By Cape Ann Marina Resort
Welcome to Cape Ann’s Marina Resort on the beautiful Annisquam River, located in Gloucester, Massachusetts. This river shapes a piece of Gloucester into an island, as well as connects the Ipswich Bay to Gloucester harbor and all destinations south.
It is here that 43 years ago, Andy Dominick and his wife purchased a parcel of land at 75 Essex Avenue with visions of building a premier hotel and accompanying marina. The Marina Resort is the culmination of marine construction on the tangible hotel building, boat slips, boat ramp and lift means. Clean water, ocean access, safe harbor and a supportive community were all crucial elements Dominick relied on to help his vision come to full fruition.
Today, the Marina Resort is the home port for boats clamoring to fish the waters off Cape Ann. In the late Seventies and early Eighties, deep sea fishing and sport fishing vessels in particular were aplenty, especially given that the tuna bite was extremely popular in the area. Dominick is always in on the action. Equipped with fuel, bait, ice, and other necessary tools, he takes to the river, as his son and daughter run the resort.
Back in the day in Gloucester, tuna landings, fishing tournaments, fishing clubs, coalitions, meetings, interest groups and fishing spectators were always ever-present. The seaside city’s landed giant tune proved to be so popular overseas that representatives from Japan approached Dominick to build a structure at the Marina Resort to prepare the fish for export. Naturally, Dominick jumped at the chance. It was commonplace for folks to sit, wait and watch tunas weighing more than 1,000 pounds being craned from the backs of boats, placed on pallets, and forklifted to the now Boat Works 4 to be prepped and sold.
Despite the vast numbers of sport fish boats, giant tuna, tournaments and fishing regulations settling in the region, Cape Ann’s Marina Resort was poised and excited when Gloucester natives Drew Hale and Rob Bouley wanted to bring tournament fishing back to the river staple.
The Bluefin Blowout annual fishing tournament, hosted by Cape Ann’s Marina Resort, is now headed into its fourth year. The Marina Resort is proud to be able to host such an event given the full marine shore side services they offer, including rooms for vendors, sponsors, and fishermen, all in one convenient location. The hotel, Waterfront Pavilion and Mile Marker One Restaurant & Bar are fantastic waterfront venues for not only the tournament attendees, but also make for great accompanying events that support the tournament’s legacy and excitement. Once again, the public is welcome on the Marina Resort property at any time and encouraged to visit, even if the tournament is not going on.
Mike Marker One Restaurant and Bar became the newest addition to the resort in 2012. The eatery serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, year round, and is a superb complement to other great venues on the water, as well as the Marina Resort’s indoor pool area and bar. During weekends from May through November, folks can enjoy live music, dancing, great food, raw bar, a Bloody Mary bar, or simply chilling on the Bridge Deck. Some of the more popular menu items include lobster benedicts, fresh lobster rolls, homemade steak tips, chicken fingers, and the favorite house cocktail, the “Painkiller.” The restaurant helps make the Marina Resort not just a popular destination for boat storage customers, but also fishing lovers visiting by boat who want to stay the night, stay the weekend, or simply enjoy a great meal with their atmosphere.
The tradition of sport fishing for the giants continues on at the Marina Resort. Recently, National Geographic had much success in filming the captains, crews, fishing stories and lives surrounded by this noted hobby on the popular Wicked Tuna TV series. The Marina Resort has previously hosted the production team, as well as some of the boats and characters featured on the show that were initially customers and fishermen before the series took over the airwaves. These guys still call the Marina Resort their homeport.
At Cape Ann’s Marina Resort, fish tales can be heard all around the waterfront as a giant tuna figure still sits perched at the top of the resort’s flag pole. On the ground floor, spectators and visitors still come and wait at the bar and restaurant for the chance to see the next fishing giant arrive or shake the hands of one of the few maverick giant tuna captains. You’re invited too!
For more information visit: capeannmarina.com