COEUR d’ALENE — It takes seven minutes for operations manager Cameron Lounsbury and his crew at Hagadone Marine Group’s Vertical Quick Launch to get a boat in the water.

That speed comes in handy during peak season. About 130 boats were launched from the Blackwell Island Marina on the Fourth of July alone.

“It’s very quick moving here, and nonstop in the summer,” Lounsbury said.

The Quick Launch is heading into its fifth season and has become a well-oiled machine with Lounsbury at the helm — all in the name of convenience for its members.

“This is the most convenient way to get your boat out on Lake Coeur d’Alene,” he said. “There’s people with boats here that have never used their trailer.”

The 60-foot tall, nearly 48,000-square-foot facility houses five stories of vertical dry boat slips, with space for up to 360 boats and 20 personal watercrafts at one time.

Though the 2025 season has come to an end, the Quick Launch is already near capacity for 2026, with around 340 spaces already filled.

Melissa Menke, director of customer experience. believes the state-of-the-art amenities and exceptional service are a big draw for both experienced and first-time boaters.

“Everything we use here is the best in the market,” Menke said.

Members can choose to have their boat fueled or ice delivered before they even arrive at the dock, making getting onto the water seamless. Valet boat services are scheduled through the BoatCloud app.

Crews also take care of wiping down and getting the boat back into its slip upon return.

“All you do is hop off,” Menke said.

The 2026 docking season begins Nov. 1 and runs through Oct. 31 of next year — and Lounsbury has no plans of slowing down.

In fact, moving boats has become muscle memory for him and his crew.

“You really get to know the forklift to where it kind of becomes an extension of yourself,” he said with a laugh.

Membership info: hagadonemarine.com/quick-launch/

    Hagadone Marine Group's Vertical Quick Launch dry stack currently houses around 340 boats.
  

    Vertical Quick Launch crews can have a member's boat on the water and ready to board in seven minutes.