2017 May June Marina World

MARINA PLANNING & DESIGN
The Holland Marinas team built the new
pontoons in-house using Fibrestruct
decking material.
court, and changes in political parties
where the opposition became part of
a coalition and we lost three years by
having to start the whole process over
again,” he told Marina World. “Different
civil servants had to be consulted
for dredging, water regulations and
building restrictions, and because the
whole process took so long, reports
and research became out of date and
had to be done again – at extra cost.”
In 2006 when planning commenced,
Holland Marinas believed that the
gravel and sand from the dredging
would pay for the infrastructure. “But in
2008 the recession started and there
was no demand for raw materials,”
Vrancken noted. “This meant that
the dredging wasn’t going to earn us
money but cost us money.” And the cost
burden also rose significantly when
the marina group was told it had to
transport the dredged silt to a special
processing area in Rotterdam.
There were lessons to learn. “Never
underestimate the politics and influence
of your neighbours and find different
suppliers for the same product – if one
cannot deliver, the other possibly can,”
Vrancken advised, adding “nothing ever
goes according to plan.”
Continued development is
nonetheless on the cards as the marina
intends to reconfigure five further piers
over the next three years and install
a new prefabricated building to house
sanitary facilities, laundry, fitness and
recreation rooms, marina office and
a home for the marina manager. This
project has been timed for November/
December this year.
Roermond City Marina enjoys nearby
amenities at the local village of Herten
and is just a few kilometres from
the lovely historic city of Roermond
and Holland Marinas’ second facility;
the 800-berth Marina Stevensweert.
Reconfiguring this marina will be the
company’s next project.
www.marinaworld.com - May/June 2017 39