OUR FAMILY
OUR
STORY
In the beginning: when good friends would become partners….
Working together at the telephone company, Gene Jerry and CB Shannep found that they shared a love for boating, diving, fishing, hunting, working together and having fun. They decided to form their own business partnership.
On the back half of that year they opened their first shop in Newport Beach on Pacific Coast Highway. It was from this facility that they were able to launch into the business of maintaining the numerous offshore moorings throughout Newport Harbor. The partners made their own barge for this activity and named it after their fathers: “Char-Dan”.
Their barge’s lifting capacity was very large and one cold and rainy night they were asked to assist in raising a sunken vessel. This effort was so successful that they found themselves being routinely asked to perform salvage work. They started their own Salvage division; this division was named Anchor Marine Co. Within a few years, their performance and expertise allowed the new division to become the main Salvage Company operating between Los Angeles and San Diego
Gene and CB continued to work well together building their business. When they were presented with an opportunity to move to a larger facility at the Newport Dunes, they did so. As this new facility was on the water, they were now able to haul boats from the water. The new facility allowed them to expand their business by providing additional repair and fabrication capabilities.
While their desire was to be able to service larger boats the Newport Dunes facilities crane would only accommodate smaller vessels. During the winters of 1969 and 1970 they designed and built the largest floating dry dock ever to exist in Newport Harbor. The new dry dock was able to haul out a boat up to forty tons and up to sixty feet in length.
Their business continued to grow until it was bursting at the seams and became constrained by the size of their lot and facility
So in late 1972, they formed a limited partnership which was named Anchor Marine Repair Company. This new partnership allowed them to obtain all the capabilities and financing necessary to win the bid and construct and operate the Dana Point Shipyard.
Anchor Marine was the successful bidder for the Dana Point Shipyard and in 1973 the County of Orange awarded the option to construct the facility to Gene and CBs Company, Anchor Marine. However, the oil embargo that occurred in the early 70’s along with the passage of proposition 20 and the creation of the California Coastal Commission and a few other world events, required a re-thinking and new planning approach to implementing the construction of the new Dana Point Shipyard. It took three years to finally obtain the permits and approvals necessary to begin construction of the first shipyard.
By now the economy had improved and the marine industry was in full swing and expanding. Plans were put in place for an expansive marine repair facility.
Jitters, left over from the 70’s causes an industry retrenchment and more modest plans were put in place and the permitting process was put into motion for the facilities that exist today at the Dana Point Shipyard.
With the new shipyard on line the pair of partners, Gene and CB, launched into the marine construction field. The Company obtained a Class A General Engineering Contractors License and pursued Marine Construction work along the Southern California waterfront. This division, Anchor Marine Construction, along with the Salvage division was operated under the parent name of Anchor Marine Co.
Some of the major Marine Construction accomplishments were: The total rebuilding of the Balboa, Newport piers along with the U.S. Coast guard piers also in Newport. The pier in Dana Point Harbor that stands today between the Ocean Institute and Baby Beach was also one of the projects. As was Dredging in Long beach, Newport and Dana Point Harbors. New dock construction and replacement was undertaken along with pile driving in Huntington, Newport and Dana Point Harbors. Anchor Marine Construction did the first maintenance dredging in Dana Point Harbor and replaced the Harbor Department Docks along with the Guest docks next to the County of Orange’s Youth and Group facility.
After 15 years in the marine construction field Gene and CB stopped this portion of the business and decided to put all their efforts into Dana Point Shipyard, shortly there after CB retired from the business.
While their desire was to be able to service larger boats the Newport Dunes facilities crane would only accommodate smaller vessels. During the winters of 1969 and 1970 they designed and built the largest floating dry dock ever to exist in Newport Harbor. The new dry dock was able to haul out a boat up to forty tons and up to sixty feet in length.
Their business continued to grow until it was bursting at the seams and became constrained by the size of their lot and facility
While serving the boaters needs of the surrounding area and beyond. Dana Point Shipyard, Cathy Cope and Steve Morris (2nd, and 3rd generation to Gene Jerry) were planning and permitting the renovation of their family’s boatyard.
Dana Point Shipyard Inc was created.
Dana Point Shipyard settled in with Bellingham Marine to install all marina pile, travelift runway and support pilings. The boatyard was shut down for just a short 90 day window to complete the major renovation. The Bellingham project manager didn’t think this was possible, however Steve and Jason worked 88 straight days(only taking off Thanksgiving day and Christmas day) to ensure the project was kept on track.
During this time, Steve and Jason also designed and executed the widening of their current boat hoist (76 1/2″) to fit the new pier system. This was another task that was “not possible” from the lift manufacturer, Steve and Jason made this task possible and used that machine for the next year to lift hundreds of boats out of the water.
On Feb 1st 2017, we lifted the first boat out of the water with our brand new 85MT (metric ton, 187,000lbs) Marine Travel, just 3 days after it arrived on 3 trucks at the yard.
With the new lift online, it was time for work, work, work. As the newly renovated boatyard increased it’s lifting capacity, with a larger lift and wider lift bay, Dana Point Shipyard’s customer demographic began to shift, increasing the size of vessels worked on. However never turning our backs to the smaller vessels that built our company.
From 1966 thru today, Anchor Marine Repair, Anchor Marine Repair Company, Anchor Marine Co, Anchor Marine Construction and Dana Point Shipyard have weathered the marine economic ups and downs. Thru Gene and CBs direction and their dedicated staff, they have provided, and continue to provide, quality service to the boating public of Los Angles, Long Beach, Newport, Dana Point, Oceanside and San Diego Harbors.
TO
TODAY
Today you will find a fourth generation working at the shipyard & the Third Generation of Gene Jerry’s at the helm.
Steve Morris (3rd gen) one of Gene’s grandson’s as the company’s VPO. Steve has been working at the families business since he was 13 years old, working summers and after school. Steve like his grandfather before him, worked his way up from painting bottoms and mechanical work to his present position.
Jason Morris (3rd gen) Steve’s Brother and another grandson of Gene’s, is the company’s yard manager and senior technician. Jason is well decorated with various certifications thru various manufacturers, including Mercury, Mercruiser, Volvo Penta, Cummins, Kholer, Yanmar and SeaKeeper and is also a ABYC master tech.
