Westerly Marina

About

Westerly Marina was founded on the Ossining Waterfront in 1959 by Arthur DeMarchis after an extensive search to relocate the Tobin Craft boatbuilding business from New Jersey. The 24 foot wooden motorboats were at the new yard in a converted seaplane hangar until 1962, when wooden boat construction gave way to fiberglass at larger facilities. At the time Westerly began expanding its marine construction, docking, storage and repair capabilities. DeMarchis focused his work on boats to mechanical project, become a dealer for Mercury out boards and specializing in the re-powering of boats. Over the years DeMarchis gradually acquired the adjoining lots on either side of the boat shop, including a large building directly to the south of the yard, previously owned and used by the Rand McNally map company. Westerly Marina now includes over five acres of waterfront and three buildings, with a marine supply store, offices, and a machine shop occupying the original boat building shop. Additional space in other building is leased to a marine canvas business and the workshop of marine carpenter, Chris Brennan, who maintains the Riverkeeper wooden boat that is docked at Westerly. The waterfront is protected by a seawall. Three generations of the DeMarchis family work at Westerly Marina. During Hurricane Sandy, Westerly experienced four feet of water over their deck, but in keeping with long tradition of innovation and resilience, the DeMarchis family carries on.

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