Parties & rendezvous

Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. The Eldeans will be firing up the grills. Stop by the picnic tables at the playground for grilled salmon, hot dogs, chili dogs and brats on the Sunday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend, on the Fourth of July, and on the Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend — compliments of the shipyard. We will be cooking from 12–3 (or until the food is gone).

Everyone is invited. You, your crew and friends of all ages are invited to attend and participate.

Rain date? Sometimes we are able to move the party to a sheltered location and other times we need to reschedule. In the event of rain, stay tuned and check your email for an update.

Dock parties

Dock parties have a long tradition at the shipyard. Before there was Z-Dock, before there was A-Dock, before the pool, hot tubs and playground, all of our annual parties were held at the base of C-Dock. Our parties never went out of style; instead our marina-wide parties were so popular that we just outgrew the space at C-Dock.

The “dock party” was a common creature of laughing, mingling, eating, drinking, swimming and other shenanigans between boaters on the same dock. Boaters would place munchies on their dock box and wander the dock getting to know each other better. Believe it or not, we recall many parties on C-Dock that involved Herb and other boaters swimming from dock to dock — Herb was not usually swimming by choice.

For many years E-Dock has held a shrimp and lobster boil — a tasty event bringing everyone together to cook, feast and share stories. Feel free to organize a party for your dock. In 2007 we kicked off a dock party for each of the docks; they were a big, fun success and we have continued them ever since. We start small and casual with appetizers and drinks, but there is room for flexibility and improvisation — just let us know if you have something else in mind.

Whether it's our poolside clubhouse and gathering space, lakeside picnic areas, or banquet facilities at our Party Barn, we can help bring your group together for parties, meals, workshops, presentations or other events. Let us help you pull off the most successful and memorable event possible.

Do you have a really big group? No problem. We can accommodate groups of several hundred people. The Party Barn is a great place for weddings, fundraisers and other large parties.

A great place for regattas. Lake Michigan's open waters are 10 minutes from the docks, while the protected waters of Lake Macatawa provide racing opportunities for smaller boats when Lake Michigan is too rough. The Macatawa Bay Yacht Club is located next door and can help coordinate racing.