Life at The Cliffs: Inside the World of a Possum Kingdom Lake Marina Manager
Story by Jonathan Delp
Photos provided by Leslea Cochran and Felecia Ongley
Human perspective sees the world differently from a distance.
Stand on a windy curve of Possum Kingdom Lake’s roughly 300 miles of shoreline, and the far banks look like piles of clumped broccoli. Limestone cliffs stand like chunks of golden brownie. Vacation homes rest like Lego blocks planted in Texas soil, and the boats that cruise its calm arcs are white specks and the quiet thrum of engines under a stoic sun.
View The Cliffs Marina from a distance, and rows of blue-roofed floating docks rest on a southeastern piece of the lake. Come closer, and those boats that were white specks are now a dad and son fishing for stripers, or college youths headed to Hell’s Gate, or a new retiree who wants to read a book on the water. Reach the docks of The Cliffs Marina, and for so many who have come to enjoy this rolling tranquility, up close is a select group of bustling facilitators who enable the play on this natural canvas, such as the Possum Kingdom Lake marina manager.
Leslea Cochran is the assistant general manager of The Cliffs Marina, a home for boaters that rests below the overlook of The Cliffs Resort. Along with its sister marina at Bluff Creek, it’s a member of the Austin-based VIP family of marinas. The Cliffs Marina is full service, so boaters can get their tank of gas and store their vessel in the same place. It’s a place of abounding lake hospitality.
“We try to offer everything we possibly can, from fun clothing and lake attire for little and big kids,” Cochran said. “Snacks, drinks, fuel, pump-out, ice, some bait and tackle, rental boats and Sea-Doos, kayaks. … But the one thing that people who have not visited the marina may not know is that we have a great staff.”
Leading this staff is managing owner and general manager Dan Ongley, who also serves in the same roles at Bluff Creek Marina with his wife, Felecia, just across the lake. Ongley got into the marina business in 2015, when he and his wife sold their trucking company and partnered with VIP Marinas Group founder Austin Cameron. Since then, he has been inseparable from Possum Kingdom Lake.
“This is my happy place,” Ongley said. “PK is a unique place, and I cherish every moment I spend here. We all look forward to our days at PK. This place captures your heart – and once you’re here, you become a PKer for life. My wife and I are those people, and we love to fully enjoy every day we have at PK.”
Dan Ongley, managing owner of The Cliffs, engaging in another passion of his
when he’s not managing The Cliffs
Ongley said his responsibilities overlap with Cochran’s in many ways, although no one day is the same as the next.
“Our daily routine at the marina is constantly evolving,” he said.
Visitors who have heard of the archaic lake lore of Hell’s Gate rent 24-foot pontoons and personal watercraft. At the ship store, summer gatherers pick up sun hats, decorative pillows, and cold beer and ice cream. On a sprawling lake ecosystem that is more vacation home than work grind, and more state park than highway, this idyllic centerpoint of kinetic activity is brought to life by Ongley, Cochran and the staff.
“It is so rewarding to see how much our staff grows every year, and how they handle the many daily tasks,” Cochran said. “As many know, our summer staff are mostly high school and college-age kids. Very few of them show up on day one having ever been on a boat, much less knowing how to drive one – then seeing the summer end with all of them comfortably driving boats and Sea-Doos, and even giving instruction to customers renting units. And the willingness to learn and take on new roles and responsibilities each summer.”
The staff that makes The Cliffs Marina go ’round
Work at The Cliffs is closely aligned with work at Bluff Creek, as Bluff Creek includes a boat service center and boat dealership that caters to members at The Cliffs.
The routines of marina life depend on the season. Possum Kingdom Lake simmers through winter, then bursts into a crescendo of activity throughout spring and summer.
“During the offseason, we spend time counting inventory, ordering new merchandise for the store, planning, budgeting and getting ready for summer,” Cochran said. “During the summer season, we’re working to make sure the marina and ship store stays stocked. There are so many moving parts to making the operations successful, and there is something different every day.”
The team’s diligent work – and sense of having fun where they work – coalesces in one Monday each summer, known as “Monday Funday.” The staff picks a Monday to ride out in their pontoon boats and Sea-Doos to treat themselves to the activities they provide for others for much of the year. They have lunch, tie up at Hell’s Gate, and ride around making a splashing ruckus with their personal watercraft.
The Cliffs Marina staff in the Mardi Gras spirit
Ongley noted the change in the lakeside atmosphere as the summer begins.
“The start of summer is an exciting time for us, as the marina comes back to life with our members and customers buzzing around,” he said. “It brings everyone together and marks the beginning of summer fun. July 4th is particularly special on PK, rooted in the old Texas country song saying, ‘If you … never seen fireworks on PK’ (from the song ‘My Texas’ by Josh Abbott Band), making it an event everyone should experience at least once in their life.”
Ongley was referring to the legendary Hell’s Gate fireworks show that’s conducted by the Chamber of Commerce each year. The waterfront spectacle, which fills the lake with visitors, will mark its 38th year in 2025.
On a lake known for pleasant relaxation, the marina routine is contrasted by occasional oddities, including the time a customer shared a video of a large buck swimming from Gaines Bend (across the lake) to The Cliffs. The buck regally swam the distance, climbed onto shore and sauntered inland. On another occasion, a customer brought a baby pet raccoon along on their boat.
Once in awhile, too, laughter can be heard when stocking ice turns into a lakeside swim. Ship store team leader Allana Douthit took an unplanned dip when she tried to throw a bag of ice from the shore to a boat and fell into the water. At least it was a hot summer day for a cool dip!
Like any great business based on the mystique of the water, The Cliffs also has one or two superstitions.
“We don’t talk about rain or storms on the weekends,” Ongley said. “We only want those on the weekdays. Weekends in summer are the biggest part of our business, so we don’t like to mention bad weather at all.”
Ultimately, busy days at The Cliffs Marina require paying attention and providing excellent customer service for boaters who need directions, advice on fishing spots, or maybe a little help knowing how they look in a new pair of sunglasses. It’s a service the staff at The Cliffs takes prides in for boaters and members, who know they are in good hands.
“People are just happy when they are here,” Cochran said. “It seems things slow down a little bit when you’re at the lake, and you can enjoy whatever you are doing – even if it’s nothing. The beauty of PK and its surroundings are amazing, and I never get tired of that.”
A lot of time and energy at The Cliffs is spent caring for vessels, updating leases, managing inventory, ordering supplies and making sure customers have what they need. This environment comes with inherent logistical challenges, but Ongley also noted a different type of challenge: time.
“The summer always seems too short,” he said.
When he’s not working on the marina docks, Ongley likes to fish, go tubing with his grandchildren, or cruise the lake with his family. The lake’s influence is ever-present for him, as it is for workers at The Cliffs, who have such a love for the water that they want to draw a career from it.
When Cochran was asked where she likes to spend her time when she’s not on the docks, she answered with just three words: “At the lake.”
For more information about visiting The Cliffs Marina, call (940) 779-2308, send an email to [email protected], or visit the website www.thecliffsmarina.com.
