Sailing into the Sunset: Seven Mile Beach’s Last Marina Closes
More than a couple of tears were shed on Monday, Oct. 12, as the door at Smugglers Cove was locked for the last time. Great memories can often lead to tears. The tears were happy but melancholy, created by so many good times and great memories. The memories were awash as Jayne Lare and Pete Ault hosted a toast in front of a framed photo of Lou Bachmann, the longtime proprietor who died in 2016.
“We toasted Lou with one of his favorites, blackberry brandy,” Lare was saying several days later. “And yes, there were plenty of tears.”
And why not? After all, that day Smugglers Cove became a thing of our past here on the Seven Mile Beach. The property was first known as Guyon’s Pier in the 1930s. Boating and marinas were a burgeoning industry. After all, the outboard engine was not invented until 1907. But there was quickly a demand in places like Stone Harbor, and businesses like Guyon’s were quickly established to fulfill that need. In 1959, the Guyons sold to Jean and Ellen Edwards and the location became known as Edwards Pier. Smugglers Cove officially opened Memorial Day weekend 1973.
For 47 years, Smugglers Cove created amazing memories for generations of visitors to Stone Harbor and Avalon -- thanks to thousands of boat rentals and great events like kids’ fishing tournaments, mako shark tournaments, small-boat fishing tournaments, and the fall Happy Crabbers Tournament. And how many kids picked out their first rod and reel in the tackle shop and grew up to be anglers weighing in that catch of a lifetime at the Smugglers Cove’s weigh station?
Sadly, time caught up to Smugglers Cove. Among other things, the underground fuel tanks were too great a liability. A similar fate claimed Phillips Exxon station in Avalon about two decades ago after 60-plus years at 21st Street and Third Avenue.
Over the years, the Smugglers Cove building was home to a yarn shop, a fish market and luncheonette in addition to the bait and tackle shop that has become so familiar. You are probably wondering if there is a cool story behind the name. Pirates, smugglers, rumrunners maybe? Sorry, not the case. As Lare explains it, “There was a brain-storming session and someone suggested the name Smugglers Cove. We all liked it. And that’s how we got the name.”
There was some discussion among Stone Harbor Borough Council members about purchasing the property to preserve the island’s last marina. Unfortunately, that did not happen. And it’s hard to imagine, but probably for the first time in almost 100 years the Seven Mile Beach is without a marina. Smugglers Cove has joined J and J Marina, The Avalon Anchorage, Harvey’s Harbor, Deschamps, and Morgan’s Wharf, to name but a few.
Families taking their first boat ride in a rental boat … picking up a pint of minnows from the live well … stopping by the fuel dock to fill up the tank before a fun day out on the water. Over the years, Guyon’s, Edwards and finally Smugglers Cove have helped to create indelible memories for generations of Seven Mile Beach kids. We owe our thanks for those memories to many deckhands over the years, the Guyon, Edwards, Ault and Lare families; and of course, Lou Bachmann.
So, take some time to look at the photos here … some from just before Smugglers Cove opened and others from just before they closed. And at least for now, remember the great times created at Smugglers Cove.