Karen Dillon

Karen writes about the people and places of Smith Mountain Lake in "Shorelines," published bi-weekly.

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It's early in the morning on July 5 and, while most Independence Day revelers are still in bed, Dale Runyon is reporting to work at BaySide Marina & Yacht Club.

His first problem of the day: Figuring out a way to get the Royal Flush, the pump-out boat operated by Ferrum College, back to Bayside. It had broken down the previous day on the Blackwater section of the lake, and Runyon needed to get it back to the marina so he could fix it.

"We're kind of known for getting people out of jams," said Runyon half-joking. "We pull it off most of the time."

Earlier this year, the 38-year-old Runyon embarked on a journey of sorts when he teamed with Joel Shepherd to buy what was once Shoreline Marina. Renamed BaySide Marina, the two have been working non-stop over the past several months to get the business back up to snuff.

"We've finally got things under control," said Runyon of the marina's affairs. "And we've been able to get everything organized."

Neither man is a stranger to the lake area. Shepherd is probably best known as owner of -- and pitchman in TV ads for -- Virginia Furniture Market. Runyon began his career in the marine industry by cleaning boats at Webster Marine Center in Moneta. He eventually worked his way up to service manager and achieved numerous marine certifications.

"A lot of people still don't know that I'm here," said Runyon. "Over the years, I've built a pretty good clientele."

The full-service marina, located near marker R26 on the Becky's Creek arm of the lake, has approximately 194 boat slips (most of which are rented) and can accommodate vessels up to 50 feet long.

On a tour of the slips, Runyon stopped at the first of eight docks.

"This is something we've been playing around with," he said, pointing to a covered tandem personal watercraft slip containing two expensive-looking PWCs. "It allows the owners to put them in a lift without having to cover them."

Boat owners looking for a cheaper alternative to renting a slip can consider taking advantage of BaySide's dry-rack storage. Using a negative-drop forklift, the boats can easily be plucked out of the water and placed into the racks. If owners want to use their boats for the weekend, BaySide can accommodate them with relatively little notice.

"All they have to do is give us a call and ask us to get it out of the lift for them," said Runyon.

Another perk of renting a slip at BaySide, said Runyon, is access to the nearby pool, bath house and tennis courts on the property, which are shared with the adjacent Shoreline Marina Condominiums.

As for what's to come in the future, Runyon said they hope to sell boats out of BaySide's now-empty showroom and to begin renting personal watercraft. However, Runyon said he has no plans to sell the high-performance boats that once were sold at Shoreline Marina.

"It's just not my kind of thing," he said.

While he's content with being his own boss, Runyon admitted the days can get long. His typical schedule is 6:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. most every day. Fortunately, his wife, Cindy, and 9-year-old daughter, Stephanie, also help out.

"It keeps us busy," said Runyon. "We usually hit the ground running around 8 or 9 [a.m.]."

And with that, Runyon was off to contact Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire/Rescue to ask for their help in retrieving the Royal Flush from the lake.

BaySide Marina is located by land off Lakewood Forest Road in Moneta, and by water at marker R26. Hours: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (540) 721-3664.