LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The Southwinds Marina in Del Rio is now offering fuel sales starting April 1, 2016, on port.
The marina will offer fuel at $3.24 per gallon as of April 1, and will be available during business hours to Laughlin’s boaters and other federal personnel.
Susan Powell, chief of the Community Services Flight for the 47th Force Support Squadron, says that next week’s fuel sales provide a more convenient way to gas up Laughlin Airmen’s recreational boats.
“It’s a huge boost for our quality of life.” said Powell. “We’re now able to fill up our fleet of seven boats at the marina and other boats as well.”
Blanca Larson, executive director for the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce, says the decision to return fuel sales to the marina as an added convenience for Laughlin’s boaters.
“It’s an amenity we haven’t had in years,” said Larson. “1.2 million people visited the lake last year, so it’s great for them to have that.”
The marina stopped offering fuel because of a lack of funds, but through help from other federal agencies via the Public, Private, Community Partnership Initiative and the city of Del Rio, fuel sales have been restored.
“It was a very expensive process,” said Powell “We would not have been able to restore sales if it wasn’t for our partners because at one point we had received a quote to restore it ourselves for $350,000.”
During that time, visitors had to fuel their boats in town at gas stations or by transporting fuel themselves, which proved to be both too expensive and a hassle.
“We’re trying to restore things out at the marina so we can take care of our Airmen,“ said Larson. “We also have an objective to open up our sales to the local community and are in the final stages of accomplishing that.”
Also, citing concerns about someone possibly being stranded out on the water with no fuel. The marina now provides a safer, efficient, and timely way to help a stranded boater reach shore.
“If you’re out on the lake and stuck with no fuel, what are you going to do?” said Larson. “Now we can help them out in that event.”
Powell hails the victory as a quality of life improvement for all of Laughlin’s boaters, and credits a great part in the victory to a great community.
“We are extremely fortunate to have open minded leadership and a great community partnership to work with," said Powell. “They have all been extremely selfless in helping us and have gone far beyond the scope of what they needed to do.”