Former Coleman's Marina gets new owners and look

MANOR -- During the past 18 years of docking their boat at Coleman's Marina, Bill Knopp and Lauren Chorney always had an idea of what they would do if they ever owned the marina.

Last year, the Bethel Township couple got their chance to find out when the former owners decided to sell the facility along the Allegheny River, just south of Ford City.

"We always talked about what we would like to do and the amenities we would like to have," Knopp said, while looking over the construction area along the riverbank. "We wanted to make it more user-friendly and less maintenance-intensive."

Despite the cold weather and snow, workers have been busy replacing the wood decking on the docks and creating an esplanade along the river that will feature a hot tub, a cooking grill, showers and bathrooms, and a fire ring.

"Boating has changed over the years and it's not all about just running up and down the river all day," Chorney said. "People want a place where they can just go an relax and enjoy themselves even when they aren't on their boat."

"With gas prices staying high and maybe even going up again, many boaters aren't spending as much time using their boats," Knopp said. "Many will go out for a short trip and just drop anchor and stay somewhere for the day."

The marina in Rosston wasn't always a marina, but rather a towboat landing for a local sand and gravel company, according to former owner Clyde Coleman.

"They used to tie up their boats and use it as a fueling station and as a place to load and unload crews, equipment and materials," he said.

In the early 1960s the company moved its operations and the idea was hatched to sell fuel to recreational boaters, Coleman said.

"We started out with a 20- by 20-foot dock with a gas pump on it, and by the end of the summer, we had three or four boats docking there," Coleman said.

"It's grown a lot in the past 40 years and I hope it continues to grow and change," he said of the changes planned. "Some boaters have been here for 35 years and we continue to get new boaters every year."

In April, boaters at the marina will be treated to a grand-opening celebration which will include the official renaming of the marina from Coleman's to the Rosston Eddy Marina.

When asked why the name, Knopp said simply, "It's in Rosston and there is an eddy in the river right out from shore."

Along with the new docks, Knopp said steel pilings will be installed to secure the docks in place and allow the docks to remain secured in the event of high water.

The marina officially opens May 15, the unofficial start of boating season in the area.

The 57-slip marina can accomodate boats up to 60-feet and will feature 30-amp electrical service, wireless internet access, gasoline and a waste pumping station. The marine store will offer a variety of boating supplies, boat and motor parts. Knopp said the marina will also have a full-time boat mechanic as well as a maintenance crew.

"It's going to have a new name, a new look and a new feel," Chorney said. "We've have many years of fun here along the river and we want to make sure that anyone who comes to visit or dock can enjoy the people, the river and the sunset."