I am trying to locate a live-aboard slip and contacted the marina. The responses from…read moreinfo@pelicanrestmarina.com were ridiculous. They would give the most brief answer possible with no additional information. The emails are so unprofessional. After 3 or 4 messages back and forth, not ONE of them was signed. I still have no idea who I was speaking to. I felt like I was pulling teeth. The first email answered my question with a question (so NO help) The second one provided an answer...but not to the question I asked! The third email finally gave me one piece of information...that could have been included in one email. Take some pride and ownership of your business. Sign your emails and BE PRESENT to your business inquiries. Honestly, based on how they treated me I would not want to do business with them even if they had availability.

"Our philosophy can be summarized in one word - Exclusivity."…read more _ / ' ) // / //( '( \ / \ ' \ __||__ |". :| |". :| |". :| m-m-m-m-m (Imagine Paul Harvey speaking) For decades, the north side of Offatts Bayou had some private homes and old wood piers. Very few large yachts graced the island. Hurricane Ike swept through, and ravaged many properties. Yet, suddenly, a luxury marina has taken seed. And now, the (Pelican) REST of the story... After Ike, insurance money allowed re-building. And locals rallied & cleaned-up the island. Now, cruise lines, real estate and the restaurant scene have come back. The former owners of M&M Bar & Grill (which also survived 1900 storm), Marita & Harry "Buddy" Schultz, turned their attention to building a new marina. Why locate a marina at 29° 17' 04.57" N, 94° 51' 26.49" W? -The only deep water marina access in Texas -Cruisers pass nearby in Intracoastal Waterway -Not crowded -Good view -Secure -At the foot of I-45, it's quick access to hurricane evacuation, & within 40 minutes to the Houston Medical Center (important if you are a rich old man). -And, finally, Scholles Airport is just across the bay for private aircraft. The wealthy have long needed a deep water marina along the upper Texas coast, &investors pulled it all together to build, in phases, a place for them. Phase 1 is nearly complete, and Phase 2 condo high-rise is being built. These folks spend moolah. This classy, high-end, "white glove" phased development off I-45 on Offatts Bayou is for the wealthy large-boat owners, or as website states: "Pelican Rest Marina is a state-of-the-art concrete floating ShoreMaster system that is designed to house 60' and larger class sport fishing yachts." (can accommodate 200' vessels) Luxurious condos are planned for 2014, & a high-end restaurant in a few months. How to get there: "Turn East at Red Nunn 30 - Proceed East to Red Day marker 6 - proceed 500 yards using Red Day marker 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 20 22, 24, 26 - you have now arrived at Pelican Rest Marina entrance." (these directions assume you are in a yacht) The approach and dockside depth is 18' (allow for a 3' tide). Amenities: -Tropical landscaping -Floating dock for easier boarding, & protected from direct chop water -Finger piers between boat slips are wider than most (allows two fat cats to pass each other) -Floating dockside palapas (shaded seating) -Water & electricity on docks -Fuel Dock; oil change service & a disposal tank for used oil -Fish weigh station - the only IGFA Certified Marina in the Gulf of Mexico -Smitty's Bait shop -Palm-leaf covered structure over the fish cleaning table -Local storage facility for gear, & dock carts available -Private Pool -Wi-fi -Laundry -Security on-site & members-only area -Fees are per linear foot (with liveaboard fee as an option); Pelican bill requires a deep pouch. -Men's restroom has one shower (assume same for women) -Eating area available (limited shade). Cheerfully painted murals on picnic tables. Other notables: -Fishing contest site, big (bill fish) & small (some for kids) and women (eg. Ladies Lipstick & Lures tournament) -Participates in the Oyster Beds Restoration Project Some people think that such a fancy marina won't "fly" in Galveston, but a Pelican doesn't look like it could fly either. Although pelicans are some of the heaviest flying birds, each bird's skeleton only amounts to one tenth of its total body weight - which in some cases can be over 30 lbs! Similarly, hidden from most people, there is a yacht community that now communicates via the web and are the backbone for market demand of the new marina. But why the name "Pelican Rest"? It is a peaceful name, appropriate for this place. But as far as pelicans resting, many of the piers have a cone on the top to prevent birds from landing and leaving their souvenirs, such as on your fancy new outfit. Dock is kept cleaner that way, too. Don't worry about the pelicans, though, they have plenty of other nearby piers, as evidenced by their presence, and some are good at balancing on the points. ...and now you know the (Pelican) Rest of the story! I am not rich*. So, what brought this peon here? Special event with catered food at the outdoor wooden bar. Good food, watching a beautiful sunset, and then the Moody Gardens' fireworks capped a great night. * There's a slim hope for me getting rich, if I get back pay of a penny per word from Yelp on my reviews. P.S. Buying a large boat is like a pelican eats: it catches prey in its large gular sack, squeezes the water out the side of its bill, moves the food until it is facing head-down in its throat, and swallows. For buying a boat, you plunge headfirst and squeeze your wallet empty. Galveston is moving up several notches with this development. "Y'ought" to go here!

Very attentive staff. Always helping at the dock and tractor drivers are experts. Very clean…read morebathrooms and nice selection of beverages in their store. Never takes long to launch or pick up. Highly recommend!

Absolutely the very best place to store your boat. Hands down exceptional service, clean and very…read morefriendly and helpful staff. I would definitely give them 5 stars. I would highly recommend this organization. Job well done!!

Fuel docks, Stripping docks, Groceries and great customer service 24/7! Highly recommended!read more

From the owner: We are a locally owned and operated family business serving the Texas Gulf Coast area. Founded in…read more1983, Bolivar Barge Cleaning Service and our sister companies, 346 Boat Store and Gates Marine Fuel, provide a wide variety of marine services. At our Coast Guard approved facilities, we deliver results that will save you time and money each and every time. Call us today!

I rented a pontoon boat from Einstein's Ship Store and it was a great experience! the only thing i…read moreregret is not renting it for more time. The boat was practically new, worked great, and served our needs. We cruised around and fished a little. They even gave us 15 min free! Service was nice and staff was courteous. I'll definitely be stopping by sometime soon.

boat was great, getting it was a different story. Very understaffed during morning. They asked us…read moreto be there 30 mins early and we got our boat 20 minutes late.

Not a spot for tourists, but if you want a drink by the water with no polish...this is it.read more

Great experience with top notch facilities. Boat ramp was a little crowded and took 45 minutes to…read moreget the boat launched. Otherwise problem free. We were able to get ice/snack/bait/fuel all in one place. Had a great trip on the water and caught yellowfin until my arms wouldn't move. I'm not kidding, the fish boxes were all full and we had to start just throwing them on the deck of the boat!

Gate closed on vehicle while pulling thru with boat. Damage at rear quarter panel of vehicle…read more Safety mechanisms not working that day to sense the vehicle and boat entering. Refused to fix damage and also revoked our privileges to use the boat launch at all. Talked to them 3 different times and this was the solution they came up with. Absolutely NO customer service at all and refusal to accept responsibility that something actually might be wrong with your automatic gate. Just shut down the complaint with kicking us out. Big company Right Move Storage buying out another small storage unit and running it into the ground with greed.

If there was such thing as negative stars, I would give this place that. They charge $20 to launch…read moreand $10 to park. That is ridiculous and greedy. We will never launch our boat there again. The store leaves a lot to be desired so if you need supplies get them before you come to this shit hole.

I had the urge to go kayaking and found this listing on a random internet search. Great single and…read moretandem kayak all day rental prices. Be sure to call ahead of time for reservations. We wanted to do an early morning kayak, unfortunately they were all rented out until 4 in the afternoon. The evening kayak was perfect. The water was so calm, the weather was so nice. We brought beers for the kayak and stayed out on the water for a few hours waiting for the sunset. Make sure you remember where the dock is at! Bathrooms are hard to come across, so if you're drinking... best of luck to ya, luckily we docked at a random spot and I ran across a port-a-potty. What great luck! The sunset on the water is gorgeous. An experience that you need to put on your bucketlist.

They close early.... At 5, but weren't even open until 5. We got there before 5 and they said they…read morewere already closed. Recommend trying elsewhere, Bait Daddys is right down the road.