18 May 2017 Loving lake life: Fairfield Bay the spot for summertime fun

by Sonja J. Keith
Mike Kemp photos

The Fairfield Bay Marina is all about providing fun on the water no matter the season, but that is especially true during summer.

Fairfield Bay Marina Manager John Conry said the marina fulfills an important role for the community and visitors to the 501. “We provide an avenue for families to create lifelong memories and experiences,” he said.

“We rent fun,” added marina dock master Jorn Holt, explaining that the goal among his 10-member summertime staff is to create a family-friendly environment. “We want people to be comfortable bringing anybody from any group,” he said. “We have a great staff, and we provide great service.”

Jorn has been the dockmaster at Fairfield Bay Marina for almost two years, but he is not new to the area. He grew up between Shirley and Fairfield, where his family lived until his dad took a coaching job in 1996 at Rose Bud, where he graduated high school in 2001. “My dad had a boat out here at the marina so we spent a lot of time out on the water,” he said. “All I’ve known is Greers Ferry Lake and the Little Red River.”

Jorn and his wife, Alicia, have three children: Ruston, 12; Jase, 10; and Karli, 9. He and his wife have been the pastors of Maranatha Assembly for the last five years. They are happy to be sharing the beauty of the area and the lake with their children. Jorn recalls fond memories of growing up around the lake.

“Dad nearly drowned me in kindergarten, trying to teach me how to ski,” he said. “Now he’s about drowned my son, teaching him to ski. Now they get to share in those memories and that’s really cool.”

His familiarity with the area comes in handy when Jorn gives Belle of the Bay cruises of the north side of the lake, which are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. At least 12 have to sign up for the tour, which can accommodate up to 30 passengers and is handicap accessible. While touring in a special enclosed boat, Jorn gives the lake history, shares personal stories, points out landmarks and provides additional information about Fairfield Bay. He also encourages his passengers to share their own Fairfield Bay stories.

“My favorite part is to have everyone tell their story – where they come from, how they found out about Fairfield Bay and what is going on in their neck of the woods,” he said. “We’ve had folks from all over the world come to the Fairfield Bay Marina. We’ve had people from the Philippines, Norway, Russia, Japan and all over the country.”

Jorn points out that the Fairfield Bay Marina is the only one on the lake that shuttles visitors to the Sugar Loaf Mountain island. For those interested in seeing Sugar Loaf up close and hiking to the top, he encourages advance reservations. The Sugar Loaf Mountain Trail was the first designated National Scenic Trail in America and is 1.6 miles round trip – approximately two hours hiking time.

In his year-round, fulltime position, Jorn said there are visitors to the area in all seasons. He said “empty nesters” typically enjoy the fall season and families plan get-togethers over the holidays. “Thanksgiving is a big time for folks to go to Sugar Loaf.” Things start picking back up in March and continue for several weeks because states observe different spring break weeks.

Jorn said the activity really picks up during the summer as people from all over Arkansas and the United States make their way to Fairfield Bay. He said some will take in the lake during vacations to the area while others enjoy long weekends at their lake house. “Our busy season is definitely Memorial Day through Labor Day. A few weeks before gets pretty heavy and a few weeks after and the weekends are especially heavy,” Jorn said. “During the summer, this is the hub. It’s ‘the’ place to be on Greers Ferry Lake.”

The marina is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the summer months, almost daylight to dark. Throughout the summer, several special events are planned, including Surf the Bay which features wake boarding, fly boarding, vendors, games for children and crafts.

Fourth of July is also a big weekend at Fairfield Bay. Jorn said typically there will be 300-plus boats on the lake to catch the fireworks show. Fairfield Bay and Heber Springs each have a fireworks show, alternating dates each year. Fairfield Bay will have its fireworks on Monday, July 3.

Jorn and his staff are primarily focused on customer service in the spring and summer – renting equipment and boats as well as fueling them. “We’ve got a lot of rentals,” he said. “We have something for almost anybody, regardless of mobility. We can get you on something.”

The equipment available for rent at the marina is impressive:

Pontoon boats – 12, including two 26-foot models with a slide.
Ski boats – Two 19-foot Hurricane deck boats.
Jet skis – Three two-person models and one to accommodate up to three people.

The marina recently added a Craig Cat, a two-seated mini-catamaran. The Veterans Barge, which can accommodate 60, and the Belle are also available for rent for private parties.

In addition, the marina has six kayaks, four stand up paddle (SUP) boards and four pedal boats available for rent as well as skis, inflatable tubes, knee boards and wake boards. “If you have your own inflatable but forget your rope, we’ll rent you a rope. If you have your own boat but need some extra life jackets, we will rent you an extra life jacket or two. If you rent any of our equipment, you get the safety gear that goes with it.”

The marina has also added two new Hobie Eclipse boards which are equipped with handlebars and pedals.

“Those are all of our toys we have in right now,” Jorn said.

The marina also has a gift shop that carries a variety of boating and fishing gear, clothing, souvenirs, live bait and other items. Food and drinks are also available for purchase. “There is something for everybody and there’s a great selection.”

For more information on the marina, go to visitfairfieldbay.com/marina/. To make a reservation, call 501.884.6030.

A few improvements are planned at the marina, including new paint and a new fishing pier.

Jorn enjoys his work at the marina, which offers his favorite view of the lake. “It makes it really hard to come to work every day,” he said of the beautiful scenery year-round. His children, too, are happy with his work. “They love it. It’s their dream job for their dad,” he said, adding that they swim like fish and enjoy the opportunities they have at the lake. “They love the water.”

“I love it,” he said, adding that it is his favorite secular job he has ever had. “There are four seasons of beauty. An outside job, it’s a pretty cool gig,” he said. “Fairfield Bay is an awesome place to be.”