MYSTIC — Mystic River Marina has been acquired by BlueWater Marinas and Bain Capital after nearly seven decades and four generations of Garbarino family ownership.
BlueWater announced the acquisition with a second marina purchase on September 21 and posted the full announcement to its website in October. Patch reported October 20, citing the Hartford Business Journal, that the Mystic property sold for $5 million and that the transaction included the 3.8-acre marina at 36 Quarry Road and two adjacent properties. BlueWater’s own announcement did not disclose financial terms.
The marina has 145 slips and serves seasonal and transient boaters, with winter dry storage, marine service, a fuel dock, ship store, brokerage, café, customer lounge and pool, according to BlueWater and the marina’s current website.
The company traced the marina’s history to 1957, when Gene “Poppa Gene” Garbarino and his brother Fred dredged the site and began installing docks. BlueWater said later generations of the Garbarino family continued operating the business and described itself as the property’s next steward.
BlueWater and Bain Capital did not announce staffing, rate or operating-hour changes in the acquisition release. The accompanying image is a file photograph published by Mystic River Marina showing the actual Quarry Road marina from the air; no individual photographer was identified.