Sneak Peek to Atlantique

ATLANTIQUEBy Kirsten CorssenSneak Peek to AtlantiqueUnderneath the loud buzz of hand drills, the sweep of brooms, the hammering of nails, and the chitter chatter of the workers you can hear the faint crash of the ocean. These have been the sounds of Atlantique for the past couple of weeks as the summer 2016 pre-season is in full swing. Not only are the boats on the mainland being de-winterized, Atlantique Beach and Marina is as well.Summer is so close we can taste it and the buzz on the mainland is being radiated over to the Fire Island shoreline. Everyone is excited to get back to the summer life full of no shoes, long weekends, and the hot summer sun to snap us out of our winter hibernation. As the community is setting up their summer toys and writing new bucket lists, the Town Of Islip workers are preparing for their summer at Atlantique.The Town of Islip staff is working hard to clean up the mess left behind from the winter. Thankfully, this winter wasn’t as harsh as years past; it left the marina with no significant damage and didn’t rip up any pole because the bay never fully froze over. The tides did rise high at times and the ocean swells did wash up onto the path to the ocean, bringing along sand and debris that will be cleaned up before the season begins. With the mild winter, the town staff was able to focus on other aspects of the marina to make it an even a better place than before.So here it is, the sneak peek to Atlantique.New ShowersOutdoor showers are one of the many classic summer traditions that everyone loves to partake in. Whether you prefer showering in the morning or just before dinner, you are going to enjoy it. Not because of the warm air temperatures to keep your body warm in between the shampoo and conditioner rinse, but mostly because of the brand new showers that were just installed at Atlantique. Your feet will keep clean on the beautiful paving stone, your towel will hang nice against the cedar wood walls, and your hair will smell fresh from the warm water pouring from the showerhead. After your shower you can just step across to the renovated bathrooms to freshen up for the night. They have all been gutted and replaced with new sinks and stalls, redone fresh in preparation for the summer of 2016.Public WifiYes, it finally happened. No need to walk down to Ocean Beach to pick up some public wifi, or bike down to the Kismet Market to sit on the bench to read some emails. You now have the option to login to the free Atlantique public wifi and have internet access on the comfort of your own boat. This new amenity gives us all the option to “work from home,” but your work doesn’t have to know it’s your summer home. As long as you get work on time they will never know you did it while sitting in a beach chair. The Atlantique public wifi was scheduled to be turned on May 26, 2016, along with the rest of the power at the Marina just in time for Memorial Day weekend.Username: Guest_TOIPassword: isliptownThe ShipwreckNo don’t worry, no one’s actual ship was wrecked. The only thing that was wrecked was the playground on the west side of the marina after Hurricane Sandy back in 2012. After suffering a Summer without a playground for the kids to play on, the town put in a brand new set that was definitely worth the wait. With the new pirate ship theme, the kids will be entertained all day by the new slides, monkey bars, rock walls, captain’s wheel and swings. The playground is conveniently located next to the bay side where they can cool off after running around too much.With all these new advancements made to Atlantique Dock and Marina, it is set up to be the perfect summer. Even if you don’t try out the new shower, log into the pubic wifi, or spend some time on the pirate ship play ground, you can always just grab your book, beach chair and floppy hat to spend your summer days on the beautiful shores of Fire Island. Wasn’t that what drew us to summer there in the first place?The Summer 2016 opening of Atlantique Marina will be Memorial Day weekend, Thursday, May 26, through Monday, May 20th. From then on the marina will be opened with power on weekends (Thursday- Friday) until the end of June. See you at the beach!Email atlantique@fireislandnews.com to let Kirsten know of your Atlantique news and happenings!