Pelican Rest Marina

«Our philosophy can be summarized in one word — Exclusivity.»
_​
/​’)
/​/​/​
/​/​(‘(\
/​\ ’ \
__||__
|”. :|
|”. :|
|”. :|
m-​m-​m-​m-​m
(Imagine Paul Harvey speaking) For decades, the north side of Offatts Bayou had some private homes and old wood piers. Very few large yachts graced the island. Hurricane Ike swept through, and ravaged many properties. Yet, suddenly, a luxury marina has taken seed.
And now, the (Pelican) REST of the story…
After Ike, insurance money allowed re-​building. And locals rallied & cleaned-​up the island. Now, cruise lines, real estate and the restaurant scene have come back. The former owners of M&M Bar & Grill (which also survived 1900 storm), Marita & Harry «Buddy» Schultz, turned their attention to building a new marina.
Why locate a marina at 29° 17′ 04.57″ N, 94° 51′ 26.49″ W?
–The only deep water marina access in Texas
–Cruisers pass nearby in Intracoastal Waterway
–Not crowded
–Good view
–Secure
–At the foot of I-​45, it’s quick access to hurricane evacuation, & within 40 minutes to the Houston Medical Center (important if you are a rich old man).
–And, finally, Scholles Airport is just across the bay for private aircraft.
The wealthy have long needed a deep water marina along the upper Texas coast, &investors pulled it all together to build, in phases, a place for them. Phase 1 is nearly complete, and Phase 2 condo high-​rise is being built. These folks spend moolah.
This classy, high-​end, «white glove» phased development off I-​45 on Offatts Bayou is for the wealthy large-​boat owners, or as website states: «Pelican Rest Marina is a state-​of-​the-​art concrete floating ShoreMaster system that is designed to house 60′ and larger class sport fishing yachts.» (can accommodate 200′ vessels) Luxurious condos are planned for 2014, & a high-​end restaurant in a few months.
How to get there: «Turn East at Red Nunn 30 — Proceed East to Red Day marker 6 — proceed 500 yards using Red Day marker 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 20 22, 24, 26 — you have now arrived at Pelican Rest Marina entrance.» (these directions assume you are in a yacht)
The approach and dockside depth is 18′ (allow for a 3′ tide).
Amenities:
–Tropical landscaping
–Floating dock for easier boarding, & protected from direct chop water
–Finger piers between boat slips are wider than most (allows two fat cats to pass each other)
–Floating dockside palapas (shaded seating)
–Water & electricity on docks
–Fuel Dock; oil change service & a disposal tank for used oil
–Fish weigh station — the only IGFA Certified Marina in the Gulf of Mexico
–Smitty’s Bait shop
–Palm-​leaf covered structure over the fish cleaning table
–Local storage facility for gear, & dock carts available
–Private Pool
–Wi-​fi
–Laundry
–Security on-​site & members-​only area
–Fees are per linear foot (with liveaboard fee as an option); Pelican bill requires a deep pouch.
–Men’s restroom has one shower (assume same for women)
–Eating area available (limited shade). Cheerfully painted murals on picnic tables.
Other notables:
–Fishing contest site, big (bill fish) & small (some for kids) and women (eg. Ladies Lipstick & Lures tournament)
–Participates in the Oyster Beds Restoration Project
Some people think that such a fancy marina won’t «fly» in Galveston, but a Pelican doesn’t look like it could fly either. Although pelicans are some of the heaviest flying birds, each bird’s skeleton only amounts to one tenth of its total body weight — which in some cases can be over 30 lbs! Similarly, hidden from most people, there is a yacht community that now communicates via the web and are the backbone for market demand of the new marina.
But why the name «Pelican Rest»? It is a peaceful name, appropriate for this place. But as far as pelicans resting, many of the piers have a cone on the top to prevent birds from landing and leaving their souvenirs, such as on your fancy new outfit. Dock is kept cleaner that way, too. Don’t worry about the pelicans, though, they have plenty of other nearby piers, as evidenced by their presence, and some are good at balancing on the points.
…and now you know the (Pelican) Rest of the story!
I am not rich*. So, what brought this peon here? Special event with catered food at the outdoor wooden bar. Good food, watching a beautiful sunset, and then the Moody Gardens’ fireworks capped a great night.
* There’s a slim hope for me getting rich, if I get back pay of a penny per word from Unilocal on my reviews.
P. S. Buying a large boat is like a pelican eats: it catches prey in its large gular sack, squeezes the water out the side of its bill, moves the food until it is facing head-​down in its throat, and swallows. For buying a boat, you plunge headfirst and squeeze your wallet empty.
Galveston is moving up several notches with this development.
«Y’ought» to go here!