A Heart Warming Note To The Woody Boat Community From Katz’s Marina On The Cove.
Photo Coutesy Katz’s On The Cove Facebook page
Yesterday we reported the devastating news regarding the collapse of the Katz’s Marina At The Cove’s storage building. It also broke on Facebook and other social outlets. Seth, Tommy and I had been on the phone waiting to release the story because they wanted to have time to notify owners and others that make up the Katz’s family. But this is the world we all live in now, where someone with a phone and facebook page can spread the news with their agenda. So we waited out of courtesy and broke the story along with the good folks at The Lake Hopatcong News. I can not imagine the pain and sorrow if this happened to my livelihood, and passion. While all this news was fresh and being rolled out into the social network, among the many, many, many heart warming comments where several nasty ones. To be honest, we here at Woody Boater have always tried to be accepting of all opinions. But these crossed the lines of just human decency. But as expected in true form of being the class act that they are, the Katz’s Family wrote this heart warming post on their facebook page. So we thought we would share it with you today.
Sad days in Woodyboaterville
Today was a difficult day for all of us at Katz’s Marina. Mother Nature proved a too powerful force for the oldest marina on Lake Hopatcong. Thank you to all of you who reached out to us today is express your well wishes and offer us support during this time, it means more than you will ever know. Unfortunately, times like this also bring out the pettiness in a few people in our community, and all of the karma comments have been duly noted, and we now know how you feel. Katz’s Marina is far more than a business on Lake Hopatcong, we are a family. We are a family made up of a strong, unified group of employees and the best customers in NJ. Like all families, we gathered together today to absorb the shocking loss we experienced in quiet reflection. This loss is no less devastating than the loss of a “best friend.” Rest assured, that although the building is down, our resolve and our spirits are not. The heart and soul of Katz’s Marina is alive and as strong as ever, and we will continue to provide high level of professional service our community relies on. Once again, thank you all for support, and we will see you in the spring.
If you like you can follow the good folks at Katz’s Marina on the cove facebook page, HERE.
this is terrible!! how sad. i did not see any info on boats being lost, hope that is the case.
mike
What a shame….Hope no boats lost or serriously damaged…
but if they are we know Katz wll do everything they can to make things right…
Thanks Wilson, as reported last night, the best guess is about 22 boats lost. But its very tough to assess. Knowing Seth the building will be amazing when finished.
From Idaho, our hearts go out to the Katz’s family. This is truly a hard thing to deal with and accept. The loss of the wood boat’s under the bldg and the bldg itself. The memories it created and the use it provided. It can never be replaced in that arena. But you can rebuild and maybe save a boat or two, again! Good luck and keep your chin up. From the crew at McCall Boat Works.
Terrible news 🙁
This is something I feared, especially living in the snow belt like I do. When I built my new barn, I insisted that the trusses be upgraded to 33% more than the required snow load for our area, then I increased the pitch and wouldn’t let them put on the tabs that keep the snow from sliding off the metal roof. It was a bit of a fight with the town and builders, but I would much rather deal with snow sliding off in big chunks than have that weight over my head and the boats.
I imagine down in NJ they simply don’t get this much snow in a winter without a thaw or two in between. It is hard to plan for something that never happens, especially with an old existing structure. Hopefully most of the boats inside can be saved and the Katz family can recover and rebuild stronger than ever, literally and figuratively.
BTW, I tell ya Facebook is evil! Stay off of there and you will be a happier person.
M-fine, over the last few months I have essentially given up using facebook after about 5 years or so. I found it was increasingly redundant, added little of value and was generally an anti-social media – encouraging third-person communication rather than actual contact and relationships. It is obvious that it is potentially useful in certain circumstances but I find those to be very limited – except of course if you happen to be consumed with the desire to see what food your friends are eating. I haven’t even logged onto it to see the pictures of this calamity or the comments referenced. I’ll stay here and let Matt do his thing.
Ditto!
any word on the pumkin
Just a photo…
Really Matt? Puréed pumpkin?
I didn’t have time to bake it into a pie yet!
Glad to hear Pumpkin was in the other building. Hopefully this does not cause her to miss the Tavaris unveiling, but a delay in restoration is pretty minor compared to the overall tradgedy in the storage building.
A delay is very possible.
Pumpkin is in the other Katz’s Marina and is OK. When we visited her a couple of weeks ago, we went through the coves building, marveling & drooling at the boats Seth had stored there. It turns my stomache to think some of these “one of’s” may now be gone. Seth and crew will do the right thing, rebuild, restore & rise again!
Let me know if help is needed. I can be there in an hour.
Truly a sad day for all of us in our beloved hobby with the destruction experienced at Katz’s Marina. This is a heartbreaking moment for our hobby. Individuals such as the Katz’s have come to the aid of many in various forms of lending a hand, whether it be from a financial stance or rescuing another boat that was destined for the junkyard (boneyard) with the intent of restoring her back to its glory days!! Please know that Hagerty is here to work with all the owners/boats that we currently protect.
Knowing how driven Seth is, he will seize this opportunity to rebuild better than ever, including the boats. No doubt there will be some great stories in how the Phoenix rises.
Well said Alex.
Sometimes he really gets it right.
Other times I have no idea what he is talking about.
Thanks for saying that Troy. I thought it was just me.
there is no doubt the restored building will be spectacular. As a group it’s in our DNA to rebuild, restore and preserve.
Pretty much my feeling too. I expect we will all be in awe of the ‘new Katz’s Marina’, as we usually are of the boats they turn out. Good luck guys!
Now I know exactly what a cold day in hell looks like!!!
My deepest regrets to the Katz family and the boat owners who had losses…
RIP deceased Antiques and Classics
Building destroyed, boats lost, no one hurt, building will be replaced, boats will be replaced-rebuilt, insurance will pay, this isn’t a funeral, life will go on, its only things.
Right on Randy!
Now we will name you Captain Philosophy!
my dad always said if it was made of wood it can be fixed.
Looks like I need to start checking Woody Boater twice a day now. I went to bed last night thinking all was well….
I have enough trouble getting my news from Fox and CBS…Didn’t realize FaceBook was good for anything other than knowing what your grand children ate for lunch or where last night’s kids party was. Other than being utterly senseless it is simply too time consuming.
My first little 16′ Riviera was delivered to Lake Hopatcong…It took me six months to learn how to spell and pronounce it…but once I got there, I found it to be a very special place.
Us Midwesterners would love a primer on the correct pronunciation! We have many names here in MI that are hard to pronounce; Tittabawasee, Shiawasee, Metawanenee to name a few. But Ho pat cong (?), Hop at cong (?), hard G, soft G(?). Please help dispel the darkness!
Best wishes for a quick turn around and fortitude to the Katz’s and the owners of the damaged boats. Our hearts bleed with you!