public use in the off-season.

Ferry Beach is a busy boating area. Is that safe?

It is busier than Depot Beach, particularly near the public boat launch, and we take that seriously. Two things make it manageable. First, timing. We teach mornings and afternoons on weekdays, which Edgewater's analysis of the area found to be the least active period for boat traffic. Evenings and weekends are when it gets busy, and that is not when we are on the water. Second, experience. Sailing programs across the country operate successfully in far more congested water than this. Our instructors are US Sailing certified and trained in traffic management, and we have a 40-year safety record.

Where do the docks go in the winter?

Irish Boat Shop moves them to their north marina, where they are bubbled through the winter. Seasonal removal is a deliberate design choice: it eliminates winter ice damage and UV degradation, which adds an estimated 10 to 15 years of dock life compared to a permanent structure.

Depot Beach

What happens to Depot Beach?

It opens back up for public use. Moving our fleet frees the space. We are keeping kayak and dinghy storage there so that waterfront keeps its water access.

Is this an expansion?

No. It is a trade of spaces. We are proposing to use a smaller footprint at Ferry Beach and give Depot Beach back to the public.

Why not just expand at Depot Beach?

Because it would cost more and deliver less. Matching what Ferry Beach gives us would take a larger dock, and Depot is more exposed, so it would likely need a floating breakwall to protect it. That is a bigger and more expensive project than the one we are proposing. And at the end of it we would still have no classroom and no storage.

The City

Has the City approved this?

No. We presented the full concept to Charlevoix City Council and to city staff in July 2026. That was informational and the response was supportive, but no formal vote has been taken.

What is the next step with the City?

Updating the License Use Agreement the City already holds with us for Depot Beach, so that it also covers the Ferry Beach shoreline and bottomlands. That agreement comes up for renewal in 2027, so this is a change to an existing arrangement at its natural renewal, not a new request.

Why are you fundraising before the City has approved it?

City staff reviewed the full concept and encouraged us to begin fundraising publicly, and to bring an updated license request as the next step. Raising the money is what lets us come to the City with a project that is ready to build rather than one that is hoping to be funded.

Is the City a supporter of Sail Charlevoix?

Yes, in the way that matters most for this project. For decades the City of Charlevoix has provided our access to public waterfront at Depot Beach through a license agreement, and Boyne City does the same by letting us operate out of the city marina for a few weeks every June. Neither city funds our programs. What they provide is access to the water, which is exactly the kind of support we are asking to continue at Ferry Beach.

Does this cost the City anything?

No. Lake Charlevoix Mariners pays for engineering, permits, and construction entirely through community fundraising. We also continue to carry all maintenance, insurance, and liability, the same model as today at Depot Beach. The City is not being asked to fund any part of this.

Who is responsible if someone is hurt on the dock?

Lake Charlevoix Mariners carries the insurance and assumes the liability and maintenance responsibility, consistent with our existing Depot Beach arrangement.

Why Ferry Beach instead of somewhere else?

Three reasons. Visibility to families. Proximity to the Charlevoix Yacht Club for shared classroom and storage space. And it is a site our engineers have already assessed for wave action and permitting.

What is the environmental and permitting process?

Edgewater Resources completed the coastal engineering and wave analysis with permitting in mind, and the design was built to be permit-ready from the start. Final design will follow whatever the City and the State require through the standard permit process.

What happens to the existing dock at Depot Beach?

We would remove the existing dock infrastructure, or offer it to the City.

How can I share my opinion with the City?

Charlevoix City Council meetings are open to the public. You are also welcome to tell us directly at info@sailcharlevoix.org, including if you have concerns.

Funding

How much has been raised?

As of August 2026, about $160,000 of the estimated $400,000 is committed.

What was the matching gift?

A longtime supporter who wishes to remain anonymous graciously offered to match the first $50,000 raised, dollar for dollar. That match has now been fully met and is closed. If you or someone you know is interested in starting another match, please contact us, and we’ll walk you through the next steps.

Are program fees or tuition paying for this?

No. This is a separate capital campaign funded by donors and grants.

Will scholarships be affected?

No. Scholarships and the Northern Student Program continue exactly as they are. No family is turned away based on income, before this project or after it.

Is my gift tax-deductible?

Yes. Lake Charlevoix Mariners, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN 31-6329012.

Can I direct my gift to something specific, or is naming recognition available?

Yes to both, depending on the gift. Email info@sailcharlevoix.org and we will walk you through it.

What if the project ends up costing more than expected?

We will not begin construction until the funding is fully secured. If costs come in higher, we adjust the fundraising goal. The City carries no financial exposure either way.

What happens to my gift if the project does not move forward?

We are raising and accepting gifts now, at the encouragement of city staff. If the project does not move forward, we will contact donors directly about how their gift is handled rather than making that decision quietly. If you are weighing a larger gift and would like the specifics in writing first, email info@sailcharlevoix.org and we will walk you through it.

Will you ask the City for money later?

No. All construction, engineering, permitting, maintenance, insurance, and liability costs are Lake Charlevoix Mariners' responsibility. We have never asked the City for operational funding in 40 years.

What happens to the program if the project does not move forward?

We continue operating at Depot Beach at our current capacity. That means we cannot serve the demand we are already seeing, replace our aging training boats responsibly, or expand programming.

Program & Families

Do you have to belong to the Yacht Club to sail with Sail Charlevoix?

No. Our programs are open to everyone who wants to learn to sail or improve their existing skills.

Where would classes go when the weather turns?

Today the only shelter we have at Depot Beach is a public pavilion. It is open air, it belongs to everyone, and it is not ours to count on. At Ferry Beach we would have use of a classroom in the CYC Annex, the old yacht club building across the street from the current clubhouse, along with dry storage in the clubhouse basement. Both are part of our signed Letter of Intent with the Charlevoix Yacht Club. For a program that runs all summer in northern Michigan, having somewhere real to teach on a bad-weather day is one of the largest practical gains in this whole project.

What does the Yacht Club get out of this?

A neighbor that brings new sailors into the sport, and a pathway for those students to progress into racing as they advance. The classroom and storage at Ferry Beach are shared space. The Charlevoix Yacht Club has provided a signed Letter of Intent supporting our use of their classroom and storage facilities.

Why do you need room for 20 boats instead of 6?

The 20-boat capacity reflects demand we are already seeing. Today only 6 boats fit on the dock and the rest launch from the beach, which slows every session and limits what we can teach. This is not aggressive growth, it is meeting existing demand better.

What kinds of boats would be at the dock?

Our training fleet: JY15s, 420s, Lasers, and Prams. Our existing boat hoists would be repurposed for the chase boats.

Why does the dock matter for your boats?

Our training sailboats are aging and will need replacing. Buying new boats makes little sense without dock infrastructure to shield them from weather and wave damage, and Depot Beach does not offer that today. Protected docks and purpose-built storage let us make that investment responsibly.

How does this help students?

More boats at the dock instead of beach-launching, which means more time on the water and less time rigging. A real classroom for weather days, which is a safety improvement as much as a teaching one. And a path into racing, or into other kinds of programming, for students who want to go further.

Will the program get bigger?

The capacity is there to serve roughly three times the families we serve now. How fast we grow depends on instructors and demand, not just dock space.

Would there be new programs?

Yes. The added dock capacity opens the door to offerings we cannot run today, including women's sailing, family sailing, and expanded adult instruction.

Are you still running programs in Boyne City?

Yes. This project does not change our Boyne City location, where we operate out of the city marina for a few weeks every June.

How to help

How do I give?

Use the button on this page, or visit sailcharlevoix.org/support-us.

Can I help without giving money?

Yes. Tell people what we are building, come to a City Council meeting, or email us about volunteering.

Who do I contact with a question this page did not answer?

info@sailcharlevoix.org ---

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Ferry Beach Dock Project

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