Dodson Boat Yard

This marina was very accommodating in arranging a place for us to dock when there wasn’t much room available anywhere in the area. The docks are in great shape and the dockhands friendly and efficient. The heads and showers were clean and in good shape. They also have an extensive transient mooring field and a good launch service. Not to be missed is the Dog Watch restaurant which shares the property. It has great foo$ and is very busy. If you don’t have a reservation go early and they’ll find a way to squeeze you in.

Best team of experts in the business.

Great place to moor! Stayed 2 nights on a mooring. The mooring are very clean and well-maintained. The launch was very attentive and quick to take us either way from the boat to the dock. The launch staff were very professional and helpful. The shower and head facilities are clean and well-appointed. The laundry is expensive ($2/load for wash or dry) and machines satisfactory. At the dock, Dog Watch Cafe and the ice cream shop are right there and good. Go to Noah’s for dinner or brunch - excellent!

Fantastic staff and amenities.

After visiting Dodson’s for a number of years, our visit this year was very disappointing. Not only were moorings the most expensive ($100/night ) in New England waters , the dock hand did not pay attention to instructions causing a windage problem while departing dock , our boat cased a very small issue with boat on leeward dock we were totally willing and will rectify… and yet the launch driver was unhelpful, rude and unsympathetic. Dodson’s has lost our business.

We have stayed at this marina several times over the past few years and have always had a good experience. This year we understand the marina is closed to transient boaters due to Covid so we found a marina close by. However, we found ourselves low on gas and needed 3 gallons which would have gotten us to the next gas stop. The marina we were at recommended we call Dodson, so I did. I explained we would walk from the marina we were staying at. We would be fully masked and gloved. We just needed to purchase 3 gallons of fuel so we could get to a our next stop. Dodson refused to help us. Over the years, we have happily given Dodson our business. We have spent money at the marina and the restaurant. We weren't asking for a hand out, we would have happily paid premium for the 3 gallons we needed. We will never return to Dodson and will never recommended Dodson. We are beyond disappointed.

Got a mooring here in a calm, protected location. Nice launches/launch service. Close to Dog Watch Cafe and easy walk into the rest of town. Nicest showers/bathrooms I've seen anywhere!

Visiting Stonington by getting a transient mooring from Dodson’s is worth doing again. Protected harbor, delightful town. Great launch service, and very helpful dock hands at the fuel dock. Loved the Dogwatch cafe!

I would give zero if I could. I won’t even get into the 6 month fiasco that ended with my boat in worse shape than I sent it after wasting thousands of dollars. Just heed my advice and NEVER let Dodson’s service any part of your boat. The operation is unprofessional and incompetent from top to bottom. Go elsewhere, you’ll thank me.

Nastiest rudest manager I have ever encountered, ever. We had a reservation for a mooring and initially they insisted we raft up. When I explained that we had a reservation they "found" our reservation and assigned us a ball. We called the Office to confirm the pump out and fuel services were available the evening we arrived. The following morning, the management told us, and another customer the pump out and fuel docks were occupied by transients. We were told to leave with our full holding tank. "Go 3 miles off shore". Then the personal insults came...

In May we made reservations for a slip (at higher slip fees) After a 6 hour trip we arrived and ended up waiting for over 30 minutes for our "slip assignment". We were instructed to tie up to the fuel dock. After 20 minutes of confusion and head scratching on the dockhands' part, we were finally able to tie up with the help of friends who recently arrived. Before we could get settled another boat was instructed to raft against our port side. Hardly a "slip" situation. Had we known we'd be rafted we would have asked for a mooring. Furthermore, our sailboat was stern to stern with a 60' power boat. The exhaust from the power boat was less than 3 feet from our cabin entrance. When the power boat left, after waking us at 6am, we were literally smoked out of our bed by diesel fumes! We felt we should be somehow compensated for being gagged awake and for the change in "slip" so we spoke with Andrew (Dock Manager) who informed us Dodson's "doesn't really have any slips per se" and since they "accommodated us" they would be charging the full rate. The boat owners who were forced to raft with us attempted to get some sort of satisfaction, as they also reserved a slip, and were basically told they could leave if they weren't happy. Dodson's lists itself as a Marina/Boatyard - CLEARLY they are simply a working boatyard. NOT a Marina. Dodson dock staff are clearly not knowledgeable in simple tie up and line handling. Management is rude and has an obnoxious attitude. We had never been to Stonington, CT before and, as a result of this terrible experience, will probably not waste our time or money going there again.

My parents kept their sailboats at Dodson's for 20+ years. After my father passed away we asked Dodson's to sell it. After a year+ on the market the interior flooded while on blocks due to negligence on Dodson's part. To make mattes worse no one noticed the water in the interior for months and as a result the damage was extensive. Dodson's delayed and avoided any responsibility for 9+ months until my insurance said it would not cover the event as it was negligence. Dann and Bob made a difficult situation much worse through the use of threats, delay tactics, foul language and refusing to cooperate with independent surveyors. Dodson's wanted to "repair" the damage they created - their estimate came in half of what an independent surveyor reported. We ended up pulling the boat and sold it for scrap. Do yourself a favor and find another marina.

We recently purchased a used sailboat. One of the things noted on the survey was to replace the main halyard sheave, since it jammed during the survey and the surveyor visually inspected it and saw it was bad. The boat was taken to Dodson's by the previous owner to have the work done. The rigger went aloft and told the owner that there wasn't a problem, and never changed the sheave. We took the boat the following weekend on her shakedown cuise, sailing from Stonington, CT to Marblehead, MA. The second day out, the halyard jammed, along with the boom topping lift. It short-circuited our trip and we sailed the rest of the way under jib and engine. I took it to a very reputable yard in Marblehead (Marblehead Trading Co.) and they changed the two sheaves. The old ones were toast. Don't know how the rigger could have missed it. I sent photos of the sheaves to the General Manager, but my emails have been unanswered. The place may be nice to spend the night and go ashore, but at this point I don't recommend the yard sevice. If I could give it less than one star, I would.