Any time you’re trying something new, something you’ve never done before, there will be a period of growth, and growth rarely comes without a certain level of pain. Like a molting crab, we must shed our former selves in order to grow, but in that space between, we are left soft and vulnerable. We lie low and wait for our shells to harden, while we plot our next move, but we can see the future.
The progress at Scotch Bonnet, a Haven Marina Resort, has been steady and deliberate, but not always at the speed we would have liked. There are obstacles to overcome and setbacks to navigate, and cautious optimism is warranted. One of the things about innovation is that there is no road map when it comes to charting your own course. You don’t know what you don’t know, and so surprises, both good and bad, are readily abundant. This is the life of an entrepreneur.
We all enjoy being delighted by the unexpected but no one likes to be surprised by the unfortunate. This is what a balanced approach to development looks like. You don’t get too high or too low. You roll with the ebb and flow of the tide, secure in the knowledge that you have laid a strong foundation, much of which is below the surface, and therefore, unseen. You can’t always see the progress being made and so are left to believe that little is happening, but nothing could be further from the truth.
As you might have seen as you drove by, or heard through the grapevine, we now have several houseboats in the docks, along with a temporary Ship’s Store/Office. There is also a new monument sign, officially establishing Scotch Bonnet as a Haven Marina Resort, and alerting future guests from far and wide, that a new sort of quiet luxury is emerging in Cape May County: The Marina Resort.
The marina resort is a new concept in waterfront hospitality, where the guest rooms float, and visitors are fully immersed in the natural world. It’s a waterscape, boutique hotel, situated within a marina, at the edge of New Jersey’s low country. It’s big sky country with epic views and wildlife right outside your door.
Most of our infrastructure is now complete, and we find ourselves in the final stages of design and execution. There are houseboats to finish and dress, a temporary Ship’s Store to fit out, wayfinding signage to implement, parking to designate, and an upper deck lounge to fashion. This is what one of our partners calls, the jewelry. Those last touches you consider before you walk out the door. When it is all said and done, it will be a lovely little treasure hidden in the back bays of the Cape; a haven from the chaos of Island life, yet only a stone’s throw from the action.
We look forward to revealing it all to you, but you should also know that we are only just beginning, and that new ideas take time to mature and grow into themselves. This is our chance to experiment and find our best practices, to discover the right balance between authenticity and creature comforts.
We are looking for travelers, after all, not tourists.
