Q&As

What is your position on the larger boats?

Looking back at arial photos from the pre-1950's, I have seen boats up to 60 feet in Mill Creek. Mill Creek Marina and North Hampton Colony Marina both located in the same body of water currently hold boats between 50-60 feet long. I do truly, however, desire to work with my neighbors and can agree in good faith that boats larger than 60 feet may be too big for this body of water. However, I do own a boatyard so if my larger vessel requires service etc, I would like to reserve the right to dock it at my marina for repairs or otherwise posted. I will commit to not run charters or boat rentals out of my marina on any boat larger than 60 feet. This includes my silver 62' Pershing. I strongly urge my captains to agree to exercise care and courtesy on any size boat. So even if the boat is on the larger side, they are responsible to yield and be courteous to all other vessels.
What are you doing with the large silver 62' Pershing vessel I see docked at the marina?

GOOD NEWS! As of December 18, 2023, I am making the commitment to to either sell my largest 62' Pershing vessel or move it to Sag Harbor Village for all charters and boat rentals. If I can not sell it before the 2024 season, I will be running charters out of Sag Harbor Village. I did purchase a "boat yard" so I may need to bring this boat to my boat yard for a repair every now or then as all our tools, equipment, and engineers are located on-site. I generally agree with the fellow neighbors who believe that it is too big for consistent, everyday use in Mill Creek. I have also had a few neighbors comment that it is an attractive boat and they enjoy seeing it cruise by their home, but I will be moving it or selling it.
What are you doing to protect the environment?
As of December 18, 2023, these are all the actions I have taken, with more to come.
- Purchased Long Island's first Electric Jet Ski (at a cost of 2x the cost of a gas powered one)
- In contract to purchase the East End's first electric boat. I am currently exploring grants from NY state and otherwise. This electric boat is 27' in length.
- Committed to a pilot to replace outboards on sailboats with electric alternatives when the gas outboard reaches the end of their useful life/begin to falter.
- Working very closely with the leadership of Cornell Cooperative Extension on various projects and gifting their group with charters that leave port from any of our marinas in NY and even Florida.
- Making eelgrass a side passion of mine via researching it and fully understanding its purpose, how any and all boating affects it and how I can make a positive difference and help it proliferate.
- Driving a Tesla to reduce environmental impact and join forces with forward thinking electric technology.
- Adopting 4 highway stretches in Noyac, North Sea and Southampton. I have cleaned miles of highways and discarded over 70 bags of garbage off those highways in the last 3 years.
Do you have growth plans for your boat rental business? Should we be concerned?
Why did you get a stop work order?

I closed on June 6th in the middle of our busy season which is similar to buying a stadium two weeks before the Super Bowl is to be held there. I knew the neighbors generally don’t like change and more business volume than a sleepier marina, so my intent was to beautify the property quickly and impress the neighbors, not aggravate them.

The stop work order was mainly due to installing one inoperable picture window without a permit. I take full responsibility for that and learned a valuable lesson, and have since hired an engineering firm to submit a building permit with drawings and a full set of papers.

Two other items on the stop work order were mistakes, I did not remove any interior walls and I did not install a new garage opening, that was done by the prior owner. I only replaced the prior existing door with a more attractive garage door.
Why did you get a liquor license?

My intention was to simply give guests an option for a glass of rosé while they wait for their charter pickup.

I thought it would be a nice touch to give a complimentary glass of rosé on a hot Summer day to early clients, or to appease clients if their boat was late to depart while they are relaxing on the loungers and couches.

In retrospect, I received bad advice on my liquor license and was told to apply for "everything" under a bar or tavern as a default selection.
Do you wish to have a bar here?
Do you wish to have a restaurant here?
Why did you have massages and salon services at the marina?

"I am writing in regards to your story on September 29, 2023. To present the facts and set the record straight about “Salon Services” at Yacht Hampton’s marina. I felt horrible reading that Joe Ialacci could be in zoning trouble for doing such a kind gesture for me and his employees. I am a massage therapist working in this field for over 15 years, a mother of 5 adult children and 3 grandchildren.

First, I must say that it is 100% not true that Joe has hired me to offer ongoing massage services for Yacht Hampton. I was hired by Joe for a professional personal massage service for him. He was under the care of a chiropractor and I was referred to him. I did 1 housecall at his marina since Joe was so busy in his summer season.

I had expressed to him that I was new to the area, that I was looking to grow my Hamptons business. Out of the kindness of his heart, with no hidden agenda, we came up with what we thought would be a great idea to support his staff members and do something nice for them because they had worked so hard all season for the end of season closeout with the concept “We got your Back Day” on Labor Day weekend where I would set up my massage table outside by the dock with the beautiful view of the water, each staff member being fully dressed and at there own free will could receive a FREE 20min massage on their back. It was a beautiful gesture and a great idea, the staff was excited and appreciative and all said “what a kind boss”.

Boat Rental clients were privy to see the beautiful set up for the staff members and they asked “may i get a free massage” So I offered to also give them a 20 minute FREE back massage as a courtesy from Yacht Hampton to thank their amazing clients. The Yacht Hampton clients were just as excited and eager to get on my massage table to receive a FREE 20 minute back massage.

NO ONE AND I REPEAT NO ONE, not a staff member or a Yacht club member or guest was charged a fee for the fully dressed 20 minute back massage. It was merely a one-time gesture that was done with great integrity to uplift and support the Yacht Hampton community.

Joe has always said to me that he thought my presence “lights up a room” and that he would do something to help support my business and he did. He is a very kind businessman only looking to help his staff, his community, as well as grassroots businesses. It was an amazing experience and looking back definitely a highlight of my summer.

I hope you print this and you get to know Joe Ialacci, I am sure you will find more examples like this."

Respectfully,

Stacie

Chenaniah Whole Healing, LMT
What are your thoughts on the proposed zoning change?

Before I bought this property, my lawyer and I did our full due diligence and confirmed that this property has been primarily used for boat rentals since before the Truman Administration in 1950. My certificate of occupancy states "boat rentals" in both 1969's version and as recent as 2012's version. It also states that it is a boatyard with the intention of commercial usage. I fully respect and understand that I am in a residential neighborhood and I've learned that I must tread lightly as a way to show that I RESPECT my neighbors and neighborhood. To that point, I will be a hands on present owner and make sure anything we do will be in moderation. I have even made it one of our virtues. Due to my compliance and my confidence of being a 9.2 out of 10 on the neighbor scale, I am sure that in my case the marina does not need any zoning restrictions. I would like a "wait and see" approach to monitor the marina over the next full 2024 season and then re-address and analyze after.
Why did you purchase this marina? What was your intention?

I purchased the marina for the sole purpose of housing my boat rental business, Yacht Hampton Boat Rental. Before purchasing it, my lawyer and I did due diligence and reviewed numerous files showing the history of the property being primarily used and certified for boat rental businesses for the past 70+ years.

I wanted to have a safe haven for my team and my guests so that they can all park in peace and easily access their charter or boat rental. A safe haven for my vessels where I can store all of them (besides the Pershing now) in one central locale for better operational efficiency and an overall better charter experience. My job is to give memorable experiences to all my guests which starts with a website and carries through to parking and boarding their vessel.
How long are your boat rentals and how often do they turn over?

Our boat rentals are typically 10-2pm and 2:30 to 6:30pm. Our guests are away out on the water for 1/2 of the day, typically 4 hours at a time. Our prior tenant that contributed considerably to our early Summer volume rented ski boats hourly and bi-hourly producing a business model that had more traffic coming and going.

That tenant is no longer on premise as we wanted to run a quieter business for the sake of the neighbors, so expect a quieter year in 2024.
How busy and long is your season?

Like most of the businesses on the East End, my season is basically a short 84 day sprint consisting of just 12 busy weekends starting June 20th and ending September 7th. I make 90% of my income in that time, I often call it my Super Bowl.

My marina will be very quiet outside of those times. I repeat, I only have 12 busy weekends out of a 52 week year. That's 24 busy days out of the entire year, or only 6.5% of the year. I hope that gives neighbors some peace of mind as well as helps some of my detractors to be a bit more understanding.
What do people do on your boats?
Are your boats a "booze cruise?"

No, our trips are more quiet and subdued. A booze cruise is typically a large, older, unsightly, high-capacity, party type boat that takes 25 or more guests, selling cheap tickets for $30 to $80 per person and includes cheap alcohol and/or rum punch. Our business model is the opposite of that, we provide newer, classier vessels that are hired as a private rental or charter and they only allow generally 13 or less passengers. We do not sell tickets or sell alcohol in any form. Our newer, private boats require a higher price, of $1,600 to $10,990 for only 4 hours, so we usually have older, sophisticated clients who wish to have a private, exclusive and hence, subdued boat experience.
What can we expect in 2024 vs. your launch in 2023? Will you be more or less busy?

2023 was a unique, one-off circumstance. I closed on the marina unexpectedly late on June 6th, just as my busy season started. This is similar to buying the Giants Stadium (Met Life) in the playoffs just two weeks before the busy Super Bowl and then trying to modernize and improve it at the same time. Well that is essentially what we did minus a couple hiccups and lessons learned.

Additionally, the marina had three boat rental and charter operations running out of it at that time, Yacht Hampton, Sag Harbor Sailing, and Global Boarding. After fielding complaints from neighbors, some factual, some alleged, I took a financial hit and lost out on additional rental income for the betterment of the community and decided to not extend the lease of Global Boarding mid-August. Upon their lease end, there was an immediate improvement in traffic and operations. Three boat rental and charter companies was indeed a crowd at 51 Pine Neck. Once their frequent 1-2 hour charter guests, 5 employees and cars stopped coming, the marina was once again almost sleepy at times. To that point, I have footage of Saturday and Sunday over Labor Day weekend illustrating how calm it was during the peak of the day.

Expect 2024 to be a quiet and manageable year now that we won't have landscapers, painters, and contractors coming and going, as well as a third charter company with 2-3 boats going out every 1-2 hours on-site. Additionally, as I move the 62' Pershing to another marina to appease neighbor's requests, we can look forward to improvements.
What parking issues keep you up at night?

When I had a third boat rental/ charter business leasing space at our marina and using 4+ parking spots for their POD and storage items, as well as 4 spots for staff cars and 2-4 parking spots for hourly and bi-hourly guests, I was concerned with parking on Saturdays. Currently, I have no concerns with parking and have plenty of room. Anything to the contrary is a falsehood or a mistake.

Even though I invested heavily to buy the marina, I often take Ubers to work on Saturdays to free up a parking spot and avoid any potential parking issues out of respect for my neighbors and guests.

Unlike the prior owners, I am a local, hands-on owner who is there every weekend in the Summer, as well as most weekdays. I will monitor traffic very closely, especially on Saturdays. In 2024, I will also improve by aspiring to not have any maintenance or construction work completed on Saturdays, minimizing additional traffic.
Please share your parking lot footage on busy Labor Day Weekend Sunday. I heard rumors from neighbors that your lot is full and your guests are parking in the street on weekends?
Please share your parking lot footage on busy Labor Day Weekend Saturday. I heard rumors from neighbors that your lot is full and your guests are parking in the street on weekends?
What are you doing for Pine Neck?

I will monitor and keep the road clean on the way down to the pier. I can and will keep the pier clean of broken sharp shells only with the blessing of the residents.

I have several ideas for the neighborhood like having our Yacht Hampton team lead weekly beach clean ups at Circle Beach or create Pine Neck Tuesdays where I will host neighbors at the marina to enjoy the sunset, or even give out romantic sunset cruises for neighbors on power boats or sailboats.

I am eager to sponsor more local initiatives and do more in our neighborhood but I am cautious based on the reception I have gotten and would want to discuss such things before I move forward.

To be clear, my intention is not to take over or control anything. I simply see neglected things and I am offering to assist only if the community endorses. I have learned my lesson and do not want to overstep.
What are you doing for Noyac? Did you adopt the entire 2 mile highway on Long Beach?

My company Yacht Hampton adopted the entire 2 mile strip of Long Beach Road for the last 3+ years, (long before purchasing the marina) and removed 70+ bags of garbage over that time. You may see me with my white Tesla from time to time picking up items on the side of the road.

Additionally, I volunteer my time assisting the Noyac Civic Council whenever I can.

I am in discussion to do more for the NCC.
What are you doing for Sag Harbor?
Where do you call home, are you a local?

I own a home in the heart of Sag Harbor Village and am a member of the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce where I sponsor the back page of their annual guide. I also was told I was the first business to join the Noyac Civic Council, as I joined within 60 days of purchasing the marina. I am an active member of the NCC today and hope to do more over the next 20 years. I hope more local businesses join the NCC as well.
What overall issues keep you up at night?
What is your phone number so we can call you?

631-431-0463 is our cell for calls as well as text. We respectfully ask you to please reach out and ask questions before making assumptions. Unfortunately, numerous rumors and falsehoods have been unintentionally spread amongst neighbors and even to the press where it has caused some unnecessary angst and concerns. An example of this is in the case of the salon services and massages. Time and emotion could have been saved with a simple text or call. We encourage open, honest communication.
What are the positives about you buying the marina?

1. I am a Sag Harbor resident

2. Hands on owner

3. Active member of Noyac Civic Counsel

4. Physically on premise every weekend

5. Track record of giving back to the community

6. Care about the neighborhood enough to build a comprehensive website to connect residents

7. Desire to make the marina the gem of the neighborhood with my attention to detail

8. High standards of property management

9. Willingness to employ and mentor locals

10. Abide by our neighborly 20 virtues

11. Fan of Mr. Fred Rogers and his beliefs
What are the negatives of you buying the marina?
Explain your sleepy marina theory?

I purchased the quietest marina in Suffolk County. So quiet, that I have heard from multiple residents that under prior ownership they used to lock doors on a Summer Saturday because there was only one employee on the water. The marina had a sailing school with 4 boats and was strictly used as a wakeboarding storage company while they operated out of Sag Harbor Village. I was told they never used the property. My point being, the base line in terms of activity was very low versus any proper marina, probably a 1 out of 10 in terms of customer intensity. So, basically I was doomed from the start to even do any business at all since the baseline was so low. If I bought a bustling or thriving marina, I feel that I would not be under a microscope today.