Some Information About Us

Hello, my name's Rick DeMent.  My wife, Rachelle, and I own Rayland Marina.  We had docked our boat there for a couple of  years when, in the summer of 2004, the previous owners, John and Wanda Varkony, decided to sell the marina.  Their age and poor health made it difficult for them to keep up with the demands of running and maintaining a marina.  We bought it.  We weren't sure how we were going to handle the demands on our time; I work at a mine near Zanesville, Ohio and work four, ten hour days.  Rachelle is a LPTA and works fours days a week also.  This allows us only Friday, Saturday and Sunday to work at the marina.  Then, along came hurricane Ivan in September of 2004 and another major flood in January of 2005.  Our plans of retiring here in five or six years and running a beautiful marina certainly seem very shaky at this time.  Yet, with a lot of hard work and much help from Dave Raley, a 'year round resident' of the marina, we slowly recovered.

Since purchasing the marina, we've built all new docks, added more docks, expanded the electrical and water service along with many other items needed to run a successful marina.  Our efforts are paying off.  Each year more and more boaters are docking their vessels here and more campers are coming in.

We were joined in the spring of 2007 by Gary and Marilyn Morton in their sternwheeler, the GAMBLER.  With their help, we're able to get even more projects completed.  They also help with the day to day operation of the marina during the week when Rachelle and I have to work at our 'regular jobs'.

Our current boaters are much like an 'extended family'.  Everyone gets along, helps each other and, of course, parties together.  Speaking of parties, we have five a year where Rachelle and I supply the 'main course' and everyone else chips in the side dishes and dessert.  Always a great time.

I've been told that our continuing success is, in part, due to how I treat our boaters and campers.  Perhaps it is; I've always believed that to be successful in any business, you have to treat people like you'd want to be treated................that's what I try to do.  Whatever the reason or reasons, we continue to have demand for more dock space and camping sites.  So, we'll continue to do what we've been doing and, perhaps, Rachelle and I can retire here in a few years.  We ask only that you take the time to check out our facilities and, perhaps, you too will want to join our 'family of boaters'.

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