Above & beyond on the water: How the Seven Bays Marina team saved the 4th of July weekend
September 17, 2026 | Team Member Spotlights
If you ask General Manager Cameron Forsythe, July 4th weekend is typically the busiest weekend of the season at Lake Roosevelt Adventures — and this year proved no different. Every houseboat was out, the campground at Keller Ferry Marina was sold out, the parking lot overflowed onto the street, and the fuel dock, restaurant, and retail store were slammed from open to close. “Just super busy, all hands on deck,” Cameron said. “And the team did an amazing job.” But one moment in particular turned a potential headache into a story worth telling.
When plans change, the team adapts
As a family was waiting at the Seven Bays Marina dock for their houseboat to arrive, little did they know, their boat still had nearly two hours left on its trip back down-lake. Rather than having the family wait even longer for the boat to be cleaned from the previous guests once it arrived, the team came up with a clever solution to clean the boat on the move. Why wait for the boat to be docked?! As Cameron explained, this kind of last-minute pivot isn’t unheard of at the marina: when a boat can’t be turned around in time, the team shifts into action to correct course.
Two team members, Faith Bell and Travis Coulter, jumped in without hesitation. Already deep into a busy holiday shift and into overtime, they grabbed their supplies, hopped on a pursuit boat with Chad Taylor, Director of Operations, and headed nearly an hour up-lake to meet the returning houseboat. For a full hour, while rolling down the lake, Faith and Travis tackled a job that typically takes a crew of four or five — scrubbing, sanitizing, flipping mattresses, running dishwashers, and prepping the boat from top to bottom.
By the time the boat pulled up to the Seven Bays dock, it was spotless and ready to go. The waiting family walked straight onto a freshly cleaned houseboat and set off for their holiday without missing a beat.
A culture of stepping up
Cameron credits the team’s willingness to go the extra mile to the culture at the marina, and he notes that Travis has played a large part in helping to build that culture this season. The crew is committed to “wanting to give the best product possible to the customers”, says Cameron. “We really don’t have a shortage of people volunteering or offering to stay late,” he added. “They care about the property, they care about the boats, and they care about the product.”
It’s a mindset Cameron tries to instill in every seasonal hire — including Faith, who wrapped up her summer with the team just a day after this interview. “I told her, look me up in 20 years and tell me your memories about working here for the summer,” he said. Cameron knows the feeling firsthand; he started at Lake Roosevelt as a dockhand eight years ago, and it’s what brought him back.
Lessons from a moving boat
When asked what other properties across Guest Services might take away from a weekend like July 4th at Lake Roosevelt, Cameron’s advice was simple: expect the unexpected and focus on what you can control. Wildfires, weather, water levels, and schedule changes are all part of the job on the lake, and none of it’s controllable. What is controllable is how the team shows up for guests and for each other.
Huge thanks to each member of the Seven Bays Marina team for exemplifying the very best of Lake Roosevelt Adventures and Guest Services and turning a potential delay into an unforgettable guest experience.