2023 May June Marina World

Marina 

www.marinaworld.com 

World 

May/June 2023 

Issue 137 

Essential reading for marina and waterfront developers, planners and operators

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W W W . S F M A R I N A . C O M



May/June 2023 Vol. 23, No. 5 

19 

43 

49 

CONTENTS 

World News 7 

Cover Story 14 

Marina World talks to Austin Schell, CEO of Port 32 Marinas, 

about operations, current trends and future plans 

Drystack Storage 

Industry Feedback 19 

Monica Capria, Esteban Biondi, YP Loke, Alex Pares, 

Greg Weykamp, David Coyle, John Matheson, Alain 

Giudice, Max Brown and Robert Brown share their 

views on drystack – now and for the future 

New marina forklift for the centre console market 33 

Clark Island Marina drystack opens in Charleston, USA 34 

Wet versus dry in the Mediterranean 37 

Talking Shop 43 

Hendren Plastics continues to expand the reach of 

its premium Eagle Floats product line. Owner and 

president, Jim Hendren, talks shop 

Marina Update 46 

Moss Marina, Fort Myers Beach, Florida was up and 

running in record time after being hit by Hurricane Ian 

Operator Talks: Smart Moves 49 

Matthias Gehring (D-Marin); Matt O’Hara (Queen Boat Co); Kevin 

Lussier (Ocean Havens); Darrell Barnett (Soldiers Point Marina); 

and Mark Jaraczewski (Circle Boating, Suntex Marinas) discuss 

implementation of smart technology 

Product Focus 57 

VoltSafe Marine electrical shore power connectors 

and outlets set a new standard 

Products, Services & People 61 

On the cover: Lighthouse Point 

Marina on the Hillsboro Inlet of the 

Intracoastal Waterway is one of the 

finest marinas in South Florida. It 

was purchased earlier in the year 

by Port 32 Marinas. Read more 

about Port 32 on p.4. 

www.marinaworld.com – May/June 2023 

3



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Time to stack 

FROM THE EDITOR 

As increased interest in boating 

continues, the shortage of wet berths 

in developed boating markets will 

become a growing problem. Now is 

the time for the industry to turn its 

attention to the many benefits of 

drystack storage as a ‘needs must’ 

rather than optional alternative. 

The advantages of drystack have been recognised for years but uptake has been 

minimal if compared to the development of wet berth marinas. This is fundamentally 

due to public perception – both from the boat owner as well as the local resident. 

Boat owners cannot stroll the marina and admire their boats bobbing in the water; 

local residents don’t want to live near tall and potentially noisy commercial buildings. 

But this is 2023. Boaters have become more educated about the benefits of 

stacking their boats in covered buildings and NIMBY fears have been somewhat 

allayed by the increasing attention paid to developing architecturally-pleasing 

buildings that resemble upmarket hotels and US-style shopping malls. And the 

major sea change is just emerging with the advent of electric forklifts and improved 

automated crane technology. 

These diminish the noise and remove the pollution element that has had many 

a local resident running scared. New buildings can also be mixed-use, taking 

prominent place in a waterfront vista and delivering a residential component to make 

all more attractive to a developer. 

The theories are sound, but people power combined with the difficulty of finding 

appropriate sites and lengthy and complicated permitting processes remain 

negatives that need to be offset by the positives: taking smaller boats out of the 

water leaves water space for vessels too large to be racked; crane systems require 

reduced footprint and rack more boats in the given volume – density = dollars. 

The site question is interesting and throws up two immediate benefits for drystack 

versus wet berth facilities. Firstly, because of the enhanced technology now available 

drystacks can be located further from the water’s edge and in fairly confined spaces. 

Secondly, they are a more environmentally-friendly boat berth option, especially 

when boat handling equipment is electrically driven. 

This makes drystacks particularly ideal for lakes, which are often governed by 

tough environmental regulations, and lakeside drystack appears to be on the rise. 

Last year we reported on the impressive new Quick Launch Dry Stack built by 

Hagadone Marine Group on Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho, USA; and gave updates 

on Port Corsier, which opened on Lake Léman in Geneva, Switzerland in 2021. In 

this issue, we release breaking news on a stacker crane facility for Aqua Boat Club 

by Mission Group on Okanagan Lake in Kelowna, Canada (see p. 19). 

In our Drystack Industry Feedback section, Greg Weykamp of Edgewater 

Resources picks up on this trend, noting a “significant increase in demand for 

drystack across the Great Lakes region.” He explains that because environmental 

limitations inhibit an increase in wet slips, operators are trying to meet customer 

demand for slips by racking smaller boats. He also adds: “Providing smaller, lower 

cost drystack slips can be a profitable way to meet local community demand for 

boating access to the water for residents at lower income levels, which can be 

helpful in obtaining local zoning approvals.” 

There is a wealth of information in our Drystack feature. Look out for more in future 

issues. 

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magazine does not constitute endorsement of the 

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refuse advertising. 

Carol Fulford 

Editor 


5

STRONG · SAFE · SUSTAINABLE 

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THE MOORING SYSTEM

WORLD NEWS 

Guidelines for 

sustainable infrastructure 

WG 148: Guidelines for Sustainable Recreational Navigational Infrastructure 

(RNI), is now available from PIANC. 

Giving guidance for sustainable 

design, it also outlines the benefits 

that sustainable RNI provides, as 

an economic engine with social and 

environmental benefits, in sustainable 

tourism, in large infrastructure 

projects, in urban waterfront projects, 

and as part of broad conservation 

strategies. 

The report identifies and provides 

analysis of typical concerns that are 

faced in the practice of achieving 

environmental sustainability in these 

types of projects. 

It describes the alignment between 

Best Practices in marina design and 

Working with Nature and provides 

case studies, and also features 15 

projects that illustrate environmental 

design features, as well as examples 

of innovative design process 

implementation and of successful 

regulatory processes. 

The 90-page report is free for PIANC 

members and priced at €120 for nonmembers. 

www.pianc.org/publications/reccom/ 

wg148 

New marina at 

town gateway 

MODERNIZING 

THE WORLD’S 

WATERFRONTS. 

MONTENEGRO: A new marina has been completed directly in front of the main 

gate of the stunning medieval walled town of Kotor. The investment by the Port 

of Kotor will significantly boost nautical tourism and offers mooring for 142 

boats from 8-50m (26-164ft) in length at a Marinetek floating marina system. 

After the completion of the public 

procurement procedure in January, 

Marinetek produced and installed the 

pontoons, anchoring systems and 

mooring equipment in a very short 

time, finishing the project by the end of 

March 2023. 

The 80m (262ft) long floating 

breakwater that protects the marina 

is made with Marinetek’s standard 

M3820BR breakwater elements and 

is anchored by Seaflex. Two piers 

perpendicular to the shore, and one 

pier parallel to the shore, with a total 

length of 204m (669ft) were built using 

3m/10ft-wide Heavy Duty pontoon 

elements. A standard four-berth 

Mediterranean-style anchoring system 

is installed, and all vessels have access 

to electricity and drinking water. 


7 

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When installing a wastewater management system harbor 

operators have to make several decisions depending on the location, 

number of berths and size to find the optimal system. 

The Vogelsang PierPump is a customer-oriented high-performance 

solution, which is easy to operate and allows bilge water or black 

water to be pumped directly into the sewage system. The integrated 

rotary lobe pump means that the PierPump is resistant to foreign 

matter, so that the vacuum extraction process does not come to stop 

if the wastewater contains foreign matter. Wastewater tanks are 

vacuum extracted in a very short time, and the voyage can continue. 

VOGELSANG LEADING IN TECHNOLOGY 

vogelsang.info

WORLD NEWS 

Operator chosen 

for Elounda 

GREECE: Camper & Nicholsons Marinas is to provide management, 

operational and branding services to the boutique marina at Elounda Hills, an 

ultra-luxury sustainable resort on the Mediterranean island of Crete. 

Developed by Mirrum Group in 

partnership with 1 Hotels, the 56ha 

(138 acre) resort will feature a 137-key 

hotel and 257 residences in its first 

phase. The marina will be surrounded 

by a private beach club, fitness 

and wellbeing facilities, shopping 

boutiques, lively restaurants and 

bars across 2km (1.2mi) of coastline. 

Seasonal mooring for superyachts will 

also be available. 

Angelos Angelidakis, CEO Mirrum 

Group, comments: “We are thrilled to 

unveil our masterplan for Elounda Hills. 

Although a popular tourist destination, 

Crete remains largely undeveloped and 

Mooring 

Post 

Check out our digital newsfeed. Sign 

up for free at www.marinaworld.com 

Highlights from April/May: 

• Sweden: Three-year build completes 

at Önnereds Boat Club 

• Abu Dhabi: Rahman Island mega 

project 

• Australia: Marking a decade at Abell 

Point Marina 

• Belgium: 2030 target on end-of-life 

boats 

• Albania: Work starts on Vlora Marina 

our vision to create a new international 

lifestyle destination for the island has 

been many years in the making.” 

Phil Ladmore, commercial director 

at Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, 

says: “We are delighted to be working 

with Elounda Hills and look forward 

to providing pre- and post-opening 

marketing, branding and operational 

marina management support to ensure 

the marina becomes a prominent 

and successful cruising destination. 

The new marina will benefit from our 

global marketing reach and brand 

equity, increasing awareness amongst 

yachting and luxury communities.” 

• USA: Las Olas Marina progress in Ft 

Lauderdale 

• Greece: Tekal invests in Nafplion 

Marina project 

USA: AMI Expo 2024 – 

Call for Seminar proposals 

Deadline: 1st June 2023 

Info: www.marinaassociation.org/ 

conferenceandexpo 

NEXT 

GENERATION 

MARINAS. 


9 


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It’s no secret that the world is 

steering towards cleaner and greener 

modes of transport. As world leaders 

in providing service pedestals and 

associated products for marina and 

waterside destinations, and with over 

10 years’ experience in the electric 

vehicle charging industry, Rolec are 

able to provide a solution to suit your 

electrification needs. Enabling you 

to offer your visitors a seamless 

charging experience, whether it’s for 

electric vehicles or electric boats. 

For more details contact Rolec’s technical / support / sales team 

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e: rolec@rolecserv.co.uk 

www.rolecserv.com

WORLD NEWS 

Investment plans for Pylos 

GREECE: D-Marin is leading a partnership with TEMES SA to deliver a 

premium marina experience in Pylos on Navarino Bay on the southwest coast 

of Peloponnese. The 40-year concession was awarded by the Hellenic Asset 

Development Fund (HRADF). 

Pylos Marina currently has berthing 

capacity for 129 yachts up to 30m 

(98ft) in length and specific berths for 

the local fishing fleet. The facility will 

benefit from D-Marin’s commitment to 

customer service and luxury facilities, 

and its investment of over €10 million in 

digitisation and innovation. 

“The Messinia region has 

the potential to be one of the 

Mediterranean’s finest yachting 

locations. Together with our highly 

reputable partner TEMES, we are 

committed to integrating the local needs 

as we transform the offering and put 

this exceptional location on the map of 

Don’t miss 

IWMC 2023 

PORTUGAL: Don’t forget to register for the 2023 ICOMIA World Marinas 

Conference (IWMC) and marina exhibition, to be held in Vilamoura, Algarve 

from 9th-11th October. 

The event, which moves to a different 

country every two years, is a first-time 

visitor to Portugal and will be hosted 

by the Portuguese Association of Ports 

and Marinas (APPR). 

maritime tourism,” said D-Marin CEO 

Oliver Dörschuck. 

The investment in Pylos Marina will 

include development of the local area 

to provide more parking and areas for 

events, as well as other amenities and 

a focus on digitisation and sustainability. 

The wider area of the marina will be 

open to the public to freely enjoy its 

benefits. 

D-Marin now has marinas at 20 

locations. Pylos joins three other luxury 

marinas across Greece and, within the 

last six months, D-Marin has acquired 

four new marinas, entering the markets 

in Italy and Spain. 

For full information on how you can 

join the conference crowd in discussing 

‘Big Challenges – Big Opportunities – 

Big Decisions.” 

www.worldmarinasconference.com 

THE MARINA 

EXPERTS. 


11 


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Building on the water 

Ingemar: Delivering the marinas of tomorrow since 1979 

Pontoons, breakwaters, superyacht piers, floating crossings and 

constructions, off-the-shelf or customised, with robust and reliable 

structures in steel, aluminium or concrete, from design to turnkey delivery. 

Made in Italy. Designed to be built on your doorstep.

Marina completes waterfront regeneration 

UK: The new marina at Dover, a crucial element of the town’s plan to revitalise its waterfront, opened in April. 

Surrounded by the Marina Curve – a large outdoor entertainment space completed in 2021 – it is ideally positioned to 

attract locals and visitors. 

Around 50 permanent berth holders 

are already on site and more will move 

over during the first half of this year. A 

total of 160 yachts and small leisure 

boats can be accommodated. 

Highlights for berth holders include 

access to a dedicated fuel dock, 

hardstand and boatyard, and a new 

marina office. All elements have been 

designed to suit a sustainable mixeduse 

scheme. 

Doug Bannister, chief executive of the 

Port of Dover, commented: “The port is 

transforming, and the marina opening 

is the perfect showcase of our new 

Trophy asset for east 

coast portfolio 

USA: Integra Marinas, a leading owner, developer and operator of 

marinas in major coastal growth markets along the east coast, has 

acquired The Perry Marina on Stock Island in Florida’s Key West. 

The purchase was made by 

Integra Investments and marks the 

company’s eighth and largest marina 

acquisition to date. 

The Perry Marina is situated on 

nearly 35 acres (14ha) just minutes 

from ‘Old Town’ Key West. It is 

the largest deep-water marina in 

the Florida Keys, offering 288 wet 

slips at Bellingham Marine floating 

concrete docks, and can berth 

superyachts up to 350ft (107m) in 

modern look and identity. My thanks 

go to the marina and Dover Western 

Docks Revival teams for working so 

hard to provide this world-leading 

facility for our berth holders.” 

“It’s also a fantastic new 

attraction for Dover and being 

perfectly situated next to our cruise 

terminals, brings communities 

together from across the nation and 

globally. We face a bright future, and 

I am confident that the waterfront 

will soon become one of the best 

destinations for exploring the south 

east coast.” 

length. Facilities include high-speed 

fuel, a ship’s store, captain’s lounge 

and resort-style pool. 

“The Perry Marina’s location 

within a world-class destination for 

domestic and international boaters 

allows for some of the top fishing and 

nautical experiences of any coastal 

location, making this an anchor asset 

for our growing portfolio,” said Victor 

Ballestas, a principal with Integra 

Investments. 

Ismailia 

contract 

WORLD NEWS 

awarded 

EGYPT: Following an intensive period of 

preparation and design, Marinetek has been 

selected for the design, manufacture and 

installation of the floating pontoon elements 

for Ismailia Yacht Marina on Al Temsah Lake, 

the first marina on the Suez Canal (see 

article Marina World March/April 2023). 

After completion of the first phase, the sailing 

club will have 96 berths for vessels of 10-40m 

(33-131ft) in length. A total of 34 concrete 

‘Heavy Duty’ and ‘Breakwater’ pontoon types 

will be produced in Marinetek’s factory in 

Šibenik, Croatia by the end of this month (May), 

transported to Egypt and installed using steel 

piles. 

The Suez Canal Authority, the project 

investor, plans to open the first phase of the 

marina by the end of June and, in subsequent 

phases, a modern service centre and other 

related facilities will be built. Marinetek’s partner 

in the project, Deutschland Technology, will take 

over the installation of the entire infrastructure 

and the management of the project itself. 

The marina will encourage smaller yachts to 

stop and rest in the Suez Canal on their way 

between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea 

and is a significant step in the country’s aim to 

further develop its nautical tourism. 


13

COVER STORY 

Promoting a customer-focused culture 

Austin Schell 

With a mantra to elevate the 

recreational boating experience, the 

Port 32 management team works 

hard to ensure its collection of well 

located Florida marinas delivers the 

very best to its customers. Newly 

appointed CEO, Austin Schell, 

shares insight with Marina World. 

Q: How are you bringing your 

professional expertise to your role as 

the new CEO? Do you have a marine 

background? What is your major focus 

in further developing the company? 

A: Our leadership team comes 

from a variety of backgrounds, 

both inside and outside the marine 

industry. The diversity of perspectives 

and experiences gives us a deep 

foundation of marina expertise, 

while simultaneously challenging the 

standards of conventional industry 

thinking. Since joining, my focus 

has been on building a winning 

team, building relationships with 

our employees, growing through 

acquisition, optimising the core 

business and cultivating a customerfocused 

culture. 

Q: Are you intending to remain Floridafocused? 

Are you looking at additional 

properties in Florida? Do you plan 

expansion in any other US states? 

A: As a life-long avid boater and 

sport fisherman, I tend to think of 

our marinas as a launch point for 

unforgettable experiences with family 

and friends. We want to be wherever 

Smith Aerial 

people are passionate about boating. 

We love Florida because it is a 

year-round boating market for our 

members; however, we are evaluating 

opportunities across the entire Atlantic 

Coast and Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, 

we target best-in-class properties 

and/or redevelopment opportunities 

in premier coastal locations. We 

want to provide access to incredible 

experiences on the water, so we’re 

looking at opportunities from a macro 

point of view. 

Q: How different is your management 

approach for wet slip and drystack 

marinas? 

A: For many of our members, time is 

the most valuable resource. Whether 

those members prefer a wet slip or a 

dry slip, we aspire to offer an elevated 

level of service, aided by modern/ 

innovative technology, so that Port 32 

members can focus on stepping on and 

off the boat and maximising their time 

on the water. 

Above: Lighthouse Point Marina on the 

Intracoastal Waterway is Port 32’s most 

recent acquisition. Previously under family 

ownership for over 50 years, the highprofile 

property welcomes visitors and 

has a loyal customer base. Right: Port 32 

Tampa has multiple offerings, with wet 

slips, a drystack, repair and maintenance 

yard and boat club. 

Brian Adams Photography 

14 www.marinaworld.com – May/June 2023

COVER STORY 

Able to accommodate vessels up to 140ft 

(43m), Jacksonville at Ortega Landing has 

extensive slips for mid- and long-term slip 

holders as well as visitors. 

Q: Do you have any kind of club/ 

network membership scheme? 

A: This is something we spend a lot 

of time thinking about. In a previous 

venture at a company called XOJET, 

we had success launching a club 

offering to our membership base. 

Our customers loved it. At Port 32, 

we think a club can be a channel to 

provide unique, curated experiences to 

members who are seeking an elevated 

suite of offerings. Our vision for the club 

is to extend Port 32’s relevance beyond 

our marina footprint to waterfront 

experiences and partnerships that 

club members and our surrounding 

communities will value. 

Q: Drystack is a more popular concept 

in Florida than anywhere else in the 

USA. Why do you think this is? Do you 

think there will be further growth for 

drystack in Florida? 

A: We think so. There is a scarcity of 

affordable, waterfront 

property suitable for 

marina development, so 

the most economical way 

to serve the most boaters 

is to build vertically. 

Q: If you had a choice to 

build a wet slip marina or a 

drystack from the ground 

up, which would you 

choose and why? 

Cape Coral offers secure 

drystack, on-site service, 

repair and maintenance, and 

boat rentals. 


A: I think we would want a combination 

of both. Our guiding principle is to 

provide an elevated marina experience 

that passionate boaters find appealing 

– some members prefer a wet slip or a 

lift slip, and others prefer dry storage. 

Why not aim to give them the best of 

both worlds? 

Q: Please give an overview on the 

trends you see emerging in boat 

ownership. Are you welcoming younger 

customers? How do you feel the 

industry will develop in coming years? 

Where will the emphasis be? What are 

customers looking for above all? 

A: We think Port 32 sits at the 

intersection of three broad trends. First, 

the pandemic introduced a younger 

generation to boating and enabled 

many of us to reconnect with nature. 

We absolutely welcome this younger 

consumer and are investing in digital 

innovation to provide our members 

more flexibility and efficiency in how we 

experience the water. 

Second, we are seeing remarkable 

innovation in outboard engine 


Port 32 Portfolio – 

Cape Coral: drystack for boats up to 

35ft (11m); rentals; service, repair and 

maintenance. 

Fort Lauderdale: drystack coming in 

2023 for boats up to 55ft (17m); repair 

and maintenance with wet slips up to 

150ft (46m). 

Jacksonville at Ortega Landing: wet slips 

to 140ft (43m) available daily (transient), 

monthly and annually. 

Lighthouse Point: newly renovated; 100+ 

wet slips to 80ft (24m) for transients and 

annually; liveaboards allowed. 

Marco Island: drystack for boats up to 

37ft (11m); rentals. 

Naples: drystack for boats up to 42ft 

(13m); rentals; members-only club. 

Palm Beach Gardens: drystack for boats 

up to 47ft (14m); Gulfstream Boat Club. 

Tampa: drystack for boats up to 42ft 

(13m); wet slips to 110ft (33.5m) 

including transient slips; repair and 

maintenance; Gulfstream Boat Club. 

Terra Verde: drystack for boats up to 

42ft (13m); wet slips (to 42ft/13m) and 

boat lifts (to 38ft/11.6m); Gulfstream 

Boat Club. 

technology, which is propelling bigger 

and bigger centre consoles. We 

are finding that older marinas often 

cannot equip these larger vessels, 

due to shortcomings in their steel 

infrastructure, concrete depth, lift 

equipment or slip sizes. At Port 32 

we are building marinas for the next 

30 years, not the past 30 years. This 

means we are making significant 

investments in the infrastructure and 

equipment required to accommodate 

larger, modern vessels. Our newest, 

state-of-the-art facility in Fort 

Lauderdale opening next month (May) 

is a great example of this. 

Last but certainly not least, I’m a 

big believer in experiences as an 

investment theme and as 

a way of life. Personally, 

I find myself choosing 

to invest in experiences 

over “things.” Marinas 

and boating are platforms 

for extraordinary 

experiences… for 

exploration and 

adventure, for leisure 

fishing or competition, for 

time away from the fray 

with friends and family, 

and for natural beauty on 

the water. I haven’t yet 

studied the neuroscience, 


15

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COVER STORY 

Port 32 Naples is drystack-focused with 

a club atmosphere that extends to a 

restaurant and event space. 

but there is something about the 

ocean that soothes the soul. 

Q: What is your five/ten year goal 

for Port 32? 

A: It sounds a bit ambitious when 

you put it in writing. First and 

foremost, every day we are trying to 

build a company that our members, 

investors and employees can be 

proud of. As far as goals, I believe 

we are well ahead of schedule in 

our quest to assemble the best 

leadership team in the industry. 

We also have a strong foundation 

of irreplaceable, high quality marina 

assets. Building on this foundation, 

it is our goal to aggregate the 

premier portfolio of coastal marina 

assets on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 

We don’t need to be the biggest, 

and frankly we want to avoid diluting 

our brand, customer experience or 

employee experience in pursuit of 

scale, which is what you’ve seen with 

other large marina consolidators. 

Big picture, we want to deliver a 

distinctive experience to our members, 

who are the lifeblood of our company. 

We want to deliver industry-leading 

risk-adjusted returns to our investors. 

We want to be a great place for our 

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but a bright future 

With the recent significant and ongoing rise in boat ownership, covered 

drystack is the most obvious solution to creating safe and secure boat storage 

in a world that is short of wet berths. Marina World asked industry experts how 

they thought the market was developing; what stumbling blocks existed; and 

whether they expected drystack to represent a noticeably larger slice of overall 

boat storage/mooring solutions in the future. 

Monica Capria, Capria 

Stacker Machinery 

Development: Drystack is the solution 

for boats up to 5 tons/32ft (10m) in 

South America and Europe and up to 

10 tons/43ft (13m) in North America 

and Australia, 

but the 

market for 

new drystack 

projects is 

not rising as 

fast as boat 

ownership. 

Basing our 

views on 

our team’s 

experience 

and 

conversations with clients, marina 

consultants, project owners and 

developers over the past ten years, we 

realise that markets, macro and micro, 

are also different and have different 

priorities. For example, we compare 

Europe with North America but Europe 

is not homogenous, e.g. drystack 

development is unlikely in Italy; there 

has been pioneering automation in 

France; and in Norway the focus is on 

winterising. 

Obstacles: Permits take so much 

time, over five years and, according to 

some Americans, ten to 15 years, that 

investors may change the objective of 

the project, i.e. a drystack becomes a 

shopping mall… 

Future growth: Yes. We think that 

because of the noise and odour-free 

eco-friendly electric solutions (stacker 

machines and new forklifts) the new 

generation drystacks will enable 

dry storage to be integrated into the 

community alongside housing, hotels, 

restaurants, offices and commercial 

areas. And preserve the most beautiful 

views close to lakes and oceans that 

will bring benefits to the community. 

Esteban Biondi, 

Applied Technology & 

Management 

The market is evolving differently in 

terms of economic, physical and boat 

use conditions. But this evolution 

responds to common fundamental 

drivers. 

Drystack facilities are a relevant 

element of a boating infrastructure 

system and can efficiently 

accommodate a potentially important 

share of the boats in a region. Their role 

within a regional system (described in 

PIANC WG 132) must be recognised 

in coastal/marine spatial planning, 

DRYSTACK STORAGE 

regulations and boating industry growth 

plans. 

Fundamentally, drystack is an 

excellent solution for light motorboats 

under 10 or 12m (32 or 39ft) in length 

(including jet skis). This is especially 

convenient when there is a relatively 

high cost of waterfront land, scarcity of 

water space and high demand for small 

boats. This becomes critically important 

when the highest and best use of the 

water space 

in a marina is 

for berthing 

larger yachts. 

Therefore, 

as demand 

for berthing 

grows, a 

larger share 

of the small 

boat capacity is accommodated in dry 

storage; and as land cost increases, 

drystack becomes the preferred 

solution. For example, Pete Peterson 

(ATM) points out that the rise of larger 

and expensive centre consoles plays 

a huge role in the need for more 

drystack in Florida and some resort 

communities. 

Where land is available in the short 

term, demand is weak and water level 

Stacker crane for 

lakefront facility 

Argentina-based stacker machinery expert Capria has recently installed a 

customised 8 tonne top running stacker crane at the new Aqua Boat Club 

by Mission Group facility in British Columbia, Canada. 

The machine can pull boats up to 35ft (10.6m), 

weighing up to 17,600lbs (8,000kg). 

The Club, which is positioned within a 

residential lakefront community on Okanagan 

Lake in Kelowna, will accommodate nearly 200 

boats in its new 30,160ft² (2,802m²) drystack 

facility. 


19

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variations are low, surface storage and 

boat ramps are preferred. For example, 

drystack facilities are still uncommon 

in the Middle East, where the market is 

used to surface dry storage on trailers. 

Philip Slagle (ATM) notes that covered 

hard stand dry storage remains popular 

in the region given affordability. While 

drystack facilities may not be justifiable 

in the short-term, long-term planning 

requires their consideration to allow for 

the growth of boating without capacity 

ceilings. For example, drystack facilities 

in Mexico were built within the last two 

decades as part of master plans that 

allocated waterfront land for other real 

estate uses. 

Within the drystack solutions, 

technologies for forklift based systems 

(more flexible) and crane systems (more 

space-efficient) have evolved over three 

decades (the fundamental concepts 

are also described in PIANC WG 132). 

Larger trucks and electric propulsion 

are now available for the operation of 

higher capacity forklift systems. After 

decades of technology improvements 

and limited projects built, crane systems 

appear to be achieving more popularity. 

For example, automated crane systems 

have been built in Florida and are 

being considered in Texas and in South 

Carolina, as well as for large scale new 

Pioneering 

drystack buys 

larger forklift 

Yacht Haven Quay has taken delivery of 

a brand new Wiggins Bull marine forklift 

to support drystack and boatyard 

operations at its Plymouth facility. 

The popular Plymouth marina, which 

was the UK’s first purpose-built drystack 

when it opened in 2008, now operates with 

three full time forklifts to cater for over 200 

boats. 

The new larger forklift can also support 

boat lifting operations in the boatyard, 

allowing yard and drystack operations to 

take place simultaneously in line with the 

growing demand for services. 

The new forklift arrived on site in the 

winter and was in full operation ahead of 

the new 2023 season. 

projects in the Red Sea. 

In terms of stumbling blocks, 

some urban, tourism and real estate 

developers overlook the role of smaller 

boats and underestimate the value of 

drystack facilities. Some early adopters 

in new regions were built with drivers 

not fully established in the market 

and have not always performed as 

expected. This has reduced momentum. 

In the future, I expect the role of 

drystack facilities to consolidate. 

YP Loke, 

Spinnaker International 

Drystack berthing has been growing in 

popularity around 

the world, but it 

has not been as 

widely adopted in 

Asia. There are 

several reasons 

for this, including 

the historical 

promotion of 

boating as an 

elitist activity 

leading to a preference for larger boats. 

The effect of this is that many boat 

owners preferred their boats to be 

visible and easily admired, making wet 

berths more appealing than drystacks. 

However, recent developments suggest 

that this trend may be slowly changing. 

A growing boating population has 

made boating activity perceived as less 

exclusive in many parts of Asia. The 

Covid pandemic has accelerated this 

trend as it drove a new demographic 

to the water, with younger boat owners 

eager to reconnect with nature and 

enjoy the great outdoors. This has led 

to an increase in demand for smaller 

boats, which has in turn brought new 

business to drystack facilities. 

However, despite these positive 

developments, the lack of drystack 

developments in Asia remains a 

challenge. In most cases, marina 

development is driven by private 

enterprise, with many marinas 

being part of upmarket integrated 

developments. As a result, drystack 

facilities often lose out to alternative 

land use options that may be more 

economically viable or better aligned 

with the development’s aesthetic goals. 

While efficiency of storage and 

sustainability are key drivers, 

developers should also explore new 

partnership models between public 

and private sector entities, as well as 

innovative architectural solutions that 

blend drystack facilities aesthetically 

into the development in a way that adds 

value to the overall offering. 


21

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Alex Pares, Drysta 

Development: The drystack solution 

is clearly the most efficient way 

to maximise space, especially in 

overcrowded marinas, where a larger 

number of boats can be stored on the 

same space. In addition, each space 

that is released from the wet slips can 

be used for larger boats, generating 

greater profitability 

for the marina. 

In the last few 

months, we have 

been working 

on a number of 

projects around 

the world, both for 

marinas that want to reorganise their 

moorings and for new facilities that are 

planning to incorporate drystacks from 

scratch. 

After the pandemic and due to the 

need to connect with enjoyment, the 

outdoors and recreational activities in 

general, many projects started up again 

and we are seeing significant activity in 

our sector, as in other outdoor-related 

sectors. 

Obstacles: Projects for new marinas, 

as well as their refurbishment, take 

a long time to plan and are highly 

subject to regulation by the authorities. 

Drystacks are no exception to this 

reality, which means that decisionmaking 

takes a long time. 

Inflation and interest rate increases, 

as well as the price of steel and other 

materials, together with rising labour 

costs, have led to an increase in 

investment analysis, but as drystacks 

involve a much more efficient use of 

labour and materials per boat unit, due 

to the incorporation of vertical moving 

Drysta and GH Cranes worked together on 

their first European drystack project at Port 

Corsier in Geneva, Switzerland. 

equipment such as bridge cranes and 

shore elevators, we come out ahead in 

the investment analysis, with returns on 

investment in the order of 20 to 25%. 

Future growth: The economic benefits 

for marina operators, the space 

efficiencies due to overhead storage, 

the user experience of 24/7 availability 

of boats in a matter of minutes, and the 

savings in wear and tear, ensure that 

we will see many drystacks in marinas 

in the coming decades. 

Greg Weykamp, 

Edgewater Resources 

We are seeing several trends in the 

drystack market, including increasing 

demand in the central and northern 

United States 

where drystack 

has historically 

been less 

prevalent, and 

increasing interest 

in automated 

drystack facilities. 

In particular, 

we are seeing a significant increase in 

demand for drystack storage across 

the Great Lakes region, which is in 

response to a number of factors. First, 

increasing environmental limitations 

on the expansion of existing and/or 

development of new wet slip facilities 

is limiting the ability to respond to 

market demand for either more wet 

slips or larger wet slips. In response, 

marina developers are trending 

towards building larger wet slips 

within limited developable areas and 

moving the smaller boats into adjacent 

drystack facilities. This allows the 

facility to greatly expand the number 

of slips it can provide at a much lower 

environmental impact, which further 

reduces permitting delays. 

Additionally, providing smaller, lower 

cost drystack slips can be a profitable 

way to meet local community demand 

for boating access to the water for 

residents at lower income levels, which 

can be helpful in obtaining local zoning 

approvals. 

As boaters are moved from wet slips 

to drystack facilities, we have found it 

very helpful to provide more community 

gathering spaces within the marina to 

maintain the social aspects of marina 

life, such as fire pits, grills, play areas 

and restaurants. 

Another trend driving demand for 

drystack facilities in northern climates 

is the simplicity of winter storage of 

the boats already in the racks, and the 

ability to use the aisles of the facility 

for supplemental winter storage. Many 

more boaters, in particular those with 

higher value centre console boats in 

the 35-45ft (11-14m) length value the 

additional protection from the elements. 

These facilities are also providing a 

much higher level of concierge service 

in terms of fuelling, maintenance, 

cleaning and provisioning that further 

increases profit margins. 

Automated drystack facilities offer 

a range of benefits in the Great Lakes 

region, especially in areas where space 

is limited and there are concerns over 

emissions and noise from beeping, 

diesel-powered forklifts. All electric 

automated crane systems are quiet 

and reliable, and can stack larger 

and heavier boats on all levels of the 

facility for much greater efficiency and 

effective use of the interior volume of 

the structure. They can be taller, which 

allows for more boats in a smaller 

footprint, and can offset their demand 

for electricity through the use of solar 

panels on the rooftop. If sufficient 

battery back-up systems are employed, 

the facilities can continue to operate 

even during power outages. 

While southern markets for drystack 

facilities are more mature, boaters in the 

northern and central US are beginning 

to see the benefits and marina owners 

are building more and more of them in 

response. The only major challenge is in 

the architectural design of the facilities, 

in particular in areas within historic 

maritime districts or other sensitive 

areas that require a high level of care in 

the design and detailing of the structures 

to avoid blocking views and negatively 

impacting the scale and character of the 

waterfront with a building grossly out of 

scale for its context. 


23


David Coyle, 

Mack David Buildings 

Development: Demand is definitely 

growing, and I see many marinas with 

waiting lists. With the need for marina 

drystacks increasing, the logistics of 

storing additional boats is changing the 

marketplace. 

Now more 

than ever, it is 

critical to obtain 

a market study 

to determine 

the likely 

boat sizes 

and general 

demand so as to plan for maximum 

capacity. Height restrictions and 

building size will dictate the most 

efficient storage - think usable space, 

not number of spaces. An empty rack is 

bad for business. 

Builders who customise racks are 

becoming more sought after than those 

who throw together generic racks. Short 

term, generic racks are more affordable 

but when you operate month after 

month and year after year with empty 

racks, the cost is much greater. I cringe 

when I go into marinas and see wasted 

space because they didn’t plan in the 

beginning for enough room at the top. 

So, yes, they have more racks, but what 

good are empty racks? 

Obstacles: With well publicised 

storm damage, boat owners are 

also turning to more secure options 

for their storage needs. To support 

this growth, automated systems are 

becoming popular as well but, as they 

are relatively new to the market, the 

technology can be a great help but 

sometimes a hindrance. I am working 

on an automated/manual system where 

should the power fail, operations don’t 

have to stop. Upgrades in how we store 

boats are as important as improving 

basic marina storage operations. 

The quick release, adjustable bunker 

board system makes for more efficient 

operations as the bunk board can be 

adjusted with no tools necessary - it’s 

safer too. 

Keeping convenience in mind for the 

customer needs to be a top priority. 

When they are able to keep their boats 

in a slip at the docks, they can just hit 

the water at their leisure. Making boat 

owners wait to get their boats can send 

them looking to the competition for 

better service. Planning for more than 

just maximum storage means a better, 

more profitable business. 

A Mack David designed 

drystack and custom racking 

system looks good and 

maximises the use of rack 

space. 

Future growth: Absolutely. 

Robust outdoor racks 

are a worthy option as 

well, based on location. 

In places that are prone 

to hurricanes and other 

wind events, it is critical to 

go sturdy, and not skimp 

on costs. Centre-bolted, 

angled X bracing, and 

minimising the deflection of beams 

are two major considerations. The 

bottom line is that finding a builder who 

understands the big picture will make 

marina dry storage more profitable 

in the long run, and able to better 

accommodate future growth. 

John Matheson and Alain 

Giudice, F3 Marina 

The demand for drystack storage in the 

US is clearly on the rise and will likely 

continue to increase in the foreseeable 

future. This is due in part to the record 

pace of new 

boat sales 

over the 

past several 

years but also 

reflects an 

evolution in 

the way many 

people use 

John Matheson 

their boats. 

There is a 

preference to spend more time boating 

and diminish the effort to launch, 

clean and store a vessel particularly 

in Florida, the eastern seaboard and 

many inland lake marinas. Probably 

less so on the salt water marinas on the 

west coast due 

to the type of 

boats that are 

in that market. 

International 

interest has 

also grown, 

along with 

boating 

demand. 

Alain Giudice 

In markets 

exposed to hurricanes, there is also a 

strong need to have boats stored out 

of the weather in a hurricane rated 

facility. Finally, there is a preference 

for drystacks to provide a high-end 

experience for boaters, families and 

guests by locating in more convenient 

sites with quality building finishes, 

comfortable lobbies/restrooms and 

amenities you would expect in the best 

hotels. 

As there is strong demand and many 

drystacks are full with a waiting list that 


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F3 Marina Fort Lauderdale has been built 

to resemble a 5-star hotel and is fully 

automated. 

can take years for an opening, why are 

there not more under construction? 

New drystack development has not 

been able to keep pace with demand 

and will continue to have major 

challenges in the future for several 

reasons. Regulatory factors, such 

as height and use restrictions, local 

opposition and site availability are 

key factors. In addition, new drystack 

developments are competing for 

waterfront access with condominium, 

multi-family and hotel developments. 

There is also a stigma with drystack 

structures creating strong opposition 

and a “not in my backyard” attitude. 

Finally, marina prices have skyrocketed 

in the past three years with many 

investment firms and developers 

jumping into the industry to take 

advantage of the nationwide growth in 

boating. This has driven marina prices 

higher making the margin for error very 

thin from a developer perspective. 

Internationally, drystack demand has 

also increased along with the boom 

in new waterfront developments. The 

challenges here are similar to those in 

the US as waterfront sites are highly 

desirable locations and it is difficult to 

find available building land. The types of 

boat and boat usage vary significantly 

from region to region as well, and some 

locations do not demand drystack as 

much as others. 

This does not mean drystack 

development will stop. Drystack 

developers that are persistent and 

possess the right formula can react 

to the current market realities and 

still be successful. At F3 Marina, we 

have overcome these challenges by 

perfecting the fully-automated drystack 

concept. An example is F3 Marina Fort 

Lauderdale, a fully-automated drystack 

located in the heart of Fort Lauderdale 

close to the ICW and Port Everglades 

inlet. The building is beautifully 

constructed to look like a 5-star hotel 

and has a quiet operation, enabling 

us to be good neighbours for condo 

developments directly across the canal. 

Because of the automated nature 

of the structure, we are able to 

create density allowing us to build 

on expensive real estate and take 

up a smaller footprint than traditional 

drystacks with 250 slips on less than 

1.5 acres (0.6ha). The automated 

concept can also be constructed 

away from the water such as behind 

a waterfront condo as long as there is 

about 30ft (9m) of access (either land 

or water). 

Automated drystacks are very 

complicated and expensive structures 

to build. However, with the right team, 

they are the path to overcome the 

challenges of meeting strong and 

growing demand by boaters. It is 

our belief that drystacks will take an 

increased share of the market for boat 

slips in the coming years. 

Max Brown and 

Robert Brown, ASAR 

Development: Generally, a drystack 

marina serves to protect boaters’ 

investment while allowing them access 

to the water. From an investment 

standpoint, dry boat storage is 

effectively increasing the density 

of leasable, 

revenueproducing 

space 

in a restricted 

footprint. 

The advent 

of concrete 

structures and 

automated 

solutions is 

Max Brown 

revolutionising 

the drystack 

industry by 

merging them with country club 

visages, lifestyle amenities and 

residential components to create 

destination locations around the world. 

As with a condo building versus a 

single-family home, more units can 

be offered by building vertically. This 

increases the supply of boat storage 

slips in a given area and allows an 

investor to make the maximum return 

on his/her investment. 

On a global level, dayboats, pleasure 

yachts and fishing vessels have been 

difficult to access for the middle classes 

for some time, specifically in Europe 

and the Middle East. The introduction 

of drystack developments in these 

areas would serve to make storage, 

maintenance 

and accessibility 

far more cost 

effective than 

wet storage for 

vessels in the 

7-20m (23- 

66ft) range. 

With Europe’s 

environmental 

regulations, a 

space saving, 

Robert Brown 

electric system would be a good 

solution. We are seeing growing 

interest and discussion in dry storage 

automation as the cost per vessel is 

far less with ASAR than the traditional 

forklift building. 

On top of this, the use of concrete 

building materials has proven itself to 

be a safe haven from the elements, and 

even the threat of natural disasters. For 

example, Gulf Star Marina in Florida 

was hit by the strongest storm surge 

and winds of Hurricane Ian, yet did not 

lose a single vessel and only reported 

minor damage. On top of that, it was the 

first drystack marina fully operational 

and launching vessels, despite having 

been impacted directly by the shrimp 

boat fleet coming untethered and finally 

landing just to the north on land. 


27


Regionally, in the southeast USA, 

dry storage is an extremely limited 

resource, and the market is vastly 

underserved. Every year tens of 

thousands of day boats and centre 

consoles are built but very few dry 

storage buildings or slips are being 

created. This is causing the demand to 

rise ever higher, and pricing to go with 

it. For example, Haulover inlet, Hamilton 

Harbor Yacht Club and Riviera Beach 

Marina all saw up to 25% increases in 

rent rates over the last year, and didn’t 

lose a single customer according to 

management, while maintaining an 

ever-growing waiting list. We don’t see 

the market for dry storage decreasing 

any time soon. 

Obstacles: As mentioned before, very 

few new dry storage projects are being 

built, and there are several reasons for 

this. 

Governmental requirements exist 

as barriers to development almost 

everywhere in the world, and can 

range from zoning, legacy sites, height 

restrictions, setbacks, architectural 

requirements and many more. 

Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club, built in 

2008, was the world’s first all-concrete dry 

storage barn. 

Historically, dry storage buildings have 

been built using pre-engineered metal 

building systems and incorporate 

the use of massive diesel forklifts. 

These developments are noisy, not 

environmentally friendly, and can be 

eyesores to the surrounding community 

and its residents. None of these are 

ingredients for an easy permitting 

process or smooth community 

acceptance. 

There are also many environmental 

restrictions that vary by location 

throughout the world. Regionally in 

Florida, one piece of legislation in 

particular is the manatee protection 

programme. Its many rules and 

restrictions that vary by county have 

made approvals for a drystack marina 

extremely difficult. Often disjointed and 

superfluous (with a few exceptions such 

as Collier County), these plans often 

require the existence of “manatee slip 

credits” that, if not properly claimed 

Gulf Star Marina in Florida proved 

its hurricane resistance when hit by 

the strongest storm surge and winds of 

Hurricane Ian. 

and maintained, can disappear for ever 

from a property never to be re-created. 

These credits can be purchased 

and transferred from an area of high 

protection to an area of low protection, 

but this is a costly and laborious 

process, if it is even feasible. Aside 

from that, many factors both on the 

upland and the submerged land, such 

as endangered species, presence of 

seagrass, density of mangroves etc. 

can have an impact. 

As a result, many waterfront 

properties in locations where the 

market for dry storage development 

is strong have to compete with other 

alternate uses, such as condo, 

residential and resort/hotel. Often these 

other development types can perform 

just as well and can be easier to permit. 

In fact, many dry storage buildings 

are being removed or torn down 

and replaced with such competing 

development types. One example is in 

Fort Myers Beach, where Hurricane Ian 

demolished several dry storage barns. 

Moss Marina is operational but plans 

to redevelop to become a large mixeduse 

bayfront destination (see article 

on p.46). In this development, the dry 

storage component will be demolished 

and only the wet slips will remain. 

Future growth: For some time, forklifts 

and metal dry storage barns have been 

the only offering in the market. GCM 

Contracting Solutions built Hamilton 

Harbor Yacht Club, the world’s first allconcrete 

dry storage barn in Naples, 

Florida in 2008. Nearly a decade later, 

GCM and ASAR developed the world’s 


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The design of Rose Marina shows how well 

thought out design can fit seamlessly into 

waterfront areas. 

first fully automated all-concrete barn, 

Gulf Star Marina in Fort Myers Beach. 

Both represented new options in the 

market that didn’t exist before. With 

the rise in ultra-luxury centre consoles 

and day boats, some with a price tag 

north of $4 million, the demand for dry 

storage is only growing larger. In order 

for dry storage supply to grow, the 

stumbling blocks we mentioned above 

must be overcome. That is the reason 

the ASAR system was created. 

Stacking boats taller and multiple 

deep allows a far higher density of 

boats for a lower price per slip. Being 

all electric, the ASAR system is very 

environmentally friendly, and can 

even be powered completely by solar 

panels with very little roof coverage. 

The operation cost is always less, 

but depending on the number of 

boats stored, there can be upwards 

of $750,000 per year savings in 

operational costs alone. The concrete 

construction is designed like a 

fortress, and is not only aesthetically 

pleasing and able to be modified to 

fit virtually any architectural design or 

motif, but can also adjoin mixed use 

spaces, such as commercial, dining, 

residential and hotel, both vertically 

and horizontally. 

This means that a developer/ 

investor doesn’t need to choose which 

investment type to construct, but rather 

can have a wide range of revenue 

streams, and please the community at 

the same time. As a result of emerging 

technology in this space, we see not 

only more dry storage projects coming 

online here in Florida, but rapid growth 

globally. We are currently in design 

phase on projects on four continents: 

South America, Australia, Europe and 

North America, specifically Florida. The 

future is bright for dry storage. Demand 

is growing, and supply has no option 

but to follow. 

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31

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The all-new M4200H at work in the Viking 

Yachts facility in Riviera Beach, Florida. 

Forklift design for growing 

centre console market 

US manufacturer Marine Travelift has designed, built and delivered a new 

model of marina forklift specifically engineered for the growing centre console 

market. The M4200H (42,000 lbs/19,000kg capacity) centre cab Hydro M_Drive 

forklift was recently delivered to Viking Yachts in Riviera Beach, Florida for use 

in hauling the Valhalla line of boats and more. 

Viking Yachts currently has a 150 ton 

Marine Travelift boat hoist at both its 

north and south yards but was looking 

for a faster more efficient way of moving 

smaller craft around, as well as loading 

and unloading trailers. There are also 

future plans for a rack system at the 

yard to help with space constraints and 

the number of vessels moving through. 

A marina forklift was the best solution 

for current needs and future plans. 

The growing popularity of larger 

centre console vessels means that 

drystacks need to increase their forklift 

capacity. “There is definitely a growing 

need and market for this range of 

forklift,” said Brock Rubens, director 

of sales/marketing at Marine Travelift. 

“In order to best meet our customers’ 

needs it was time to expand our product 

offering, and with Viking being such a 

great customer of ours for decades the 

timing was perfect,” he added. 

While designing the M4200H, 

Marine Travelift put extra emphasis 

on serviceability, cycle speeds and 

turning radius. All of the improvements 

are also being applied to the M3600H 

(36,000lbs/16,000kg capacity) and 

M5200H (52,000lbs/24,000kg capacity) 

models. Shorter wheelbase, combined 

with a tighter turning radius, allows 

marinas to upgrade without needing to 

make major infrastructure adjustments. 

The M4200H comes in either a 140in 

(3.5m) or 129in (3.2m) wheelbase and, 

with Marine Travelift’s own-manufacture 

steering axles, it is said to provide an 

unrivalled turning radius. 

Serviceability is key. Service points 

are typically accessed from underneath 

a forklift but for ease of maintenance 

the access points on this unit are top 

side. The tyres are also solid as Marine 

Travelift realises that most marinas 

don’t have the proper size compressors 

to inflate to the necessary 145 psi. This 

eliminates any issues with flats and the 

need to call in an outside company to 

keep the tyres properly inflated. 

A larger engine was also chosen 

for the M4200H model so as to give 

it adequate drive speed and power 

necessary for efficient navigation in 

virtually any marina or service yard. 

An additional benefit is the power left 

over for increased mast, carriage and 

fork speeds. The combination of all this 

equals faster cycle times, which means 

more boats launched and retrieved in 

the same amount of time. 

The standard centre cab 

configuration moves the operator as 

far forward as possible, achieved by 

setting the steering column forward 

of the front guard rails. The forward 

position and standard rear back-up 

camera displayed on a 10in colour 

screen, gives the operator maximum 

visibility. A Moment Indicator System, 

which provides a green/yellow/red scale 

to indicate the limits of the machine, 

allows the operator to safely and 

efficiently move boats. 


33


First phase drystack 

opens in Charleston 

Family-owned company Ross Marine has opened a 160-slip drystack at newlybuilt 

Clark Island Marina. The facility delivers desperately needed boat storage 

just a short drive from the vibrant US city of Charleston in South Carolina. 

Charlotte Niemiec reports. 

Phase one of the project, which 

opened in April, aims to provide a 

solution to the dearth of storage space 

in and around the city. Ross Marine 

general manager, Paul Speights 

Jr, explains: “There’s a big need for 

drystack here,” he says. “If you go to 

any public boat ramp in Charleston – 

especially the south side on a busy 

weekend – you can hardly get into the 

boat ramp to launch your boat, it’s a 

logjam. So we’ve looked at ways to 

provide residents with another option.” 

The project is being developed 

Left & below left: Boats are transferred to 

and from the water by a Marine Travelift 

machine. Below right: Plans for the marina 

site, which should see double the number of 

drystack spaces. 

over two phases. The first phase, now 

complete, comprises 160 drystack 

spaces installed by local company SJ 

Hamill. Using a Marine Travelift, the 

marina can haul and launch up to 35ft 

(11m) outboard boats. Phase two will 

seek to double the number of drystack 

spaces available, Speights confirms. “If 

it fills up like everyone’s telling me it will, 

phase two will come quickly!” he adds. 

“So far, we’re ahead of expectations 

and we’re starting to put boats under 

annual contracts for dry storage. We 

have about 12 exclusive wet slips 

as well, which we’ll also rent under 

annual contracts.” Over the next ten 

years, Speights envisions a full, 300- 

slip bustling marina with a ship store 

and amenity centre, hosting plenty of 

community events. 

40 years of repair experience 

Ross Marine is a well-known shipyard 

operated by the same family for 65 

years. Speights’ grandfather purchased 

Clark Island in the late 1960s and ran 

a sandblasting contractor business 

that eventually became an army/navy 

contractor shipyard. “In the 1980s, 

after the navy left town, the shipyard 

business became less lucrative and the 

family started Ross Marine in 1986,” 

Speights explains. “This is our core 

business, offering private yacht repair, 

refits, storage, engine repairs at a full 

service boatyard, with a 70-ton Marine 

Travelift, where we can haul up to 75ft 

(23m) boats.” 

The company’s extensive repair 

history helps separate it from other 

drystacks in the area, Speights says. 

“You drystack with us and there’s 



Clean access and plenty of manoeuvring space dockside (left) at the first-phase drystack for 160 boats. 

nothing we can’t do from a maintenance 

and service point of view, so it’s a 

one-stop-shop, a maritime village 

where we have tenants that do custom 

carpentry and diesel engines, electrical/ 

electronics, canvas … We’re looking to 

create a service where you can pull in 

and get everything done.” 

Long in the works, the project 

received its first permit in 2007 and 

has since seen two extensions – one 

during the economic recession of 

2008/09 and the second during the 

Covid pandemic in 2020. However, the 

delays have ultimately worked in their 

favour, Speights says. “A lot of things 

have changed in the Charleston area 

since 2007 – we’ve become a boom 

town, we’re on a barrier island called 

Johns Island and it is one of the fastest 

growing parts of Charleston, a lot more 

populated and with a much larger 

demand for dry storage and marinas.” 

Along with the rest of his family, 

Speights helps run all the services on 

Clark Island. “We’re not a big marina 

group,” he says. “A lot of the industry has 

shifted to a corporate set up and private 

marinas are becoming less common, 

but our roots are here, we’ve been in 

this industry and community our entire 

lives, grew up on the water. We intend to 

continue to do just that.” 

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35

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Marina Arenella is perhaps the largest 

and most efficient drystack in Italy and is 

located at the northern end of Sicily’s Gulf 

of Palermo. 

Wet versus dry in the 

western Med 

The western Mediterranean, although a favourite international boating 

destination, is not big on drystack. Due to rules, laws, limited land space and 

customer preference, just a few in fact exist – and these are mostly uncovered 

or only active in the summer season. Donatella Zucca reports 

Roberto Perocchio, president of 

Italian marina association Assomarinas, 

explains: “Average Italians, and maybe 

‘Mediterraneans’ in general, don’t like 

being restricted by times and rules. 

The freedom of having a boat on the 

water tends to outweigh the advantages 

offered by a traditional drystack.” 

Exceptions to this trend may be found 

in urban situations where demand for 

berths exceeds availability but it is 

nonetheless difficult to modify urban 

planning, obtain permits or construct 

drystacks at existing marinas (where 

sufficient land is not usually available) 

or build them from scratch. 

Variety in Italy 

Although it enjoys a central 

Mediterranean position, a long 

coastline, many islands and a number 

of well-equipped marinas, drystacks are 

a rarity in Italy. This is surprising given 

the excellent health of its marina sector, 

which according to Confindustria 

Nautica enjoyed a turnover of around 

€1 billion in 2022. In the last ten years, 

the country has been enriched by 40 

marinas and 22,000 berths but, in 

part due to the challenges of finding 

sites and obeying laws, drystack 

development has been difficult. 

“Combining a building with access 

to the sea is always very complex,” 

Perocchio says. “If a suitable building 

exists and you can get permission for 

change of use, this is easier than trying 

to build new; a mission that is almost 

impossible due to laws that protect the 

coast.” 

In years past it was easier, as can 

be found at the Consorzio Cantieristica 

Minore della Giudecca in Venice, where 

a state-of-the-art covered drystack 

storage operation was created years 

ago in the historic city centre. Venice 

is, however, on the Adriatic – and the 

Adriatic veers more to the east than 

the west. Perocchio continues: “With 

Confindustria Nautica, we are trying to 

explore this type of service by appealing 

to Article 49 of the New Pleasure 

Boating Code, which favours the issue 

of concessions for dry storage. However, 

the problems of slow urban planning, 

the scrutiny of various superintendents 

and other delays remains. Many 

operations have in fact been developed 

with only partial permissions, gradually 

establishing themselves and then 

obtaining an amnesty.” 

Most Italian drystacks are to be 

found in the south, especially in Sicily, 

although they are often variations on 

the theme. The largest and perhaps 

most efficient is Marina Arenella at 

the northern end of Sicily’s Gulf of 

Palermo. Equipped with three forklifts 

to rapidly lift, launch and store boats 

up to 13m (43ft) in length, the facility 

houses around 230 boats, 180 of which 

are stored on multi-storey racks, 30 in 

a covered building and the remainder 

on outdoor 

dry storage 

space. In the 

summer, about 

100 wet berths 

are available. 

“During our 

30 years of 

experience, 

we have 

Assomarinas. 

revolutionised the concept of the dry 

port,” says marina manager Massimo 

Acierno. “Customers can use their 

boats 24 hours a day, seven days a 

week because, once launched, the boat 

can stay in the water as long as the 

customer wants.” 

“In recent years, we have developed 

software that allows you to book a lift 

or launch, make special requests etc., 

via a smartphone. The requests arrive 

via the app on displays located on 

the forklifts and in the back office. The 

customer 

is then told 

where to 

find the boat 

and given 

details on 

the services 

provided 

by smart 

pedestals. 

We have car 

parking, bar, 

Roberto Perocchio, 

Massimo Acierno, 

Marina Arenella. 

restaurant services, Wi-Fi, fuel, mooring 

assistance, a mechanical repair shop 

and shipyard. If we had a quay big 

enough to host a US-style drystack, we 

would be truly unbeatable!” 

Other dry ports in Catania include the 

Nautica Glem dry rack business and 

Vento Maestrale opposite the entrance 

to the port of Trapani. This efficient dry 

port caters for dinghies and small boats. 

Marina Capo d’Orlando has a beautiful 

drystack facility at planning stage but 

is not moving forward with it as it is 

devoting all its usable yard space to 

large boat storage. 


37


Notables elsewhere in 

Italy include Marina Santa 

Marinella’s Porto Castello, a 

dry port for sailing boats in 

the province of Rome, and 

Deiva Marina Service, the 

only drystack in Liguria. Deiva 

caters for boats up to 10m 

(33ft) and uses a hydraulic lift 

platform, electric forklifts and 

trolleys. It is active from June to 

September and then winterises 

boats. It has no wet berths. 

Dry ports for France 

There are several dry ports 

but very few true drystacks 

in southern France. They 

strive to offer the ambience 

of a wet marina. Jean Michel 

Gaigné, representative of the French 

and TransEurope marina industry 

associations, cites the best examples 

as Port Inland at Mandelieu La 

Napoule, Portland at Hyères and Port 

Navy Service at Port Saint Louis du 

Rhône. 

Other 

examples 

are mostly 

in open 

areas where 

something 

akin to 

drystack is 

Pascal Jourdan, Portland. offered in the 

summer. They are close to maintenance 

and refit facilities, and space for 

wintering within first class marinas. 

How do they differ from drystacks 

in the UK and northern Europe? “We 

started up in 1989 and we represent 

the first European dry port,” says Erika 

Drouard, director of Port Inland, which 

has 800 berths for motor boats up to 

Port Inland at Mandelieu La Napoule in France is seen as the first 

European dry port and has 800 dry berths. 

11m (36ft) and 5 tonnes. She believes 

they have an edge because customers 

can access their boats seven days a 

week year round (except Christmas 

and New Year) and have access to 

maintenance, free parking, speciality 

shops, a bar, restaurant and a huge 

range of on-site industry professionals. 

Customer trends show increased 

storage demand for boats of 9m (29ft 

6in) and above and recent frustrations 

lie in the regional drought. “The inability 

to wash their boats has annoyed 

customers a lot,” she admits, “so much 

so that some have even given up using 

theirs.” 

Further south, on the bay of Hyères, 

Portland offers 500 dry berths and 50 

wet berths and has been in operation 

for 25 years. Pascal Jourdan, manager 

of both dry and wet port, explains 

the dry operation: “We have no roof 

or sides for 75% of the racking. We 

do not use apps. The staff record 

customer requests via telephone 

or when they arrive.” Customers 

appreciate the reduced 

boat maintenance, 

excellent security, 

comfortable waiting area, 

the successful ‘parking 

formula’ (various fees 

for different usage), 

management of boat 

shares and summer 

aperitifs. 

Customer practices and 

demands have changed in 

recent years. “Boaters go 

out less, but for the whole 

day – from 10.00am to 

Portland is a busy drystack 

on the French bay of Hyères 

with racks for 500 boats and 

50 wet berths. 

7.30pm – to make the most of 

the opportunity. What hasn’t 

changed is the strong demand 

in August,” she says, and notes 

the new demands as being 

for categories the marina 

cannot cater for – like sailboats 

and catamarans. “There are 

currently about 130 ongoing 

requests for space and, when 

offered at reasonable prices, 

most customers also want 

follow-up maintenance. All 

appreciate the turnkey readyto-sail 

option.” 

Jourdan believes the 

scarcity of drystacks in the 

Mediterranean is less about 

demand than feasibility. 

“You need to have a lot of land for 

car parking. On a rotational basis on 

average you have to calculate two cars 

per boat.” 

While Portland is forced to turn away 

catamarans, Port Navy Service in Port 

Erika Drouard, Port Inland. 

Saint Louis du Rhône is a very different 

story. Nicknamed Cataland, it hosts sail 

and motor boats up to 120 tonnes for 

maintenance and mooring on a 22ha 

(54.4 acre) site, which includes large 

hangars and extensive outdoor space. 

Considered the largest dry port in 

Europe, it is also popular for winterising. 

But although it guarantees fast delivery 

and short waiting times, it is far more 

a fantastic dry port than a traditional 

drystack and in 2010 enriched its 

offering by opening an elegant yacht 

club for its members. 

Plan first in Catalonia 

Although detailed information is harder 

to come by, Spain suffers a similar 

dearth of drystacks. Javier Garcia 

Camps, manager of the Yacht Harbour 

Association in Catalonia (ACEPT) 

says there are only three in Catalonia: 

Marina Vela Barcelona; Marina 

Badalona; and Port Forum. 

Why only three? “The reason is very 

simple for Catalonia,” he says. “When 

a group, a company or a private entity 



Marina Seca at Marina de 

Badalona offers 211 drystack 

spaces on the outskirts of 

Barcelona, Spain. 

builds a marina, the 

project must include a 

drystack. If the concession 

doesn’t cover this from 

the very beginning, costs 

and permits make it very 

difficult to introduce. It 

can sometimes be done 

towards the end of a 

concession but the costs 

involved and the time 

remaining can’t deliver a 

good return on investment. It’s better to 

give the idea up if it wasn’t part of the 

original project plan.” 

Customer choice is also a factor. 

“In the Mediterranean, people prefer 

to have their boat on water. When 

they arrive, they want it ready and 

available. In the Costa Brava, which 

is cold, drystacks work well but in the 

Mediterranean I don’t think they are 

a good idea. This is demonstrated 

by the fact that there are only three 

in Catalonia out of 23 marinas.” He 

does, however, report that there are 

some ongoing projects that include dry 

shelter areas that could possibly be 

transformed into drystacks. 

Barcelona, however, offers proof 

that drystacks can work in cities as 

it has Catalonia’s three drystacks 

at Marina Vela, Port Forum and 

Marina de Badalona. Marina Vela is 

a modern automated operation for 

222 boats up to 9m (29ft 6in) long. It 

offers swift turnaround (five to eight 

minutes) and all the top level services 

Javier Garcia Camps, 

ACEPT. 

of the associated 

wet marina. Port 

Forum in Sant Adria 

de Besos, a few 

minutes from the 

centre of Barcelona, 

accommodates 220 boats of 6 to 11m 

(20 to 36ft), racked on a Bellingham 

Marine Unistack system in the mix of 

its vast technical area and wet berth 

marina. 

The third drystack – on the outskirts 

of Barcelona – is Marina Seca, the 

drystack associated with Marina de 

Badalona. This offers 211 drystack 

places in a 640-berth marina. Boats 

are handled by crane and housed in a 

sustainable building with a roof of solar 

panels. 

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Seijsener voor Marine World 2023 juiste afmetingen v6.indd 1 14-2-2023 10:48:22

TALKING SHOP 

Developing the 

Eagle Float 

Long in the forefront of plastic float manufacture, Arkansas-based Hendren 

Plastics continues to expand the market reach of its premium Eagle Floats 

product line. Jim Hendren, owner and president, talks shop. 

Q: How did your business life develop? 

A: My dad bought a very small plastics 

plant in our home town of Gravette in 

1967. I was four years old so I grew 

up in the business. He and I started 

my current company, Hendren Plastics 

Inc. in 1984 as I was graduating from 

college. However, I decided to join 

the Air Force and see the world. I was 

fortunate to get to fly the F-15 Eagle 

and that is where the name for “Eagle 

Floats” came from. I came back from 

active duty in 1992. He and I ran the 

company together for a few years 

and then I purchased it from him in 

2006. We have been making plastic 

here for over 30 years now. 

Q: When did you first start supplying 

plastic floats for the marina industry? 

How did the floats change over time? 

A: Prior to the encapsulation 

requirement, we provided white foam 

Eagle Floats support docks, gangways and 

fingers at marinas in overseas boating hubs 

such as Turks & Caicos (above) and on 

home territory in the USA (right). 

for the market clear back to the 1960s. 

We watched as white foam that had 

been in the water for over 25 years 

was removed and replaced with Eagle 

Floats. The white foam had taken on 

a lot of water 

but was still 

providing 

sufficient 

buoyancy. It 

truly is a great 

product for 

flotation. After 

regulations 

required 

encapsulation, 

we waited 

Jim Hendren 

a few years 

to determine the best method and 

technology. We made our first Eagle 

Floats in 2008 and are now making 

over a thousand a day. 

Q: Over the course of your career, 

what were the most notable changes/ 

advances in core materials and plastic 

float manufacture? 

A: The resin quality has improved 

significantly for both polyethylene and 

expandable polystyrene. This makes it a 

little easier to provide consistently high 

quality. We’ve also seen widespread 

incorporation of computer devices for 

controls and equipment management 

that also have greatly improved quality. 

Q: You must have invested a lot in 

maintaining the best manufacturing 

equipment. How has this changed over 

time? Do you expect equipment to 

develop further? If so, how? 

A: When we first began the company 

we did not have enough capital to buy 

new equipment so we bought mainly 


43

TALKING SHOP 

Marine structures, such as this cabin, 

remain afloat on Eagle Floats. 

used equipment and refurbished 

it. Beginning in 2000, we were able 

to buy new equipment for all of our 

processes. While the capital costs 

are high, the efficiency, quality and 

capacity are incredibly better than older 

technology. 

The change in technology is very 

rapid in terms of equipment and it is 

always occurring. We strive to stay 

current. For example, we just added 

a completely new computerised 

control panel to a 20 year old block 

mould. The mechanical parts are 

still solid, but with new controls it is 

now performing like a completely 

different machine. We also build a 

lot of our own custom equipment, 

including adding programmable 

logic controllers to many basic 

machines to improve performance 

and consistency. 

Q: Why do you believe your floats 

are the best? 

A: Engineering and the use of high 

quality equipment and resins. As an 

electrical engineer, I understand the 

value of quality engineering. We are 

the only manufacturer with the ability 

to custom build our own tooling. We 

also use automated steaming, 

dispensing and measuring equipment 

that we built and designed in house. We 

have done objective testing to verify that 

the quality is superior, and the use of 

technology and engineering have also 

allowed us to be lower priced than the 

competition. 

Q: While no one can ever guard 

completely against freak accidents, 

there have been some disturbing 

pollution issues with polystyrene 

escaping from plastic floats. Is the 

quality and/or arrangement of the 

polystyrene a risk factor or is it down 

to shell impact strength? What types of 

quality/strength tests do you undertake 

to minimise the risk of pollution? 

Hendren Plastics president, Jim Hendren, and vice 

president sales, Susie Wallace, proudly display their 

latest industry awards from the Marina Association of 

Texas. 

A: We strive hard every day to make 

sure that even if a float is punctured 

or damaged, the EPS foam core is 

fused properly preventing the escape 

of beads into the water. We do this 

using a proprietary steaming system 

that measures the parameters every 

50 milliseconds to make sure the 

steaming process is correct. If the 

foam is fused properly there is almost 

no chance of pollution of the water by 

loose beads. That also prevents loss of 

buoyancy and performance of the float. 

Q: Are there any feasible alternatives 

to the use of expanded polystyrene for 

floating dock systems? Is there any 

ongoing R&D in this field? 

A: We have tried a couple of 

different products, including a resin 

called ARCEL that is not prone to 

flaking. We have found nothing as 

convenient for attaching and as 

durable as encapsulated EPS foam 

(Eagle Floats). I’m sure research will 

continue, but compared to the days 

of unencapsulated white foam flaking 

off and being destroyed by animals or 

abrasion, the encapsulated float is a 

huge improvement. 

Q: What significant factory expansion 

have you undertaken? 

A: Since making our first Eagle Float 

in 2008, we have invested nearly $7 

million in additional equipment and 

plant expansion. In the last two 

years we have added an additional 

15,000ft² (1,400m²) of manufacturing 

space and both a new carousel 

and shuttle rotational moulding 

machines. These were some of the 

largest machines in the industry 

and nearly doubled our production 

capacity. This expansion has cut our 

backlog by two thirds and given us 

the ability to make even larger parts. 

Q: What is your market reach? Do 

you have plans to extend this? 

A: Worldwide – we are always looking 

to expand our reach and increase our 

overseas business. 

Q: What are the biggest challenges 

currently facing manufacturing 

companies in the USA? 

A: Labour shortages. Last year the 

supply chain was a real problem but 

it seems to have settled down. Every 

other manufacturer I talk to has the 

same struggle as we do of finding 

sufficient workers to meet the demand. 


MARINA UPDATE 

Moss Marina: 

surviving the storm 

Family-owned Moss Marina, located on the island of Fort Myers Beach in 

Florida, US, claims the impressive accolade of being the first marina to reopen 

after Hurricane Ian hit the region in September last year. Marina president, Ben 

Freeland, explains how good preparation and an enthusiastic team helped pull 

off a near-impossible recovery in just two months. Charlotte Niemiec reports 

Despite facing category 4 hurricane 

winds of more than 150mph (240km/ 

hr) and over 13ft (4m) of storm surge, 

which wiped out much of the island’s 

infrastructure, by teaming up with 

the company that installed its docks 

– Golden Manufacturing – Moss 

Marina was able to fully reopen by 1 st 

December. 

Before the hurricane, Fort Myers 

Beach was a charming Florida beach 

town with a fun and eclectic vibe, at 

the heart of one of the world’s premier 

boating regions. With beautiful calm 

waters, white sandy beaches loaded 

with world-class shelling, incredible 

backwater fishing and wildlife 

exploration, world class tarpon fishing, 

offshore fishing of grouper/snapper and 

wildlife sanctuaries galore, it was the 

ideal stop-off point for excursions to the 

Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas around 

100 miles (160km) away. The area 

is home to fun and laid back people, 

magnificent boating and personal 

experiences with nature. 

Today, however, extensive work 

is ongoing to rebuild the paradise 

Fort Myers was. Six months after the 

hurricane hit, many homes remain in 

pieces while the town’s officials work to 

organise repairs from tents and trailers. 

Left & Below: Despite the debris inside 

and out, the core elements at Moss Marina 

sustained minimal hurricane damage. Swift 

repairs ensured all was up and running 

again in record time. 

Coastal properties and marinas were 

especially hard hit, with many simply 

destroyed. 

“Homes, businesses, community 

assets and the dreams of many felt like 

they washed away with the tide,” says 

Freeland. “But, despite the devastating 

losses to our property, buildings, 

equipment, inventory and employees’ 

livelihoods, the Moss Marina team and 

our family locked arms and went to 

work immediately rebuilding what was 

left.” 

No stranger to strong winds, marina 

teams over the years had carefully 

installed extra sturdy buildings and 

docks designed to withstand hurricaneforce 

winds. After Ian, most of the 

buildings built in the 1960s remained 

standing. The marina had previously 

lost its hard docks during Hurricane 

Irma in September 2017. These 

were rebuilt the following year using 

Golden Marine Systems’ aluminium 

docking. “Golden docks are designed to 

articulate in wave and wind situations, 

which prohibits them from binding and 

breaking like most rigid dock systems 

do,” explains Mike Shanley, president, 

Golden Marine Systems. “This, coupled 

with a strong pile design, played a 

factor in the resilience of the floating 

dock system.” 

The clean-up operation was a 

team effort between the marina 

and Golden Manufacturing, which 

is headquartered in Fort Myers and 

also found itself directly in the path of 

Hurricane Ian when it made landfall. 

When the storm subsided, “our docks 

had sustained some damage and were 

misplaced, along with some utilities,” 


MARINA UPDATE 

The drystack (right) and marina below 

were both usable within two to three 

months. The floating dock system 

received some new elements (gangway 

below right) and minor repair and 

reattachments. 

says Freeland. “But we were able 

to recover and rebuild the existing 

floating docks to their original 

layout.” 

Work was completed quickly. 

Shanley explains: “Some of the 

docks had to be reattached as 

they were compromised, but all 

in all they were able to use the 

docks within days. The marina 

arranged for Golden to be escorted 

onto the island by the US Coast Guard 

to deliver parts and assist with the 

smaller repairs. Some docks got hung 

up on the pilings but, once they were 

down, the docks floated perfectly and 

were then again utilised.” Two other 

marinas using Golden installations – 

Gulf Star Marina and Nervous Nellie’s 

– were also up and running shortly 

after the storm. 

As one of the only usable marinas in 

the region, the US Coast Guard then 

used Moss Marina as a temporary 

base from which to launch its search 

and rescue missions. Today, the marina 

has retained the 55 wet slips it had 

installed before Hurricane Ian hit and 

has managed to rebuild 120 of the 

210 drystack spaces it previously had 

available. 

Preparing for the storm 

Living for six months of the year in the 

direct path of hurricanes blowing in off 

the Atlantic Ocean, the Moss Marina 

team always makes sure to prepare 

as much as possible when alerts 

are issued. Ahead of Ian, it removed 

as many in-water vessels from the 

basin as possible, secured boats and 

potential flying debris, shut down its 

fuel system and ensured its back up 

generator was operational. 

When asked what recommendations 

Freeland would make to other marina 

operators, he says: “Every property is 

so unique it is hard to be specific other 

than to really evaluate every aspect 

of your facility for potential risk with 

maximum tidal surge in your area, 

and design your docks and facility 

to accommodate this appropriately. 

Have your hurricane plan written and 

practised. Take all your important 

documents and irreplaceable items off 

the property ahead of time.” 

Forging ahead 

Freeland remains undeterred in his 

plans for developing the marina. “We 

were exploring a three to five year 

redevelopment plan pre-hurricane and 

expedited the plans post-hurricane. 

After seeing the destruction to the 

island, we felt we could really help to be 

an economic driver for the town of Fort 

Myers Beach, while providing a great 

example of how to bridge the history 

and unique personality to the future of 

the town.” 

The marina has been a landmark 

of Fort Myers Beach for more than 80 

years, with the Moss family owning and 

operating the business since the 1950s 

before George Freeland purchased it in 

1982. “Through the years, Moss Marina 

has been the largest volume Chris- 

Craft dealer in the world, was home 

to the Big M Casino boats for over 15 

years and currently is the temporary 

home to the US Coast Station on Fort 

Myers Beach,” explains Freeland. “With 

six generations of the Freeland family 

calling southwest Florida home since 

1966 and owning multiple businesses, 

including the 40+ years of Moss 

Marina, the roots run deep.” 

“Now that the US Coast Guard 

station and Moss Marina are 

operational and we all have a better 

sense of the challenges facing Fort 

Myers Beach, our family is rising to 

the challenge to be the driving force in 

rebuilding and stabilising the economic 

engine,” says Freeland. 

His vision for the future is to develop 

a vibrant and unique mixed-use 

bayfront, integral to the downtown 

district with a complement of 

restaurants, shops, cafés, hotel rooms 

and bayfront access for the public to 

enjoy, he explains. DPZ CoDesign 

– renowned for its award-winning 

work throughout Florida – will be the 

marina’s design partner. 


47

Enhancing customer service 

across a multi-national portfolio 

D-Marin, a leading marina network with marinas in six countries, is on a 

continued mission to enhance and expand its digital offerings. Matthias (Matti) 

Gehring, responsible for the company’s smart initiatives, gives Marina World 

an update. 

Q: What principle areas of marina 

management do you believe benefit 

from digitisation? 

A: There are many areas, the principle 

being customer convenience, 

ensuring we can provide a faster and 

more seamless service, improving 

communications at all levels of the 

business, and doing all we can to make 

our customers’ lives effortless. 

Our marina management and 

customer experience has been 

enhanced through digitisation, not least 

with our brand-new native app. This 

app serves as a centralised platform 

for our customers to access all the key 

information they need and communicate 

with our teams. In many ways, the 

native app strengthens the relationship 

between our marinas and customers. 

D-Marin customers can use the app to 

check in and create real time bookings, 

as well as pay online and complete the 

check in procedures remotely, which in 

turn significantly reduces waiting times 

and has had a demonstrable return on 

maximising marina occupancy. 

The digitisation of the experience 

through our Smart Pedestal solution 

should deliver a direct reduction in 

our environmental footprint, allowing 

customers to book, monitor and optimise 

OPERATOR TALK: SMART MOVES 

energy and water consumption to 

ensure more efficient and sustainable 

use of resources, which will result in 

direct savings for our customers. 

The roll out of our smart boat sensors 

has also seen many benefits to marina 

management, enabling us to monitor 

and assist our customers even when 

they are away from our marinas – 

offering remote support and helping to 

address any issues or concerns. 

We can see many benefits with 

digitisation and are committed to 

leveraging these current and future 

innovations to ensure our customers 

enjoy a seamless and enriching 

yachting experience. 

Q: How have you implemented digital 

systems in these areas? 

Are these D-Marin specific 

and are they integrated 

throughout the entire multinational 

portfolio? 

A: All digital systems 

have been implemented 

Above: D-Marin Borik is 

a top-of-the-line boutique 

marina offering 177 berths 

in the ancient Croatian city 

of Zadar. Right: Turgutreis is 

D-Marin’s flagship marina 

located just 20km/12.4mi from 

Bodrum, Turkey. 

across our entire portfolio, allowing 

us to offer a consistent and effortless 

experience that meets our premium 

quality standards. By integrating these 

solutions in all our marinas, we can 

guarantee that our customers receive 

the same exceptional service and 

systems in any D-Marin location. 

Our approach to digital 

implementation is two-fold. Firstly, 

we are developing our own D-Marin 

proprietary systems, such as our 

booking platform, which has been 

designed to offer a seamless reservation 

process. By utilising our in-house 

solutions, we can ensure a high level of 

quality control and are agile to adapt the 

platform to meet the unique needs of our 

customers across different locations. 

Secondly, we are actively 

collaborating with strategic partners 

or integrating world class systems to 

bring the best solutions to our marinas. 

An example of this is our partnership 

with Sense4Boat, a company that 

specialises in smart boat sensors. By 

integrating its cutting-edge technology 

into our digital offering, our customers 

can closely monitor the status of their 

boat within our marinas, enabling them 

and us to proactively address potential 

issues and provide the highest level of 

care for our customers’ vessels. 

Q: When did you first start to look 

at your management systems with 

a view to digitising them? Did you 

inherit very different systems with 

each portfolio addition over the years? 

Did this encourage you to develop a 

standardised system? 


49


D-Marin Mandalina in Šibenik is the only marina in Croatia designed for superyachts. 

Vessels up to 70m/230ft can be accommodated. 

A: Our commitment to meeting our 

customers’ needs has always been at 

the forefront of our decision-making 

process. We began exploring the 

potential for digitising our management 

systems very early, when we realised 

the importance of embracing 

technological advancements in order 

to enhance the overall customer 

experience. 

To ensure that our digital solutions 

would address the genuine needs 

of our customers, we conducted 

extensive research across all our 

marinas and within the industry. This 

involved conducting in-depth interviews 

with customers and marina experts, 

gathering feedback, and identifying 

any issues that customers face in the 

marina industry. Through this process, 

we gained valuable insights into how we 

could best leverage digital technology to 

alleviate these potential issues, while still 

maintaining the essential human touch 

that defines our premium service. 

As we consistently add new marinas 

to our portfolio, we indeed inherit 

a variety of different systems. The 

diversity of these systems encouraged 

us to develop a standardised, unified 

approach to digital marina management 

that could be implemented across our 

entire group. By doing so, we were able 

to ensure consistency in the level of 

service we provide and make it easier 

for customers to navigate our marinas. 

Q: How is your smart marina initiative 

more customer-friendly? 

A: Our Connected Marina initiative, 

brought together in our native app, 

elevates the customer experience by 

combining the advantages of digital 

technology with our unwavering 

commitment to personalised service. By 

addressing our customers’ needs, we 

have created a more customer-friendly 

environment that sets us apart in the 

marina industry. 

Our app is an easy-to-use intuitive 

solution for customers to access all our 

services and information. It includes 

a real time booking platform, remote 

check-in, full information about the 

marinas and the ability to have direct 

contact with the team – all designed 

to enhance our customer experience 

whilst maintaining the human touch. 

Although a key element of our strategy 

is digitisation, we remain committed 

to preserving the personal human 

element that will continue to define our 

premium service. Our team is always 

available to assist customers, ensuring 

that technology enhances, rather than 

replaces, the valuable interactions 

between our staff and customers. 

Q: You say your smart system 

has helped maximise visitor berth 

occupancy. Can you expand on this? 

A: We are proud to say that our 

digital initiatives, specifically the 

implementation of our digital booking 

platform, have significantly contributed 

to maximising visitor berth occupancy. 

The real-time view of current 

occupancy and future reservations has 

enabled us to predict and manage our 

berth availability more efficiently. 

Thanks to the enhanced visibility 

and control provided by our booking 

platform to our sales and front office 

teams, we can quickly identify periods 

of high and low demand. This allows 

us to devise and execute targeted 

marketing and sales activities to 

optimise occupancy rates during 

various seasons. By offering tailored 

packages, we can attract more 

customers during off-peak times, 

ensuring a more consistent flow of 

visitors throughout the year. 

Our efforts have already proven to 

be successful. In 2022, approximately 

30% of our transient bookings were 

already made, paid for, and invoiced 

online using our digital platform. This 

demonstrates the effectiveness of 

our Connected Marina initiative in 

streamlining the booking process, 

improving convenience for our 

customers, and maximising berth 

occupancy across our marinas. 

Q: What are you looking to introduce 

next? 

A: We are constantly looking for ways 

to enhance our offerings and provide 

additional value to our customers. Our 

next project focuses on expanding 

our digital platform to include a 

comprehensive boatyard management 

solution. This new feature will enable 

customers to conveniently book a wide 

range of services directly through our 

app or online portal, such as lift, launch, 

pressure wash and antifouling. 

By integrating these services 

into our digital platform, we aim to 

streamline the process for customers 

seeking boatyard services, providing a 

seamless experience and reducing the 

need for time-consuming phone calls 

or in-person visits. We believe that this 

expansion of our digital services will 

further improve customer satisfaction 

and consolidate our position as a 

leading marina operator. 

In addition to the boatyard project, we 

are committed to continuously listening 

to our customers’ needs and gathering 

feedback to inform our future initiatives. 

We understand that the preferences 

and requirements of our clientele may 

evolve over time, and we strive to adapt 

our services accordingly. By staying in 

tune with our customers’ expectations, 

we can ensure that we remain at the 

forefront of innovation and continue 

to deliver an exceptional marina 

experience. 


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Smarter management, 

happier customers 

Implementing smart technology is usually a gradual process that delivers 

positives along the journey. Matt O’Hara, Kevin Lussier, Darrell Barnett and 

Mark Jaraczewski give operator feedback for Molo, Marina Master and Stellar 

software systems. Each was asked about how they implemented smart 

technology; the benefits and problems; customer response; and plans for 

future smart initiatives. 

Matt O’Hara, owner, 

Queen Boat Co – 

Freedom Boat Club Lake 

George, USA 

We bought the marina in 2018 and 

when we bought it, the former owner 

did everything very old school: pen, 

paper and file folders. We were lucky 

to even have contact info for some 

customers, let alone service records 

and work orders. The first thing we 

decided we needed to change when 

we got here was that we needed a real 

system of being able to keep track of 

customers and of the work we’re doing 

Matt O’Hara 

The operations system at Queen Boat Co 

has moved from pen and paper to singlesystem 

management and communications. 

on boats, while having it all in one 

software system, including inventory 

and all. We shopped around and found 

Molo and were happy with what their 

system was and how easy it was to use. 

Then we implemented that to handle 

all our service work orders, all our 

parts and customer billing, customer 

interactions, loading insurance and 

customer vessels. 

Benefits include all the 

communication with members; sending 

invoices and allowing them to pay 

online. It’s really streamlining these 

things that have been the benefit. 

These things were happening before 

but through multiple different software 

systems and multiple people. With 

Molo, we can do all these things 

internally and customer-facing in one 

spot. 

It’s been a big improvement. Any 

time customers call, we can pull up 

the service history for their boat in two 

seconds and let them know what we 

did and when. It’s been a huge help 

for our customers to offer them online 

billings. Sending invoices to customers’ 

emails, which is what everyone wants 

now, gives them the ability to pay 

online versus calling to get credit card 

numbers. It’s much more streamlined 

for payments and it’s a much more 

frictionless experience. 

The customer interaction with us is 

just easy and smooth and quick so it’s 

just made their overall experience with 

us great. 

The next smart initiative we are 

adding is putting in charging stations 

at our dock to give electric boats the 

ability to come and charge up at our 

marina. The smart part of that is that 

the company has an app, enabling 

customers to find marinas that have 

superpower chargers. They then find all 

their information already loaded into the 

app, and can make payment through it. 

We are really excited about this as 

we will be the first marina with this 

charger in the northeast and I think the 

third in the United States. I think in the 

next few years we are going to see a lot 

more of these superchargers, but we 

are really happy to be piloting this in the 

region. 

Kevin Lussier CMM, 

director of operations, 

Ocean Havens LLC, USA 

All of our marinas have implemented 

Marina Master software to streamline 

the reservation process, send 

automated emails, build seasonal 

dockage 

contracts, and 

more, with 

ease. Marina 

Master software 

is integrated 

into our website 

to enhance 

the user 

experience. 

We even 

Kevin Lussier 

developed a 

loyalty programme to give back to 

our customers with discounts on fuel, 

dockage, and more. 

We use other forms of smart 

technology beyond our reservation 

and communication system. To create 

better security at our facility, we give 

each customer a key fob that allows 

them access onto their dock and keeps 

unauthorised individuals from entering 

the marina. Our parking lots also use 


53


Charleston Marina, an Ocean Havens 

marina, uses wide-ranging smart 

technology. The team is always thinking of 

new ways to use its software and leverage 

automation to best advantage. 

technology to keep record of available 

spaces and allow our customers into 

the lots with their key fobs. 

Our marina staff have seen an 

increase in efficiency, knowing 

technology has automated processes 

that previously took away from other 

responsibilities. 

The team at Marina Master is 

knowledgeable and quick to resolve any 

problems that arise. For example, when 

we noticed customers signing up for 

the loyalty programme multiple times, 

Marina Master quickly adjusted the 

contract automation to only display the 

sign-up form for those not already in the 

programme to prevent duplicate records 

from being created. 

Customers respond very well to the 

loyalty programme. Marina Master’s 

software helps determine the status 

level for a customer, and applies their 

benefits to applicable transactions. 

Being rewarded with savings is 

incredibly valuable to our boaters. 

Our team is always thinking of new 

ways we can use the software and 

leverage automation to our advantage. 

Something on deck at Charlestown 

Marina is creating a scheduled pumpout 

form through Marina Master to 

make this amenity at the marina more 

efficient. 

Implementing smart software at Soldiers 

Point in Australia has improved day-to-day 

operations and saves thousands of dollars 

per year in operational costs. 

Darrell Barnett CMM 

general manager, 

Soldiers Point Marina, 

Australia 

We implemented the smart Marina 

Master solution step by step, focusing 

on CRM smart technology that 

enables us to offer our guests unique 

customer experience. The best thing 

is how versatile the system is and how 

cooperative and diversified the owners 

are in being willing to customise to our 

needs. Nothing is too hard – everything 

is prioritised and to date they have met 

all expectations. 

The software enables a lot of 

flexibility in customising solutions 

according to our requirements and ever 

evolving customer services. It not only 

improves the day-to-day operations 

but is saving me thousands of dollars 

a year in operational costs. Marina 

Master has managed to integrate with 

MYOB. 

As for customer response, clients 

who try our marina services and 

facilities are returning and becoming 

long-term loyal customers. myMarina 

enables them to make restaurant 

reservations, call 

for assistance by 

boat or car and 

have quick access 

to marina business 

offers from tenants 

and more. 

Smart initiatives 

are part of our 

Darrell Barnett 

future strategy in 

updating and upgrading luxury facilities 

and services for our guests according 

to latest marina industry trends. 

Customer and marina requirements 

are constantly developing according to 

the rapidly changing environment in the 


Mark Jaraczewski, vice 

president, Circle Boating, 

Suntex Marinas, USA 

When implementing Stellar as online 

booking software, the customer 

experience is very easy and simple. 

We use Stellar for all our boat clubs 

and boat rentals, and we have been 

with them for six or seven years. We 

are currently operating 20 boat clubs 

across the United States, and we have 

29 properties that use Stellar for rentals 

on The Circle of Boating that handles 

our division. It’s been a great system 

for us as we can target key areas with 

certain pricing structures as well as get 

the report for things that we need. It’s 

a very good system for the boat rental 

market and the boat club market. 


www.marinaworld.com – November/December 2022 45


The Circle of Boating division at Suntex 

Marinas runs smoothly, and enjoys multiple 

benefits, using online booking software for 

its boat clubs and boat rentals. 

A lot of the advantages we see lie 

in how booking grids work and how 

you arrange the booking grids. The 

willingness to design the platform and 

make it more appealing for the frontend 

user for our operations is big and 

we run a big operation here. 

I think the future 

advancement in 

dashboards and 

creating different 

structures for 

dashboards will 

make a difference. 

For example, 

having revenue for 

my division for the 

Mark Jaraczewski 

boat rental market 

in the cloud. It’s been a seamless and 

easy system to navigate and operate. 

I’m boarding new properties and it’s 

pretty easy for us to do that, so I think 

that is an advantage and it would 

be different if you didn’t have this 

technology behind you. 

The understanding of the system as 

we grow means we know the system 

inside and out now. It’s really been that 

easy for us to install at the properties 

and move to a more positive direction 

so I think that the install and learning 

the system is very simple. 

And the customer experience 

has been a huge advantage for the 

business. Having the online booking 

experience is very easy and simple to 

utilise which has allowed for a better 

experience for the customers. 

In the future, we want to move 

forward with some other changes when 

it comes to booking windows: how can 

we increase our booking window times 

and make sure a person books more 

effectively? I think you’ll see us in the 

future looking at our operating system 

as we advance with our marinas. We’re 

going to be working on some future 

designs and how we can enable the 

customer to book more quickly and 

easily. 

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PRODUCT FOCUS 

VoltSafe CEO Trevor Burgess (left) and 

CTO Sanad Aridah. 

Setting a new 

standard in marine 

electrical safety 

VoltSafe Marine electrical shore power connectors and outlets set a new 

standard in marine EV charging and shore power safety, with smart features 

like current leakage detection, power-metering and automated utility 

billing. This level of unprecedented safety ensures both marina operators and 

boaters alike have confidence knowing there are safety levels near that of the 

aerospace sector, while optimising operational efficiency. 

VoltSafe Inc., an inventive 

tech company headquartered in 

Vancouver, Canada is on a mission to 

improve electricity use for everyone, 

everywhere. Technology has rapidly 

advanced many facets of our lives, 

yet – until now – we have seen little 

innovation or significant improvements 

with how we connect to and control 

electricity – particularly when it comes 

to marine shore power. 

Traditional marine electrical power 

pedestals can be problematic, with 

recessed contacts that make it 

impossible to detect corrosion, a major 

cause of marina and boat fires. Shore 

power pedestals can also require 

maintenance and labour to manually 

monitor and manage electricity usage, 

which can be inefficient and costly. 

VoltSafe Marine electrical connectors 

do not use prongs to connect to the 

electrical outlet, they use magnets and 

VoltSafe’s patented technology. On 

the outlet side, a sleeve-over adaptor 

with flat metal contacts retrofits to the 

outlet and magnetically mates with its 

connector allowing power to safely flow. 

With no prongs or recessed outlets, 

VoltSafe Marine connectors eliminate 

the arcing, corrosion and risks that can 

lead to disastrous boat and marina 

fires. The design of the connector 

prevents corrosion from building up and 

being hidden. 

VoltSafe’s patented technology – a 

proprietary blend of internal integrated 

circuitry – keeps the plug off by default 

until a secure connection with the 

pedestal is established. “The power 

only flows once the outlet recognises 

an exact electrical signature from its 

counterpart, and this all happens in 

less than five milliseconds once the two 

sides are fully connected,” explained 

VoltSafe’s CEO, Trevor Burgess. “So, 

if you accidentally drop your plug 

in the water, it’s not going to pop all 

the breakers or electrocute anyone. 

People are talking about electric shock 

drowning a lot these days, and this 

eliminates any potential for it.” 

This level of safety ensures both 

marina operators and boaters alike 

have confidence knowing there are 

safety levels near that of the aerospace 

sector, without the aerospace pricing. 

Jeffrey Poole, a founder, executive and 

advisor in the marine industry, recently 

noted: “VoltSafe is positioned to disrupt 

an age-old shore power system, 

accelerate electrification and set a new 

standard in marine electrical safety. 

Discussing prototype design (right) and in 

operation on a marina pedestal (above). 


57

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PRODUCT FOCUS 

VoltSafe is going to disrupt the power 

supply and delivery space, a sector 

ripe for innovation. The safety aspect 

of VoltSafe products should set new 

regulatory standards and change how 

power cords are connected to devices. 

Marine electrification needs VoltSafe’s 

technology.” 

The interest in VoltSafe Marine 

extends beyond pleasure-craft boaters 

and marinas and into industrial shipping 

and national defence too. Learning 

about VoltSafe’s technology and marine 

solution, Alex Rueben, executive 

director of the Association of British 

Columbia Marine Industries and former 

chief operating officer of the Canadian 

Navy, stated: “This plug will set a new 

standard for marine electrical safety 

and adds further ‘smart’ capabilities that 

promise to accelerate the electrification 

of vessel fleets. This is an exciting 

technology addressing a real need.” 

Reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) 

through electrification is the future, 

but energy management is equally as 

important. VoltSafe believes what gets 

measured gets managed, and has built 

its connectors with smart capabilities 

that allow a user to monitor power 

being used at the outlet level. With this 

IoT-enabled connectivity, boaters can 

manage a boat’s power usage from a 

smart phone, and a marina operator 

can manage every slip from a single 

dashboard, all while relying on the 

With VoltSafe’s power management 

software the marina operator can manage 

every slip from a single dashboard. 

Smart adaptors ensure safe and 

secure connection. 

safest standard in marine 

electrical safety. 

Sanad Aridah, VoltSafe’s 

CTO, describes the root 

benefits as follows: “An 

investment in a VoltSafe 

Marine connector is like getting 

an insurance policy on your 

vessel. Along with previously 

unattainable levels of safety, 

energy usage also comes into 

play with the electrification of 

boats becoming increasingly 

popular. The accompanying 

VoltSafe mobile application 

will help boat owners and 

marinas reduce their power 

consumption effectively.” 

Elisabeth Charmley, executive 

director and co-founder of the 

Vancouver Maritime Centre for Climate, 

added: “As electrification of assets 

proliferates, VoltSafe’s patented plug 

and outlet connectors will play a key 

role in energy management – VoltSafe 

is ahead of the curve.” 

VoltSafe recently received its eighth 

patent approval, and approvals are 

still pending in 40 additional countries. 

“VoltSafe’s patented technology is 

the engine that drives prongless 

(conductive) connectors delivering safe, 

simple and smart-enabled solutions. 

Protecting our IP enables us to optimise 

opportunities for licensing agreements, 

proliferating our technology worldwide. 

We are currently placing heavy focus 

on advancing our technology within 

the marine industry, a sector that 

is ready and primed for safer, ultraconvenient 

shore power solutions that 

save lives, money and reduce GHG 

impact,” Burgess added. 

Earlier this year, VoltSafe earned 

a CES 2023 Innovation Award. The 

company will be exhibiting at several 

trade shows this year, including IBEX 

in Tampa, Florida, this October, taking 

centre-stage in the Tech Talk Theater 

to deliver a one-hour presentation of 

its marine application as a solution for 

marine EV and shore power. VoltSafe 

will also be attending Metstrade in 

Amsterdam for the second consecutive 

year. 

A final word of approval comes 

from marina operator, Mauricio 

Guerra Navarro, dock operations 

coordinator at Coal Harbour Marina 

in Vancouver. “VoltSafe Marine is the 

most modern and convenient way of 

shore power solutions; a fully integrated 

shore power system with optimised 

functionalities,” he says. “It’s easy to 

use and convenient for manual plug-in. 

With VoltSafe, there are no complicated 

plug-ins, no more hassles and no 

more need of twist locks that usually 

fail. Integrated with a modernised 

software app, with true live monitoring, 

it’s extremely user-friendly for captains 

and boat enthusiasts, as well as marina 

and facility operators. [It’s an] all in 

one product destined to cover all the 

needs of the industry. It is extremely 

convenient and a great tool to survey 

the use and distribution of electric 

power in the marina/dock grid. This is 

definitely the future of shore power.” 

For a limited time, VoltSafe is 

inviting select marina operators 

across North America to join a 

beta pilot programme to conduct 

a large-scale test of its patented 

technology within an active 

marina. 

As part of this pilot, each marina 

will actively test the control box and 

pedestal-side connectors retrofit 

onto a small number of existing 

pedestals and have access to 

VoltSafe’s power management 

software. Marina test partners are 

required to place a refundable 

deposit for the beta units. At the 

end of the test project, these beta 

units can also be converted into a 

purchase order for first-access to 

commercial units at a later date. 

Interested marinas should contact 

marine@voltsafe.com or visit 

voltsafemarine.com/aboutbetapilot 


59

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PRODUCTS, SERVICES & PEOPLE 

Flovac wins 

second 

Mallorca 

contract 

Flovac is to provide the sewerage pipes 

and vacuum wells for the buildings at Club 

de Mar in Palma de Mallorca (above). The 

contract is the second the company has won 

for work on the remodelling of the marina. 

The remodelling project is being carried out 

in two areas and has been awarded to two 

different construction companies. Both networks 

will be connected to a single vacuum station. 

In the marina area, Flovac has been working 

since 2021 on pipes, manholes and turrets for 

emptying wastewater from yachts up to 150m 

(490ft). Water is treated with hydrocarbon 

separators also supplied by Flovac. 

Both the manholes for the boats and the wells 

for the buildings are supported by Flovatronic 

software, which allows real-time supervision of 

everything that happens in the marina’s vacuum 

sanitation network. 

www.flovac.es 

Valterri Vauramo 

Valterri Vauramo (right) has returned to Marinetek Finland as its new director, 

central and northern Europe. He has 22 years of experience in the international 


Vauramo previously worked with 

Marinetek Group and Marinetek 

Finland in various roles for over ten 

years before deciding to leave Finland 

in 2012 for the UAE, where he worked 

as a business unit manager for a local 

marina construction company. 

In 2020, he moved to the Australian 

Joint connector enhances 

breakwater performance 

The design for the Astra semi-flexible rubber joint for connecting 

concrete floating breakwater modules has been purchased by Chinese 

marina builder Livart Marine. The technical transfer was made in 2022. 

Developed by Spanish engineers, 

the joint adjusts the strength of 

the connection by changing the 

number of rubber blocks, allows 

for small amplitude movement and 

energy absorption, and is easy to 

assemble. 

Thanks to the Astra connection 

design, Livart Marine’s floating 

concrete breakwaters are now 

designed with a hydrodynamic 

approach to provide the best 

Gold Coast to become general 

manager and senior engineer at a local 

marina company. 

Santeri Suoranta, CEO of Marinetek 

Group, is delighted to have him back. 

“We are really happy to have Valterri on 

board with us with his wide knowledge 

on marina business and technology 

attenuation for wind and waves. 

All breakwaters are structurally 

designed in accordance with Euro 

2, and manufacturing quality is 

assured under ISO 9001:2015 

standards. 

Custom manufacturing enables 

Livart to design and fabricate 

for every configuration and thus 

minimise stress on structural joints 

even in the roughest conditions. 

www.livartmarine.net 

and his excellent personal touch. He 

will be a vital part of the next steps of 

Marinetek,” he said. 


61

PRODUCTS, SERVICES & PEOPLE 

Index to Advertisers 

ASAR/GCM Safe Harbour 

Drystacks, USA 18 

American Muscle, USA 42 

Aqua superPower, UK 52 

Australia Marina Engineering, 58 

Bellingham Marine, USA 7, 9 & 11 

Bluewater Marine & Dock, USA 40 

Capria, Argentina 32 

Conolift by Kropf Industrial, 

Canada 26 

D-Marin, Greece 25 

DualDocker, Austria 16 

Flovac, Spain 63 

Forklift Exchange, USA 39 

GH Cranes & Components, 

Spain 22 

Gigieffe, Italy 18 

Golden Manufacturing, USA 29 

IWMC 2023, Portugal 45 

Ingemar, Italy 12 

Inmare, Italy 58 

Lindley, Portugal 22 

Livart, China 32 

Mack-David Buildings, USA 41 

Marex, Croatia 32 

Marina Master by IRM, 

Slovenia 60 

Marina Projects, UK 64 

MARINAGo by 

Scribble Software, USA 51 

MarinaTrolley by Bogense Yacht 

Service, Denmark 17 

Marinetek, Finland 4 & 35 

Martini Marinas, Italy 30 

METSTRADE, Netherlands 20 

Molo, USA 48 

Pacific Netting, USA 56 & 60 

Pacsoft, New Zealand 52 

PierPump by Vogelsang, 

Germany 8 

Plus Marine, Italy 30 

Rolec, UK 10 

Ronautica, Spain 36 

Roodberg - a brand of Frisian 

Industries, Netherlands 31 

SF Marina System, Sweden 2 

Seaflex, Sweden 6 

Seijsener, Netherlands 42 

Superior Group, Australia 60 

Swede Ship Sublift, Sweden 58 

ThruFlow, Canada 52 

Walcon Marine, UK 26 

Wiggins Lift Co, USA 36 

UK marina group signs 

four-year service contract 

International marina consultancy firm, Marina Projects, has signed a four-year 

service contract with Marina Developments Ltd (MDL) for the provisioning of 

licensing, project management and technical support for its marina dredging 

and capital works programmes. 

MDL owns and operates 19 marinas, 

predominantly on the south coast of 

England. 

In addition, it also manages through 

an agent two wholly owned subsidiary 

businesses: Hythe Marina Village Ltd 

and Ocean Village Marina Management 

Company Ltd. Both have a portfolio of 

property and marina assets. 

The agreement covers the full 

portfolio of marina sites, including 

those at Hythe and Ocean Village 

(Southampton). 

Two clearly defined work streams 

have been established: support 

for the delivery of a dredging 

campaign to include licensing and 

project management activities; and 

Geoff Phillips 

Twenty-one years after founding 

Marina Projects, chairman Geoff 

Phillips has announced his 

retirement. 

Confirming the news, managing 

director Mike Ward said: “The 

whole of the Marina Projects family 

wishes Geoff well for his well-earned 

retirement. He has played a significant 

role in some of our most successful 

and substantial projects, with no 

better example than Geoff’s vision 

and master planning guidance for 

Porto Montenegro.” 

“Geoff has also been instrumental 

in the establishment and delivery of 

the lease and operating arrangements 

at Whitehaven Marina and James 

Watt Dock Marina and the setting up 

Geoff Philipps (second from left) with the 

Marina Projects team. 

programme/project management 

support for the delivery of the annual 

capital works programme, including 

lock shutdowns, infrastructure audit and 

pontoon replacement projects across 

the various marina developments. 

“The framework agreement with MDL 

provides both parties with long term 

benefits and assures MDL of continuity 

and project delivery,” said Marina 

Projects managing director Mike Ward. 

“Furthermore, it demonstrates the 

breadth of skills and experience that 

Marina Projects has at its disposal and 

the benefits of applying that support 

to an organisation with an extensive 

marina portfolio such as MDL.” 

www.marinaprojects.com 

of the Hong Kong Office. I know that 

the team will miss Geoff’s passion for 

the industry and our business. He can 

be very proud of the contribution he 

has made to the marina sector across 

a working life largely dedicated to the 

industry.” 

Geoff Phillips commented: “As we 

pass the 21st anniversary of Marina 

Projects, the time has come for me 

to move towards retirement and I do 

so with an immense feeling of pride 

at everything that has been achieved, 

and safe in the knowledge that the 

company is in good hands and set 

fair for the future. The highlights have 

been many but above all it has been 

the satisfaction that comes from the 

establishment of a business that is 

well respected within the industry and 

where the focus has always been on 

the development of a team ethos and 

spirit.” 


THE SMART 

GREEN 

FUTURE OF 

SEWAGE 

COLLECTION 

Vacuum sewerage systems are ideal for use 

in marinas and ports of any size. 

The Flovac system can capture sewage and 

bilge water from boats and all facilities 

around the marina complex. 

No electrical power required at dockside 

Discreet, small diameter pipework 

No risk of water contamination 

Validates MARPOL certification 

Eco-sustainable system 

Ease of installation 

No odour, no spills 

www.flovac.es

CONCEPT DESIGN & MARINA MASTER PLANNING 

FEASIBILITY STUDIES & MARKET RESEARCH 

BUSINESS PLANNING 

MARINA & WATERFRONT DESIGN 

TENDER AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT 

MARINE OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT 

ENVIRONMENTAL & LEGISLATIVE ADVICE 

PROPERTY CONSULTANCY SERVICES 

GLOBAL WATERFRONT & MARINA DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANCY AT ITS BEST 

Our services cover the entire spectrum of marina and waterside development. 

With uncompromising standards in all areas of our service, we have the credentials to 

take the vision and aspiration of any marina development to its ultimate conclusion. 

www.marinaprojects.com 

U NITED KINGDOM +44 (0)23 9252 6688 | HONG KONG +852 3796 3533 | C YPRU S +357 97714495

2023 May June Marina World

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