Specialties
Dave Irish and the Irish Boat Shop have provided service for recreational boaters in Harbor Springs since 1961, and on Lake Charlevoix since 1971. With modern, comprehensive facilities in both communities, few other operations on the Great Lakes offer such a range of available services and strength of experience. At each location, sales, chandlery, dockage, storage and complete service are integrated to assist and assure your enjoyment of boat ownership and use. The mission of Irish Boat Shop is to promote recreational boating by delivering quality and value in boats and services while meeting our obligations to our customers, our employees, our communities, and the environment. We are a dealer for Nautique, Boston Whaler, J/Boats, Sealegs, Zodiac, Alerion Yachts, Laser Performance, Yamaha Outboards, and Mercury Outboards. Irish Boat Shop is certified as a Michigan Clean Marina.
History
Established in 1971.
In the 1940s, Dave Irish and his family left their home in Detroit and sailed north without a clear destination. After pulling into Harbor Springs, they decided this would be the perfect place to start a new life. Dave spent his childhood sailing and teaching others to sail. After a short stint in college, where he spent most of his time sailing instead of going to class, and serving in the United States Air Force, Dave returned to Northern Michigan and founded Irish Boat Shop in 1961. In 1971, Irish Boat Shop established the Stover Road facility on Lake Charlevoix, purchasing the defunct Stover Creek Marine. Previously, this site had been the location of a large sugar beet factory, that was demolished in 1964. The business has steadily grown over the years and now employs 55 fulltime employees.
Meet the Business Owner: Dave I.
Dave loves being in the "business of fun", as he says. Before he founded Irish Boat Shop, he repaired many local boats and gave sailing lessons. He has retired from his role as President, but still serves as the Chairman of the Board and can be seen at The Boat Shop almost every day. He is in great physical shape for being in his late 70s and has competitively sailed all over the world. He still sails at national and international events on his J/111 nosurprise and is a huge promoter of sailing and teaching young people to sail.
