Safe Harbor Essex Island & Dauntless Marina

Essex Island is a special place, a unique cruising destination, where everyone does whatever they can to make your stay enjoyable. Thank you Adam and crew for all you do.

Nice marina. Easy in and out and Essex is a terrific little town.

Staff very friendly and helpful. Had a fantastic time

Excellent help at the dock, the facilities are gorgeous!

Enjoyed our short stay. Nice facility. Will be back next year!

Excellent stay, staff was amazing.

Everything was great

Marina was great. The showers could use an update or at least a good cleaning.

Guest boats are crammed together. Biting bugs all over the place. Internet was down "because a rat chewed through the wire."

Dockmaster Adam was great as well as his assistant. Had great location to dock. Only issue was wifi was not available seems raccoon ate the wires.

Fabulous! The staff was very accomadating and friendly. Thank you

Very friendly Clean Helpfull

Another great stay ! Dock hands were excellent , clean grounds and fantastic location.. Dinner at Noah’s was good . Love it here and one of our yearly must visits.

Marina was in great condition and staff were kind and helpful

I would give 6 stars if allowed. They do everything right. They accommodated our request for a T head . Showers are terrific. The grounds and amenities are spotless. The staff is professional and very responsive. And the Dauntless Boatyard was terrific. We had to have some repairs done and they were prompt, professional and did exactly what they promised. The marina is set on a lovely little island accessible by a ferry that runs all day and takes about a minute to downtown Essex.

Mooring far from town. Out near channel in unprotected water and wakes. Not happy for the premium price paid. Launch service was fine .

Another nice stay! Very quiet on a weather-challenged Labor Day Weekend. Staff very attentive and friendly.

Service was excellent, and friendly

We stay here every year for the beautiful, immaculate grounds and amnenities. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and you have access to the quaint town of Essex. Can’t ask for much more than that!

Our favorite place in Long Island Sound. Very helpful people, great mooring field, very cute New England town. Everything walking distance. We visit every year and never disappointed. Recommend totally!

Having stayed at Essex Island as a kid nearly 40 years ago, I wanted to bring my family there for their first boat trip. We were not disappointed. Excellent radio communication prior to check-in, helpful and friendly dock staff, and super clean, convenient facilities made our trip wonderful. We enjoyed our meal at Siren, used the pool (cold but clean!), took advantage of the convenient ferry service into Essex village, where even our dog got a treat from the ferry operator, and sat around the fire pits and hammock playing lawn games. All in all, we couldn’t have had a better experience. We fueled up at Dauntless prior to our arrival and the staff there was friendly and helpful as well. We took a few day excursions by boat up to Gillette Castle and Hamburg Cove and the dock crew was always there to help cast off or re-tie us at the dock. Thank you for a memorable stay! I assure you it won’t be 40 years before our next visit!

Beautiful facility. Would definitely return.

Nice,pleasant staff. Beautiful grounds. Nice dockage, will go back next year.

Staff was superb, marina was very clean

Henry and crew did a great job. Very friendly and accommodating. I was glad to see that the restrooms were spotless once again.

Great time and great staff!

Clean and wonderful staff!

Very beautiful location, nice staff, clean pool and showers, good restaurant on site and near by. Main street with multiple boutiques

Exce;;ent staff. Great dock hands. Clean safe environment

Great facilities and very helpful and friendly staff.

This was our first long trip for us by boat (100 miles). We couldn't have picked a better place to experience our adventure. The staff at Essex Island were terrific. They were all helpful, friendly and polite. The amenities on the island were great, from the slip itself to the activities to the restaurant right down to the ferry to the main land. In our opinion this was the perfect spot for us. We were able to hang out on the island or explore Main St. It was a stress free vacation. We will definitely be back.

We moored and launch service was fantastic

Simply a great destination. Adam and his Staff are very friendly and accommodating. Marina gets better every year!!

Nice place friendly dock hands and helpful

Great experience my family and I had. Adam the dock master made sure we had a great slip firstly . Dock hands when coming in were top notch as well. The grounds and all yard games were a hit for my kids. Definitely coming back soon

What a great docking crew & ferry boat operators. World class. Special thank you to Henry L… appreciate his assistance and patience. Andrew G

We had a wonderful stay, as always!, the dock hands and crew are great. Can't wait until our next return!

Wonderful dock crew, ready to help on arrival. Great spot, docks, water and power readily available and the docks are in decent condition. Bathrooms are adequate but just adequate, two toilets and two showers are not enough for a marina that size. A/C did not work in women’s bath. Good location, easy walk to town, ferry runs consistently and consistently.

Easy in/out for mooring. Staff was top shelf, very helpful and polite. Launch service was very reliable and easy.

Have not stayed at Essex Island Safe Harbor Marina before; DockMaster Andy was quick to respond to several questions prior to arrival; each and every employee just could not be more polite and offering to help in any way; the grounds are immaculate and everything about the facility is just plain ‘tidy’. I will DEFINITELY be back to Essex Island Marina. Don’t miss this location if you are in the area.

Great place to stay. Easy in and out. Friendly staff.

Staff is very attentive and present. Facilitates are very clean and a great stop up the sound.

Staff was great. Property is beautiful. Town is charming. Pool area could use a cleaning and some updating. I would go back.

Staff was friendly and very helpful!

Great place! Close everything in the village. Nice launch service, pleasant staff, clean showers and a laundry. We come every year.

Great service! Dockhands ready and willing to lend a hand. Lovely Place.

Nice people and services

Very enjoyable stay at SH Dauntless! Super easy access to town, big thanks to the whole marina crew, especially the launch drivers who were always on the go shuttling guests between the mooring field and the dock. The launch drivers will lead you to your mooring, saving a lot of time in a rather large mooring field. Also very easy access fuel dock which includes pumpout stations, and a pumpout service boat which makes rounds through the mooring fields and anchorages.

When we arrived at Essex Island Marina we were quite upset to find that they had not reserved a slip for us. From experience at Essex Boatworks we knew that EIM does not offer moorings - only slips. We were especially upset because they had sent us an email two days prior to our arrival to welcome us that, in order to avoid confusion, told us about the three different locations that SafeHarbor operates in Essex and the different radio channels they monitor. Since we had requested a slip at Essex Island Marina and had gotten the welcoming email from them, we called several times on the corresponding channel and got... no reply. We circled in the rather strong river current until some dockhands appeared and we told them we were looking for our slip. They had no record of anything. A cellphone call from us finally got through to through to someone in an office who, after several minutes of investigation, advised us that we had a mooring DM 19 waiting for us "in the South Field". Essex Island Marina is at the North end of Essex. They had switched our request to their Dauntless Marina without telling us ,and given us a mooring. We then had to thread our way through the mooring field looking for DM19. No launch appeared to show us where it was among the scores of boats in the harbor that included private and yacht club moorings along with theirs. We finally found it and secured it to our bow cleats almost an hour after we arrived off the EIM docks. This introduction to Safe Harbor Essex was not a fun event. They need to communicate much more clearly to their customers and their crews about what is going on. It would help for them to answer the radio too.

Great service, nice people!

Friendly and accommodating personnel, clean and well maintained marina

Friendly; good service; great location

Great staff. Great facilities.

What a nice marina! We were greeted by Lily and Olivia who were delightful and very helpful. The ferry to the mainland ( 2 minute ride) runs constantly with no waiting and takes bikes very easily. Beautiful clean pool with spotless heads and showers. The island restaurant, Siren, serves great fresh food and our server, Brendan, couldn’t have been nicer. Lots to do in Essex. Great shops and restaurants. Both The Griswold Inn and the Black Seal were great. Also, had a great 3 mile run at Turtle Creek Preserve. Overall a great destination and will definitely be back.

I can into Essex on one engine.. everyone was soo accommodating. The next day I was waiting for a part to be delivered and the dock master went out of his way to help me get my part.. great guy!!

Very nice marina and helpful dock folks.

Excellent! Love this place - great staff - enjoyed eating at the restaurant (Erin was great!)

Staff were all most helpful and friendly. Had a great stay with the MTOA Rendezvous. Thank you.

Fantastic marina with most helpful staff led by great dockmasters, Henry & Adam. We appreciated clean bathroom and showers. We are looking forward to visiting again....Alex & Linda / Serenity

Well run clean facility. Lots of games, close to Town.

Only problem was the ladies room by the office had no air conditioning for our 3-night visit. Otherwise the facilities were clean, the staff was very friendly and accommodating.

Great facility and really helpful dockhands.

The staff were very helpful both with docking and information at a very busy time. The facilities were clean, the town is nearby and our stay was very enjoyable.

We enjoyed 4 days at Essex Island. The grounds are well maintained, the facilities were clean, the pool was a joy in the heat, and the restaurant was delicious. TY for a nice stay.

We were part of a rendezvous of the Marine Trawler Owners Association (MTOA), a 25 boat flotilla from July 14th - 17th. I cannot say enough about the SH Essex Island location. It was awesome, and I really didn't want to leave. I am looking forward to my return soon. The dock staff there were outstanding. Not only were they friendly and helpful as I would have expected. But their professionalism was outstanding as well. It was quite apparent that they were well trained. I know this sounds small to some, but for me it was a big deal and an indicator of their professionalism. For the very first time in my history of boating and staying at marinas, I did not have to alter the docklines after the crew initially tied us up. They tied perfect cleat hitches and the length of each one of the lines was perfect. They were also very attentive and helpful when attaching the power cables as well. I cannot say enough about the dock staff at this marina. Well done!!! The marina itself was outstanding as well. They take up the entire island in Essex and have a 30 second ferry (literally) to the main town. Lots of fun. The facilities were top notch as well. I strongly recommend them.

Excellent facility, friendly staff Lost thrusters while docking and there was immediate help from the staff. I will definitely return anytime traveling north.

Great location, clean and beautiful. Excellent marina staff. We had a great visit.

Facility with on site restaurant is top notch. Clean, nice docks, friendly staff, great location for classic New England town of Essex. However, not one of the electric plugs for our 50amp cord worked, after numerous requests the staff said it must be our cord, not their own power box. On this topic the lacks customer support as they never came back to our boat to inform us or suggest moving us to another dock. We had to go back into dock office to find out we have no electricity. Luckily we have a generator and ran it all night. Cut our stay short and left next morning. Once back at our home port, also a Safe Harbor marina we plugged in and instantly had dock electricity. Shame on Essex Island

Fantastic facilities! Friendliest staff who are always looking to help! I can’t say enough good things!

What a great experience! Stared off with Adam the dock master greeting us and helping tie us up with another dock hand. The grounds were immaculate. The restaurant on the grounds called Siren Kitchen & Bar was fantastic. The owner greeted us and had no problems with our two service dogs Piper and Suzy. Do yourself a favor and start off with the Hot Dog Bloody Mary! Best dog EVER! WORTH THE LITTLE EXTRA WAIT TIME.

We have a wonderful time at Essex safe Harbor. Facilities are clean and well-maintained and it is pet friendly. We look forward to our return trip.

Love this dog people friendly place. Neat well maintained facility for family and friends. BBQ grills through out premises Corn hole and shuffle board ready.

Staff is so polite and helpful, dock hands were superb. Nice peaceful marina that we love and recommend

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Professional staff. Very helpful.

It had been a we since we visited this wonderful harbor of Essex. The Connecticut River Valley is a must see by boat. Rachel and her crew, Hailey, Matt, Maddie-to name a few- were amazing. They made our visit all the better. And a special shout out to Russell and Phoebe.

Great crew. Nice showers and a pretty spot on the river

Staff great and clean facilities The restaurant on the property food was awful

Great experience, the staff were exceptional.

Love the location and all it has to offer. The staff goes above and well beyond expectations.

We have stayed here before and have always enjoyed the staff, views of the Connecticut River and overall facility. The staff who assisted in our docking were very competent and friendly. All in all a fine stay. The WIFI at Safe Harbor locations has always been a plus. Clean rest rooms, a dock layout available on the website, very helpful manager and the Town of Essex make Safe Harbor Essex Island a must stay.

Your dock staff was terrific!!

We enjoy all the amenities, staff and our fellow boaters who are so helpful! Having a pool as well as a beach and easy walking access to Essex makes for a great place to decompress!

Beautiful facility and great staff! We can’t wait to come back.

So many improvements since our last visit… upgrades to grounds/landscaping, new outdoor furniture & grills, spot repairs to worn decks and docks, and new (better) restaurant management/food. Nice going Safe Harbor!

There was tremendous confusion about access to the pool. When we tried to go to the pool, they said there would be no access and then they change their mind and sent us over to the shipyard pool, but did not give us the code to the restrooms. All attendants were very new and not informed.

Great place very helpful staff. I would definitely recommend and will return on my next visit.

Had a wonderful 3 night stay on Essex Island. The staff , as always, was very helpful. Rest rooms and showers were clean. The alley/ hall way by the office restrooms and showers could use a little upper wall and ceiling cleaning. Lots of spider nests and in the evening lots of spiders hanging down in your face and webs getting on you.

Beautiful marina, quaint village, friendly people everywhere. We will be back, again!

This Safe Harbor property is a class act from first arrival to departure. Here is what i found: Immediate response to my radio hail. Two dock staffers guiding and cheerfully assisting with securing and hookups. Very clean and well maintained restrooms and shower. Cheerful and helpful ferry captain. Immaculately maintain grounds & Pool. A wonderful and historic New England seaside village with taverns, inns, pubs, museums and a diverse array of local shops. I will return here as often as possible.

Staff very helpful/responsive/ professional. Facility is fantastic

Henry is awesome, great customer service guy, took very good care of us.

We have stayed at the island many times, but I felt it was such an awesome experience this time, I wanted to give the staff a shout out. We came from SH Pilots Point with 5 sailboats. Staff went out of their way to group us together and provided excellent dockside service. I wish I had gotten the name of the young man who was in charge of the others(not sure if he was the dock master) but he was amazing! He even remembered my dog’s name the next day when they helped all of us off the next day. In addition , we had to delay our departure for several hours due to weather, and EI staff was very accommodating letting us stay past the normal checkout time until we could safely depart. Everyone was dog friendly, the only the thing I would suggest is that EI consider doggie baggie/garbage stations placed around the island as they do at SH PP. thank you and we will return again!

Great stay. Loved the staff! Loved your marina. We will be back. Suggestions: 1) keep the 50 amps working. You can’t run your boat fully with a splitter. 2) womens room needs air conditioning. Thanks for a great weekend.

Adam and his team are awesome!!!!!!

Docks and facility is well maintained. Essex is a wonderful little town.

Very nice marina, the shuttle operator was friendly and did his job well. The area is pleasant, had dinner at Noah’s - which was very good. Our waiter could not have been better ! Strolled through town a bit - then ice cream at Sweet Peas, excellent ice cream, and service. All in all a pleasant experience. Also it’s a dog friendly area !

Spectacular! Adam and team are always friendly and helpful.

Dockhands were wonderful! Did a great job trying up our boat, hooking up our water and power. Also VERY polite. Only issue was the Wi-Fi didn’t work.

Great accommodations and very personal dock hands! Great restaurants in the area. WI-FI did not work

Friendly, helpful, and a great place to visit!

Clean grounds and friendly staff

The entire staff at Safe Harbor. Adam and Stacy go above and beyond every day! The island is beautifully maintained! The bathrooms are always spotless! The pool is very well kept! There is not one staff member that does not go out of his or her way to help a boater every day! The tender drivers are amazing! All the fire pits and tables and chairs are immaculate! Love, love, love everything about this marina especially the staff!

Great place great people

Essex Island is always a great stay. Adam and his crew are the best.

Had a great "late season" stay. Facilities excellent, friendly and helpful team...and 30 seconds by ferry and you are walking on Main Street for shopping, food and scenery. We will be back!

Clean facility, very friendly manager & staff, superb ferry service. Always a pleasure to visit!!!!

Always a relaxing place to visit. Staff still great.

Adam and his staff were very accomodating, The marina is very well kept, a great place to visit!

Great location very helpful staff.

Great location. Staff is extremely friendly and helpful.

Used transient docking for late lunch at the Siren bar/restaurant. Young dockhands were flexible and helpful. The chicken sandwich and salad were good. The view/location is excellent. Will definitely visit again in the future.

Our stay was wonderful. Adam (the head of the marina) was great. I highly recommend the facility and his treatment of guests. First class all the way. And Essex is always a special town.

Dock staff were great as well as the marina's facilities. Enjoyed dinner and musical entertainment at the Griswold Inn. A nice town to walk around. Recommend including on anyone's cruise list.

We have had our boat docked at Essex Island for 7 years. The staff is helpful and knowledgeable, and the improvements to the marina over the years are outstanding. The marina has become a resort- upgrades to the outdoor furniture, the addition of hammocks and firepitsg, even the game areas of shuffleboard and cornhole have been improved. Many of the docks have been replaced. Couldn't be luckier to live close enough to keep our boat at Essex Island!

Wish we could stay longer. Awesome place and staff! Thanks

Nicest marina, best run, nicest customer service oriented people in the Northeast or anywhere that we’ve been to after 10 years of regular cruising.

Wonderful team and great facility!

Stayed at the Island for the Labor Day Weekend,Always an A+!!! Thanks guys for a great weekend ⚓️

Clean facilities. Helpful, knowledgeable staff.

Great location, several good places to dine within walking distance. Bath and shower facilities need to be updated.

Essex Island Marina remains one of our favorite destinations for early and late season trips. It is a perfect venue to host family gatherings with the boat as home base.

Beautiful setting and amenities

Great Marina. Great staff!!!

As always the personnel are professional while friendly, adroit while courteous and caring for safety. Can't beat it.

Great and helpful staff. Really enjoyed the pool.

Loved A dock and all…not our first visit, always enjoyable

Essex island marina is one of our families favorite stops. Marina staff are very helpful and polite. This was our third year in a row stopping at Essex island and we noticed many nice improvements from past years.

Marina is spotless and well maintained. Employees are friendly and customer service oriented. Love Essex Island Marina. This was my review last year. Not so this year. From Sunday to Thursday morning, the bathrooms were not cleaned. Same clump of hair on the side wall of the shower. Same spots on rim of toilet set. The garbage cans were finally emptied on Wednesday. Don't look up at the light as you walk in. The spiders have been living there for years. Such a shame. The dock hands were extremely polite and helpful. The restaurant on premise was amazing.

No response on a reservation request!! Not a good way to do business!!!

Great visit. People are very friendly. We will be back.

Loved it here. We will definitely be back. Only problem was the drifting logs

Staff is always super helpful. Great facilities all around and so well maintained. One of our favorite stops

Great staff, great facilities.

Great staff. Very helpful.

Very hard to get a reservation but loved it as always

Always love stopping here!

Staff helpful, attentive, and knowledgeable. Marina is always a pleasure to visit given the amenities and convenience to town.

Great marina! Loved the pontoon shuttle. Beautiful grounds. Lots of places to hang out. Very good heads and showers close to dock. Good restaurant on the grounds. Great staff. All around A+!

New landscaping is great. Very sad that the beach at the far end is blocked off. That space made the marina perfect for the pups.

Always a great time at Exxex Island. The staff is fabulous ! We all had a fabulous time at EI , the staff went above & beyond to make it a memorable weekend !! Thanks

Great stay! Clean grounds, great staff, very nice

Beautiful little island and quaint town. EVERYONE was super friendly! Marina staff was Top Notch, willing to lend a hand or offer local info. Facilities were clean and kept up with! Highly recommend a visit and a few days

Fabulous marina. Located right downtown. Great campus with all kind of activities. The service team is highly skilled, prompt and professional. Henry, the general manager is very involved and responsive. The entire staff is friendly, polite and go out of their way to help. We had a great experience. One of the best Safe Harbor marinas we have visited. Very professionally run.

Facility is great. Pool, reading spots in the shade, small beach. Lots of fun being on an Island. SIREN Resturant is right there. Dockhands were professional and available. Crew dealt with debris in the river from the recent flooding well. We came for 4 days and would like to book all season next year.

Recently stayed at the marina as part of an Annapolis Yacht Club cruise. The facility is excellent and has a great staff and easy access floating docks. We have a new boat and the team was very responsive in helping us tie up as well as depart. The bathrooms have showers and the whole area is very clean and well furnished. While the marina doesn't have a fuel dock, it is easily available at a marina less than 1-2 minutes away. There is a restaurant on the premises, but we didn't stop by, so I can't comment but it seemed nice. The marina is on an "island" and has a prompt reliable ferry service to the mainland (about 1 min). We took it several times and NEVER awaited more than 1-2 min for the ferry. The town is a very close with nice shops and dining. We ate at the Griswald Inn which is a long-standing establishment and I would recommend stopping by or dining there

Great facilities, staff and amenities. One of best marinas on East Coast

perfectly suitable but a little tired - great for proximity to Essex but the bathroom and shower facilities were pretty basic and run down. The pool was nice but full of loud kids and teenagers who were apparently unsupervised so the pool experience was not relaxing. Nice little cafe/bar at Sirens though. I would go back but thought it would be nicer now that it's a Safe Harbor marina

Great staff !!!!!!!!!’

EXCELLENT SERVICE AND DOCKS WERE SUPER CLEAN - FREINDLY STAFF

Safe harbor is a Beautiful place

Nice quiet marina with friendly staff. Nice upgrades on pool area lawn games since last time we stopped here two years ago. Will definitely stop again.

Terrific marina excellent services

The staff was very kind and helpful.

Well maintained marina on an island. There is a shuttle service to mainland as required which makes it very accessible. There is a restaurant, Sirens, on the ground with American cuisine. Few restaurants on the mainland, but limited -- great place to spend time but be wary of the debris and tree branches on the river post rain storm.

Nice staff, helpful marine store. However there is a “them and us” culture related to the fact that our home port isnt a Safe Harbor facility. “You’re going to have to pay more because you’re not in the club”. There are lots better ways to market yourselves without antagonizing your customers.

Beautiful facility, great staff.

Thank you. All of the Safe Harbor employees were very friendly, helpful, always smiling, and offered to help us whenever we needed it. Thanks for a great stay.

Great facility. Great staff.

Marina was great staff was awesome. We will be back!

Great service great access to town

Nice marina and nice service.

It was lovely, we will be returning!

well maintained & staffed...always a delight

Staff was excellent and marina is very well maintained! Adam was so welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable! Will definitely return

Great marina. Great town.

Adam the dock master stayed late to get us in and was very helpful and courteous.\nThe docking was easy. The grounds are well kept up.

Lovely views, friendly staff and easy access to the quaint town of Essex.

Friendly helpful service. Beautiful marina.

Great location location location and the grounds are fantastic. The staff is excellent and knowledgeable about the area. Essex is a great town and there are lots of restaurants and shops within walking distance. The Connecticut River Museum is a five-minute walk. There you can learn how far we have come in cleaning up our environment since the 1972 Clean Water Act.

Hats off to the dock crew helping us in!!

It is like being on vacation at a resort …because that is what it is….staff most helpful. One of the staff Mike ,is always there to say hello and help. Long or short stay you can’t go wrong here. Still needs work but suck a large and complicated yard (since it is an island) it will take time.

Always a great spot to stay!

We had a great time, the staff was great and the marina was beautiful. We'll definitely return

Talking with Adam the dock master was reassuring that arriving at the marina would be a smooth dock, he was extremely accommodating. Mike in the office was also very knowledgeable and hands on. The restaurants were excellent in town and the shops were great. Definitely will be returning soon.

Very nice place to visit, clean and friendly property. Dock hands were great getting on and off the dock. Will definitely return.

Very enjoyable time

Nice marina with great manager and dock hands, but the price is too high for after Labor Day.

one of the best places to stay

Great location, a real "resort" feel! Adam and staff are always very helpful - the restaurant on the island is terrific, the town is always fun with more great choices. We come back every year!

Friendly and helpful staff!

I spent the majority of last week at Essex Island Marina. This is a great place. The staff were very polite and knowledgeable and paid attention to details. They were eager to help with special requests. The facility is top notch. If your in the area you should go there.

Wonderful Marina! First class service. Excellent slips and finger docks. Everyone that works there is very friendly and extremely helpful. Beautiful pool, property and facilities. We look forward to coming back again!

Staff was wonderful and marina has many new improvements.

The property is comfortable. It is well maintained and managed. The staff is top notch. Adam and Lexi were very helpful and welcoming.

Excellent stay. Travelled with dock mates from Branford Safe Harbor for the night. Wonderful dock crew to greet us upon arrival, and a perfect slip. Visited the Griswold Inn Wine Room for a flight at its post Covid reopening night, followed by dinner at the Gris, and some ice cream at Sweet P’s to close out the day. Always a great experience with much to do at Essex. Put it on your list.

We had a fantastic stay! Our slip was easy in and out, the dock hands were more than helpful, and we had a fantastic dinner at the restaurant. Oh...our dogs loved it, too!

We love Essex island and staff are so friendly. However the boat next to us was partying till 1+ am and created a huge wake in the middle of the night. People several docks over came over to complain and there was almost a fight. Not to mention they were smoking off the swim platform and was blowing into my cabin. My kids loved the playground and pool

A fun welcoming marina. The showers Could use a bit of an upgrade but an overall solid experience.

Traveled here in August. The staff was great! Very responsive to any of our needs. The Island has a nice pool but it was chilly. Plenty of grills for cooking and Adirondack chairs for lounging. They even have gas fire pits for the evenings to gather around with friends and family. The town has nice restaurants and a few shops to stroll by. I will definitely come back! Just a great location!

Very professionally done . Great people to work with .

Great spot! Unique location. Pool, Restaurant, good laundry facility, nice restaurant onsite! We will return. Grand Day Out

We absolutely love Essex Island Marina. Friendly staff, accessible amenities, nice restaurant and beautiful pool made our stay very enjoyable. We’ll be back for a Foliage Cruise in the fall

This was our first stay at Safe Harbor Essex Island. It has been an amazing visit. Very relaxing and enjoyable. We will return .

Easy to contact marina, quick and helpful staff, very enjoyable facilities. Unfortunately we did not have warm water in the showers.

Marina was very clean and pool area well maintained. Staff was flexible with slip assignment and we were happy with our stay.

I live locally, met some friends there for the weekend. Had a great visit. the restaurant was great. we may look to move our boat there. The staff had a slip and slide set up for the kids that was great. They also had a Tye-dye t-shirt stand that my kids absolutely loved. thanks for a great weekend.

Impeccable facilities with friendly and helpful staff. We had a wonderful visit.

Always a favorite destination. Well-kept facilities and a helpful staff. The island location adds a touch of seclusion even though it's only a 25-yard ferry ride to the mainland. The only reason I stop short of a 5-star rating is that for the past two seasons my polarity alarm is set off when I plug into shore power. It's the only place this happens. Not a big deal except for the constant beeping of my alarm. I'll continue to make this an annual stop and perhaps will arrive next time without the polarity issue.

Great location, staff friendly and helpful. Look forward to returning.

Our third visit to Safe Harbor Essex Island. Wonderful facility with experienced staff to assist with docking. Enjoyed our stay in a very comfortable marina. Location is quiet and has very easy access to a wonderful, walkable small town. We will certainly return in the future.

Excellent setting, easy access to town via short hop on the pontoon ferry. Excellent internet, showers and laundry.

Not so much a simple marina, more of a Resort with a dock for your boat. Beautiful spot along the CT River, with a pool, restaurant, lawns, firepits, grills, shaded areas, easy walking access to town via novel ferry. Surely a full service marina with high capacity travelers if the need arises.

What a great place! Fully up to date, well maintained, friendly, helpful staff and beautiful location! Truly has it all for the boating family looking for a great destination vacation.

Beautiful harbor, great little town and awesome service. Had a great time!

Fabulous July 4th weekend. Staff is professional, and very accommodating. The complimentary picnic with burgers and hot dogs, with all the sides, cookies and ice cream too was a great addition to our stay. The corn hole competition and prizes were an added form of entertainment as well and a great time was had by all!

All staff attentive, place was clean...very pleased

The grounds were expansive and incredibly clean. Essex Island Marina had a pool and deck area that had tables, chairs and grills strategically placed for convenience. The staff was extremely helpful tying up the boats and following through with requests. There was a festive atmosphere with the beer tasting, pizza and live entertainment. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Great staff and very nice facilities Very attentive and friendly workers. Recommend visiting the Essex Island Marina.

Once again this was a great experience!! Thanks for having us!!

Wonderful staff… great spot!

Always a great visit, super friendly and competent staff. Great location, clean rest rooms and showers. I have been visiting Essex Island for over 40 years. Safe Harbor has made it even better. Can’t wait to come back! ❤️

Great service and lovely spot.

We just love this marina, Essex Island has everything you need and its well kept and clean. The pool is great for the kids, plenty of grass areas to walk the dogs, grills, firepits, and tables...they have it all. And the restaurant on site Siren is wonderful. All of the staff and dock hands couldn't be friendlier. We make this an annual stop for a reason.

Great friendly staff with easy to access dockage. Excellent autumn color on the way there, and the Essex village was a fun afternoon activity.

The rest rooms were extremely clean but in some cases could use updating. There was a window that allowed view of the ladies walk-in and sink area. The rest room we used had private individual shower with a lockable door. The other rest room building had two showers together with a door. Unfortunately we were there late in the season and the restaurant was closed. Your staff was very helpful - Mike met us at the slip when we arrived and the ferry operators were very pleasant.

The stay was excellent as it was when "Wally" owned the marina. But...........It appears that the marina facilities are going down hill which is a shame. To wit: "The Deck" recreation hall was in deplorable condition. The pool tables were missing balls and in all it was dirty and unkempt. It is a shame, when at one time every thing was neat and orderly. We heard a lot of complaints regarding the recreational area's. I trust by next year, everything will be in order, painted and neat. Other than that the crew were very helpful, Adam was terrific.

Great place ...........

Very friendly staff, clean facilities, calm water, waking distance to downtown.

Overall pretty good, didn’t care for the Siren Restaurant much!

One of the best on the coast. Terrific facilities and just a beautiful place to stop over

Greast place , convenient and super friendly and accommodating staff !

Very nice marina. Have stayed a few times before and it doesn't disappoint.

Excellent Marina. We’ll maintainined. Good staff

Beautiful and well maintained facility. Dock personnel were responsive and knowledgeable. Will definitely visit Essex Island on our next voyage.

Come "down river" often and this is always the spot. Quaint island, lovely complex and of course...Essex. You just can't beat it. The staff is on point and do their dock and boat jobs very, very well. Extremely accommodating crew. And The Siren is the icing on the cake. Always tough to leave. Great marina! "Seasmoke"

Fantastic crew! A great place. Especially if hiding from adverse weather.

Very nice marina. Great staff. Essex is a relaxing town to visit via the CT River

Great place, great restaurant. It is better on the Island! Marina even gave us Battery pack when we needed a start...Thanks!

I've been stopping into Essex Island Marina for 35 years, and it's always been one of my favorite marinas. It's a bit of a long slog by sailboat up the CT river, especially if the Amtrak bridge is closed; but once there, it's an ideal spot. Service at the marina is great. I needed a mechanic for a small issue, and he was there promptly the next morning at 9:00 AM. Everything was great, and I'll be stopping in again next August!!

Always a good time at this marina. Professional and courteous staff. Had a good dinner at “Siren”, the on-premises restaurant. Also had a nice dinner at Dockside Restaurant at the nearby Safe Harbor Dauntless Marina. Breakfast at Olive Oyles, a short walk into town.

++++Good competent staff, nice clean environment, great pool, plenty of bathroom space, good showers. (-) Old fashion short and small toilet bowls, , in small stalls, needs upgrades in the heads.

The island is peaceful. The Marina employees are very professional and we were very charmed by the “presence of mind” in so many of the details! The pool and bathrooms were immaculate! We will choose Safe Harbor as much as possible for our marina stays! Thank you!

The crew was very helpful upon my arrival and my departure and they did a great job of managing the marina. They always make our stay very enjoyable!

They continue to make this a better destination. We were last here 2 years ago, and the improvements are obvious. New restaurant on premises, only wish they served breakfast. The dock staff were friendly, courteous and competent. This was our first time on A dock, it was a bit tight.

Wonderful location, great surroundings.

Great place. Great staff.

Very nice facility, good services, very helpful staff but too many boats crammed into A Dock. Blocking boats in, tight quarters not enjoyable. So ,great service but under par dock utilization standard

Staff was friendly, professional, and went out of their way to be sure we had a fun, safe experience.

Great marina and friendly staff! Very helpful will certainly return again!

Adam and his staff couldn’t be nicer and more helpful. The place was spotless! The only negative, if they say their going to put you on D dock, keep going. You get the chop from all the crazies heading up river. Aside from that, a Great stop!

Clean , friendly. Great staff. Thanks.

This is a first rate marina with a nice pool and restaurant on the island. Reliable ferry access to town.

Well managed and clean marina. Beautiful views. Will go back again. Extremely pleased with the resort atmosphere of the "Island". Dock hands very helpful.

Perfect! Great facility and very helpful dockhands. We were on the F dock that is protected from wakes from river traffic. And Essex is a gem too. Two gems!

True 5 star resort marina. From dock hands to office managers the place is run superbly. Facility has gone under some really nice improvements since Safe Harbor took over, the quality is coming through.

Clean, very attentive polite staff. Great service and a fun place to be. Thanks

Excellent place to visit. Staff was great and the environment is special. A must see

The dock hands were very good

The staff is great. Pool is very nice and docks are being updated each year. Would recommend for groups looking to be docked together. Definitely coming back.

Great marina with good staff

The dock staff especially dock master Kathryn was first rate. Can’t ask for better. Facilities are excellent including the mew restaurant Siren on the island

There are lovely facilities at this marina

Great Marina. I highly recommend it!

So friendly, facilities are excellent. Great for families and access to Essex. Loved it!

GREAT MARINA GREAT STAFF WILL DEFINITELY BE BACK

Very helpful and accommodating staff Great location easy walk to restaurants

Beautiful Marina. Always a wonderful time!

Very nice marina! So glad they made room for us this weekend. Staff is super friendly and the little restaurant on the island, Sirene, has one of the best lobster rolls you find in New England. The town is very nice and we always make the walk up to Essex Pottery to see what Master Potter Einhorn is up to.

Did learn a very important fact..DO NOT LEAVE LIGHTS ON AFTER DARK!!! Came back to find 1000's and thousands of bugs loitering in our helm area!! besides that.. very friendly ,helpful staff

Great marina. Quiet, docks in great shape, great pool, very good restaurant, gas grills...and Essex is a nice town to visit

Great place for all. Great activities with pool, games, food. The care of this marina exceeds almost any marina we have visited.

Essex Island Marina is one of the nicest we’ve stayed at. Facilities are all very clean and the staff is extremely friendly! Thank you!

Everything was great but with wind gusts 15-20mph from the east it was difficult to get into the slip and we were rocked pretty good all evening. Not much protection on the River side. That said the staff was extremely helpful and the facilities were nice.

Awesome stay...very accommodating!!! Excellent Marina staff!!

Top notch marina! Great location, excellent docks, friendly/professional staff. Griswold Inn, Carlsons’s, Olive Oyls, CT River Museum. Must stop if going by the Connecticut River.

We love this marina, it is in a beautiful spot on the Connecticut River, very well maintained and most importantly has a terrific staff!!!!! Amy, the dockmaster and her crew, Elle, Bridget, Kayden and co could notHave been more accommodating! You can not go wrong with the stop. One of our facorion the entire Sound!!! Mark

Wonderful experience. Competent and friendly staff. Beautiful grounds. Classic and elegant town.

First time staying at SHEI and its hands-down the nicest marina within 25 miles. Dockage was easy, staff friendly and helpful. My only criticism is that there were some guests within earshot dropping f-bombs and yelling throughout the evening; which took my otherwise 5-star rating to 4-stars.

beautiful location, well kept grounds/installations, great service!

Always a good time in Essex! Adam the dock master is fantastic!

Impeccably maintained. New restaurant is excellent. Manager Adam is a pleasure.

We had a Great stay at Safe Harbor Essex Island. The facilities are great and the dock crew is awesome. The town of Essex is always fun. Try Olive Oils for breakfast it is delicious.

The staff was very friendly and accommodating. I was very disappointed in the dockage spot they placed us in. It was very difficult getting on and off the boat. The ladder that was attached to the dock was broken and the lighting was nonexistent very dangerous. When I made the reservation I did indicate that I did have some physical issues and would like a floating dock, unfortunately none were available but I was told that I would not have a problem because the stationary docks have very good ladders.

We had a great stay. Huge improvements but the docks in the back area are still in need of repair

Lovely, quaint, nice staff, it’s like turning the clock back in time in a true classic the way it used to be. Looking forward to returning particularly when restaurant is up and running. Been coming here for over 40 years on many different boats

Always an enjoyable stay, beautiful facilities, close to a quintessential quaint town. The friendliest dock staff.

Always loved this marina but last stay was concerning. Policy both posted and prior to arrival was “off the boat, masks are mandatory” as well as social distancing. This was not enforced at all. In fact, when my husband asked the pool monitor why he wasn’t wearing a mask, he admitted the rule isn’t enforced. It’s not a political issue but It is about caring for others. We pretty much stayed on our boat and never went to the pool.