Sam’s Star Island Yacht Club & Marina

What Sam’s Star Island Yacht Club & Marina does

Sam's Star Island Yacht Club & Marina is a family-owned, full-service marina and yacht club located at 59 Star Island Road in Montauk, New York, on the eastern tip of Long Island. Founded as a boat yard in 1984 and later transformed by owner Sam Gershowitz into a comprehensive destination, the facility serves recreational boaters, sport fishermen, cruising clubs, and seasonal tourists visiting Montauk Harbor. Its operating footprint accommodates vessels up to 170 feet, includes the only diesel-fuel-at-every-slip offering in Montauk, and runs both 50- and 100-ton open-end travel lifts in a full-service boat yard.

The business is structured as a single integrated marina destination rather than a modular platform. Revenue is generated across six streams: transient and seasonal dockage rentals, retail at the largest ship's store and tackle shop on the East End (bait, tackle, rods, reels, marine supplies, apparel), full-service restaurant and bar operations at Star Island Grill (including a "You Hook 'Em, We Cook 'Em" service), charter boat fleet commissions across sportfishing, party and cruising vessels, boat yard services (haul-outs, bottom painting, mechanical/fiberglass repair, winter storage, shrinkwrap), and event revenue including an annual shark tournament, weddings, catered affairs, and poolside live entertainment. Pricing is usage-based for transient dockage with quote-based rates and seasonal tiering; no publicly disclosed rate card exists.

The company is privately held by the Gershowitz family with no external institutional capital, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity disclosed. Alex Gershowitz, grandson of the owner, joined full-time as General Manager in 2018 and was named a 2023 Docks Young Leader Award recipient. The same family also operates Marlena's Yacht Club, a second Montauk marina. Operations are concentrated exclusively at the single Montauk site, supported by a website (starislandyc.com), social channels, and a mailing list for reservations and discovery.

Name

Sam’s Star Island Yacht Club & Marina

Legal name

Star Island Yacht Club & Marina

Website

https://starislandyc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sam's Star Island Yacht Club & Marina is a family-owned, full-service marina and yacht club in Montauk, NY, offering transient and seasonal dockage for vessels up to 170 feet, a full-service boat yard, the largest ship's store on the East End, the Star Island Grill restaurant, charter fleet bookings, and an annual shark tournament, serving recreational boaters, anglers, and seasonal tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montauk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Marina Dockage & Slips: Revenue from transient dockage (up to 170' vessels), seasonal slip rentals, and overnight dockage. The marina is the only one in Montauk to offer diesel fuel at every slip.
2. Ship's Store / Tackle Shop Retail: Sale of bait, tackle, rods, reels, marine supplies, clothing, footwear, and provisions. The store is the largest ship store and tackle shop on the East End.
3. Star Island Grill Restaurant & Bar: Full-service restaurant and poolside bar serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also features a 'You Hook 'Em, We Cook 'Em' service where chefs prepare customers' freshly caught fish.
4. Full-Service Boat Yard & Repair: Charges for haul-out services (50- and 100-ton travel lifts), bottom painting, mechanical repair, fiberglass/gelcoat repair, winter storage, and shrinkwrap.
5. Charter Boat Fleet Commissions / Referral: The marina hosts an extensive fleet of fishing charter boats, party boats, and cruising charter boats. While not explicitly stated, the marina benefits from charter activity as part of its service ecosystem.
6. Shark Tournament Entry: Annual shark fishing tournament (5 days in June) for seasonal dockage holders with no entry fee; generates event revenue through participation and hospitality.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Sam's Star Island Yacht Club & Marina operates a full-service marina in Montauk, NY providing transient and seasonal dockage for vessels up to 170 feet, with diesel fuel available at every slip. The business also runs a full-service boat yard with 50- and 100-ton travel lifts, the largest ship's store and tackle shop on the East End, a restaurant (Star Island Grill), an extensive charter boat fleet, and event hosting including an annual shark tournament.

Product overview

Sam's Star Island Yacht Club & Marina operates as a full-service marina and yacht club facility in Montauk, Long Island, NY. The business offers a comprehensive suite of maritime services centered around its core marina dockage operations (accommodating vessels up to 170 feet), a full-service boat yard with 50- and 100-ton travel lifts, and the largest ship’s store and tackle shop on the East End. Adjacent operations include the Star Island Grill restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, a charter boat fleet spanning fishing and cruising vessels, and event hosting capabilities for weddings and private functions. The marina also hosts an annual shark tournament and provides seasonal live entertainment. The offering is structured as a single integrated marina destination rather than a modular platform-plus-products architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Star Island Grill: Full-service seafood restaurant at the marina serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with casual dining overlooking Montauk Harbor. Also features a 'You Hook 'Em, We Cook 'Em' service where fishermen can have their catch prepared by the chefs.

Products and services

• Marina Dockage Services

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Montauk Marine Basin: Direct competitor located in the same Montauk harbor, offering transient and seasonal dockage, fuel, boat service, and a ship's store. The most locally comparable marina and the primary head-to-head competitor for Star Island's slip holders.
• Strong's Yacht Center: Long Island-based full-service marina offering dockage, fuel, boat sales, and service in a similar East End boating market. Comparable operating model combining marina services with retail and boat yard on Long Island.
• Brewer Yacht Yard Group: Multi-location marina and boatyard chain serving the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with dockage, haul-out, storage, and marine supplies. Directly comparable business model to Star Island's integrated dockage-plus-boat-yard operations.
• Hinckley Yacht Services: Premium full-service marina operator with locations along the Northeast and the Great Lakes, combining dockage, boat yard, storage, and concierge services. Comparable as a premium-tier marina and yacht services brand.
• Sag Harbor Yacht Club: Long Island yacht club offering seasonal dockage, club amenities, and event hosting on the East End. Comparable as a destination yacht club competing for the same Hamptons-based recreational boating demographic.

Regional players

• Newport Yacht Club (Newport, RI): New England-based yacht club and marina offering seasonal dockage, club amenities, and event hosting. Comparable as a destination yacht club and event venue serving recreational boaters on the East Coast, though in a different region.
• Westhampton Yacht Club: Long Island South Shore yacht club providing seasonal dockage, club amenities, and event hosting. Comparable as a regional yacht club serving the same South Shore recreational boating community as Star Island.

Broad incumbents

• West Marine: National marine retail chain carrying tackle, boating supplies, and apparel. Comparable as a marine retail adjacency competing for the same angler/bangler wallet, but without integrated dockage or boat yard services.
• IGY Marinas: Global luxury marina management company operating upscale marina destinations in the U.S., Caribbean, and Europe. Comparable as a larger, professionally-managed marina operator targeting premium recreational boating customers.

Others

• Marlena's Yacht Club: Adjacent Montauk marina also operated by the Gershowitz family and named after Alex Gershowitz's late grandmother. Comparable as a sister-property operator in the same harbor with a related service offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StarIslandLI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCT4iTWtdbLbEDOPJGPwKrMg
• Facebookfacebook.com/StarIslandYachtClub
• Instagraminstagram.com/samsstarislandyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/star-island-yacht-club-montauk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sam’s Star Island Yacht Club & Marina