2023 November December Marina World

Marina 

www.marinaworld.com 

World 

November/December 2023 

Issue 140 

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



November/December 2023 Vol. 24, No. 2 

23 

CONTENTS 

World News 7 

Waterfront Developments 

Atakoy Mega Yacht Marina welcomes superyachts 

to Istanbul, Turkey 19 

Major rebuilds of Porto Carlo Riva and 

Marina di Imperia in Liguria, Italy are underway 23 

IWMC 2023 27 

The ICOMIA World Marinas Conference in Portugal 

in October attracted over 350 participants 

35 

IWMC – Field Trip 35 

Conference delegates visited Marina Vilamoura, 

Marina de Lagos and Albufeira Marina 

Property 41 

A unique privately-owned UK harbour represents an 

investment opportunity for a new owner 

41 

Award-winning Marinas 42 

National and international trophies awarded in the 

UK, Australia and Monaco 

Environmental Products & Initiatives 47 

Management Software 53 

Products, Services & People 56 

On the cover: 

Vilamoura Marina, the backdrop 

for the IWMC event at the Tivoli 

Conference Centre (see pp 27-39), 

was the first marina to be built in 

Portugal, and remains the largest 

marina in the country. 

Photo: Jacek Sopotnicki 

www.marinaworld.com – November/December 2023 

3



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Meeting 

of minds 

The 2023 ICOMIA World Marinas Conference (IWMC), held in Portugal in 

October was a meeting of international minds offering a packed conference 

programme, a busy field trip and perfectly choreographed networking 

opportunities. It was a reminder of why it always pays to attend a ‘live’ event. 

In the many discussions, some key messages emerged: 

• Think about culture – the culture of your company and its staff, build on this, 

reinforce it and strengthen your team to embrace change. Energise their talent. 

• Use technology wisely, fearlessly and advantageously to genuinely enhance the 

customer experience and improve marina operations and profitability. 

• Rebrand marinas as the tourism assets they really are – your customers are 

‘guests’; they bring money to the local area; they often travel beyond your nautical 

spot to another nautical spot. Concessions can be negotiated more easily for 

tourism assets than mere infrastructure. 

• Approach environmental issues with determination but realism. Ensure you are 

solving problems in a cradle to grave manner and not inadvertently creating more 

CO2 in a blind quest to reduce it. 

• Think about involving your marina in a bigger picture. Take advantage of industry 

associations and networks, work with others to develop things that are costly and 

share the benefits. 

• Learn, unlearn, relearn, unlearn, relearn, unlearn (Yiannis Kalogerakis) 

With 72 presentations over two days, there were many take-aways, including: 

“We’re going to see more change in the next decade than we’ve probably seen in 

a century,” Bill Yeargin 

“Your new customer will not be an old salt but someone who’s made a swift 

decision to just try boating,” John Hogan 

“By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean,” Tigo Pitta e Cunha 

“People make a marina, not the boats. We’re in the people business, we’re in the 

service business, we’re in the people business,” Oscar Siches 

“We need to redefine the term ‘luxury’ and make it ‘sustainable luxury’,” Alfonso 

Vargas-Sanchez 

“The measure of our success is when government comes to us and says please, 

please build these marinas. What can we do to help you build these marinas? That’s 

where we need to be. And we’ve got to work out a pathway to get there,” Darren 

Vaux 

“Many marinas today are over-managed and under-led. People leave people not 

marinas,” Yiannis Kalogerakis 

“We are something between 30 and 50% underpriced. The hotel industry has 

shown that it can raise its prices and as a result can fund improvements,” Dan 

Natchez 

“Boats are built to last. Fleet replacement takes 25 to 40 years based on product 

lifecycles. Accelerating fleet replacement adds CO2,” Frank Hugelmeyer 

Read more on p. 27. 

Views expressed by individual contributors in this issue 

are not necessarily those of Loud & Clear Publishing 

Ltd. Equally, the inclusion of advertisements in this 

magazine does not constitute endorsement of the 

companies, products and services concerned by Loud & 

Clear Publishing Ltd. The publisher reserves the right to 

refuse advertising. 

Carol Fulford 

Editor 


5

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THE MOORING SYSTEM

IWMC 2025 

heads to Venice 

WORLD NEWS 

AMI keynote announced 

USA: Bill Benjamin will deliver the opening keynote address at the 2024 

Association of Marina Industries (AMI) Conference & Expo. His presentation 

“Build a high-performance, last 8% culture” is sponsored by Suntex Marinas. 

Benjamin has over 30 years of 

business experience and organisations 

like the US Marines, NASA, Intel, 

Goldman Sachs and The Mayo 

Clinic call on him for his expertise in 

performance and leadership. 

“Bill addresses all those tough 

conversations that we tend to avoid 

because they are uncomfortable and 

hard, i.e. ‘the last 8%’, and that are 

often the most important conversations 

that aren’t happening. He will provide 

ITALY: The ICOMIA World Marinas Conference (IWMC) 2025 will be held 15th- 

17th October at Venezia Certosa Marina in Venice. 

The event has the support of the 

Region and Municipality of Venice, the 

Venice Port Authority, the International 

Airport of Venice managed by Save, 

Assomarinas, Confindustria Nautica 

and Confindustria Veneto Est. 

Alberto Sonino of Vento di Venezia, 

the audience with tips and tools on 

how to gain the courage to have those 

difficult conversations and why this is 

critical to the success of building a highperforming 

team,” says AMI chair John 

Swick CMM. “We are looking forward 

to having Bill join the conference next 

year.” 

The 2024 AMI Conference & Expo 

will be held at the Broward County 

Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, 

Florida 30th January – 1st February. 

the owners and managers of Venezia 

Certosa Marina, has already secured 

substantial sponsor support for 

the event and gave an inspiring 

presentation to delegates attending 

the successful IWMC event this year in 

Portugal. 

M3 to boost Amaala 

to La Belle Classe 

SAUDI ARABIA: Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind The Red Sea and 

Amaala tourism destinations, has partnered with Monaco Marina Management 

(M3) to establish RSG’s Amaala Yacht Club as one of the world’s premier 

yachting destinations. 

Together, they will work to meet 

the criteria and standards of ‘La Belle 

Classe Destinations’, a certification 

owned and operated by Yacht Club de 

Monaco. The agreement also covers 

developing an exceptional event 

calendar and creating a sailing academy. 

“The Amaala Yacht Club, with its 

signature architecture inspired by the 

rock formations that created our Triple 

Bay millennia ago, will be the stunning 

centrepiece of our marina development. 

With M3’s support, our facilities, 

operations, services and amenities 

will ensure our Yacht Club honours the 

striking landscape in which it is set and 

makes Amaala one of the world’s most 

distinguished yachting destinations,” 

said Red Sea Global group CEO, John 

Pagano. 

Designed by leading architecture firm 

HKS and sitting in a ten-ha (25-acre) 

basin, the ultra-luxurious four-storey 

club boasts a 120-berth marina and 

can accommodate yachting events, 

regattas and launches. 

Phase one of Amaala, focused on the 

Triple Bay masterplan, is well underway, 

with the first guests set to be welcomed 

in 2025. 


7

CLEAN 

WASTEWATER 

DISPOSAL 

PierPump – Trouble-free disposal of waste and bilge water 

from boats and yachts. 

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. 

For more information visit us at: 

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WORLD NEWS 

Plans firmed 

up for Habacoa 

BAHAMAS: With the conceptual design and marina site plan now completed, 

work on the innovative Porto Habacoa superyacht marina and ultra-luxury 

resort in South Abaco is poised to begin. 

Designed from the ground up to 

provide flexible berth sizes and give 

large yachts generous manoeuvring 

space, the marina will offer 152 wet slips 

of 60 to 700ft (12 to 213m) and drystack 

storage for 200 boats. All docks will have 

fuel and pump-out points. 

The marina basin will be surrounded 

by a range of different residential 

offerings, a yacht club, a small casino, 

and a marina village with shops 

and restaurants. A seaplane will be 

available for island-hopping, and the 

entire resort will be lushly landscaped. 

In addition to creating a new 

IBEX one of best to date 

USA: The International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), held 

in early October in Tampa, Florida exceeded expectations based on on-site 

traffic data and attendance figures. The three-day event saw packed aisles, full 

educational sessions and well-attended networking events. 

marina, and more 

IBERIAN PENINSULA: Development of Marina Jandía, a new facility in 

Fuerteventura, Canary Islands is currently underway. Part of Calero Marinas, 

the project has a capacity of 310 berths and is being carried out by Lindley 

Marinas in collaboration with its local partner Almarin. Completion is 

scheduled for early 2024. 

Lindley has also completed rebuilds in 

the fishing port of Setúbal near Lisbon, 

Portugal. Concrete pontoons are being 

installed to replace existing infrastructure. 

The contract follows Lindley’s work at 

Doca des Fontainhas where it replaced 

270m (890ft) of linear galvanised steel 

destination for megayachts, the 

developers are looking to attract small 

cruise ships in the 250-passenger 

(50/75 cabins/suites) size range. “We 

are also preparing a section of the 

marina to service sports fishing boats,” 

CEO and developer Ra’anan Ben-Zur 

tells Marina World. “We are close to 

some of the best sports fishing areas in 

the Atlantic Ocean.” 

According to Ben-Zur, a call for 

tenders for marina systems and 

equipment is likely to be issued in May/ 

June 2024. The projected opening of 

Porto Habacoa is late 2026. 

The event welcomed more than and enthusiasm of visitors, exhibitors, 

8,600 industry professionals from 

educators and sponsors of this year’s 

70 countries. Boatbuilders checked event,” said IBEX show director Anne 

in with the highest numbers, making Dunbar. “Seeing the crowded aisles, 

up nearly 30% of visitors, and new and hearing from many exhibitors 

product discovery was the top reason about the critical business that took 

registrants reported for attending. 

place during the show was extremely 

Visitors were able to follow a Marina & satisfying. We want to thank everyone 

Yard Route. 

who was involved in helping IBEX 2023 

“We are thrilled with the participation be one of the best yet.” 

New Calero group 

floating structures and fingers. 

Other work for 2023 in different parts 

of the world has included the expansion 

of Brachuy and Ribeira marinas in 

Brazil and installation of facilities for 

The Ocean Race in Hajai (Brazil) and 

Mindelo (Cape Verde). 


9

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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. 

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WORLD NEWS 

 

 

 

Sindalah yacht repair 

centre, first of many 

for Neom 

SAUDI ARABIA: Superyacht maintenance company MB92 Group has entered 

into a partnership with Neom to establish a 10,000m² (107,600ft²) yacht repair 

facility at Sindalah on the Red Sea. 

The partnership aligns with the 

imminent opening of Sindalah in 2024 

and will be the first of several yacht 

repair centres in Neom, the futuristic 

and controversial green region that 

is being built from the ground up 

as a “living laboratory”. The yards 

are planned to meet the anticipated 

demand of a growing number of visiting 

and residential yachts in the region in 

coming years. 

The new facility will provide yacht 

owners travelling to the Red Sea with 

access to MB92 Group’s experience 

in addressing the intricate repair 

demands of yachts and superyachts. 

It also mirrors Neom’s vision of 

building a maritime destination in the 

region, with both partners committed 

to offering dependable, efficient and 

sustainable solutions for maintenance 

or repair requirements. As such, the 

construction of the new centre will 

prioritise sustainable development 

within its design, processes and 

equipment. 

Neom Islands executive director, 

Aayush Killa, said: “Teaming up with 

MB92 Group reflects our commitment 

to becoming a distinctive yachting 

destination. This venture embodies our 

dedication to delivering world-class 

infrastructure and services to support 

yachts visiting the Red Sea.” 

Pepe Garcia-Aubert, chairman MB92, 

said the Group was extremely excited 

to be a part of the Neom project. “We 

envision this as merely the beginning of 

a lasting and meaningful collaboration, 

allowing us to provide the local yachting 

community with a world-class refit and 

repair service in this incredibly beautiful 

region with so much to offer.” 

The centre will commence operations 

with a comprehensive repertoire of 

services including onboard electrical, 

mechanical and hydraulic system 

repairs. The centre will be capable 

of welcoming yachts of all sizes for 

in-water works and will extend its 

expertise to vessels of up to 40m 

(131ft) in length for drydock operations. 

 

 


11

Delivering the marinas 

of tomorrow 

Sea City Marina - Kuwait 

Hi-tech solutions to connect land and sea 

Pontoons, breakwaters, superyacht piers, floating crossings and 

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

reliable structures in steel, aluminium or concrete.

Merger creates 

‘biggest’ South 

Florida marina 

USA: South Florida full-service marina and yacht repair 

facility Bradford Marine has purchased the adjacently 

located Roscioli Yachting Center from OneWater Marine. 

As part of the transaction, 

Bradford and OneWater 

have entered a lease 

arrangement for OneWater’s 

sales organisation to 

remain on the property, 

and for Bradford to provide 

world-class support for the 

OneWater Yacht Group and 

Sunseeker brands. The 

strategic acquisition will 

further expand the footprint of 

Bradford Marine and solidify 

its position as a premier 

yachting destination. 

“This marks an incredibly 

important milestone for our 

growth as we bring together 

two esteemed full-service 

marinas, each with a rich 

history of delivery excellence 

in yacht repair and 

maintenance,” said Bradford 

Marine CEO John Kelly. 

“By combining our teams’ 

extensive expertise, we will 

continue to improve the 

yachting experience for our 

customers while striving to 

make yacht ownership easy 

and enjoyable.” 

“Since my father and 

I entered into the Fort 

Lauderdale marine industry 

in 2019 with our acquisition of 

Bradford Marine and Bradford 

Grand Bahama, we’ve 

been able to expand our 

service offerings through our 

acquisitions of Billfish Marina, 

High Seas Technology, 

Pipewelders Marine, P&R 

Canvas, and now Roscioli 

Yachting Center,” noted 

Michael Kelly, president and 

COO of Bradford Marine. 

Key elements of the 

merged sites include 

expanded lift capacity via 

the addition of a 320-ton 

machine; an additional 

5,000ft (1,520m) of covered 

dockage bringing the total 

on site to over 19,000ft 

(5,800m) for yachts up 

to 180ft (55m); and an 

additional 1,000ft (300m) of 

covered drystack that brings 

Bradford Marine’s total dry 

dockage to 3,500ft (1,070m). 

Following the acquisition, 

WORLD NEWS 

Bradford Marine now offers 

more linear feet of in-water 

dockage than any other 

marina in South Florida. A 

team of 40 employees from 

Roscioli joins the Bradford 

Marine team bringing the 

combined company to 260 

employees. 

Renewed Dover dock nears completion 

UK: Following the launch of the new 

Outer Marina in April this year, the 

Port of Dover has announced that 

the renewed Wellington Dock will be 

fully operational by April 2024, kickstarting 

the season for berth holders 

with a full set of facilities. 

The dock will bring another 135 

berths to Dover and will perfectly 

complement the facilities available at 

the Outer Marina whilst providing a mix 

of tidal and non-tidal berths. 

One of the most popular services at 

Wellington Dock is the new boatyard, 

which opened less than a year ago. 

It can be used by permanent berth 

holders and visitors. 

Hensel Phelps 


13

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WORLD NEWS 

Marina di Varazze will now form part of the 

D-Marin network. 

Med marina networks 

partner up 

ITALY: Premium marinas group D-Marin has partnered up with Italian luxury 

yachting group Azimut Benetti. The alliance adds 1,800 berths in three marinas 

to the D-Marin network. 

Under the terms of the deal, D-Marin 

acquires a significant stake in Marina 

di Valetta and Porto Mediceo in 

Livorno, and commences a commercial 

integration with award-winning Marina 

di Varazze. The acquisition of the stakes 

in Marina di Valetta and Porto Mediceo 

is subject to the receipt of the required 

regulatory authorisations and consents. 

Paolo Vitelli, founder of the Azimut 

Benetti Group, explains the rationale 

of the alliance: “The core values 

of Azimut Benetti and D-Marin 

are perfectly aligned to provide an 

enjoyable yachting experience. D-Marin 

brings its strive for premium customer 

experience, the network offering, 

commercial excellence, sustainability 

commitments, and digital innovations 

to further enhance the already worldclass 

luxury marinas of Azimut Benetti 

and our family. This vast service-rich 

network of marinas will be able to 

welcome the owners of the Azimut 

Benetti Group yachts in a privileged 

way.” 

“We are thrilled to be working with the 

Vitelli family on these beautiful marinas, 

supporting the properties to flourish 

even further with our marina expertise,” 

says D-Marin CEO Oliver Dörschuck. 

“This is an exciting partnership for us 

and one we can’t wait to embark on. 

We are keen to grow nautical tourism in 

the Mediterranean and offer a premium 

marina service at every step of the 

voyage.” 

Integra buys Aventura marina 

USA: Property investment and development firm Integra Investments has purchased Williams Island Marina in Aventura, 

Florida from H Scott Huizenga, who has owned the marina since 2004. The property, acquired via the company’s Integra 

Marinas platform, is its ninth acquisition to date 

and its sixth active marina. 

The acquisition further elevates Integra Marinas’ 

portfolio of top marina assets due to its reputation 

and location within the master-planned Williams 

Island community. The marina spans 14 acres 

(5.7ha) and offers 106 wet slips at a combination of 

fixed and floating docks. Vessels of up to 160ft (49m) 

can be accommodated with unobstructed access 

from the Intracoastal Waterway. 

“Williams Island Marina is fully occupied yearround, 

showcasing the tremendous demand for a 

high-quality marina in an incredibly high-barrierto-entry 

market,” said Victor Ballestas, a principal 

with Integra Investments. “This marina is an anchor 

asset in our growing portfolio and our second in 

Miami. We’re excited to operate, enhance and enjoy 

Williams Island as active boaters ourselves.” 

The marina will be managed by Oasis Marinas. 


17

WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENTS 

Welcoming 

megayachts to 

Istanbul 

Atakoy Marina and Atakoy Mega Yacht Marina are core elements in the Istanbul 

Tourism Centre (ITC) mega project to make the Istanbul seafront a new 

destination for the city. Newly appointed general manager, Artun Ertem, brings 

extensive industry experience to a role that is focused on putting Atakoy Mega 

Yacht Marina firmly on the superyacht circuit. 

Atakoy Marina, built over 30 years 

ago with over 850 berths, remains 

at the forefront of the Turkish marina 

sector. It was the first marina in Turkey 

to earn 5 Gold Anchors from The Yacht 

Harbour Association (TYHA) and 

has retained the anchors since 1989, 

along with Blue Flag accreditation. 

“Our marina is a kind of flagship for the 

Turkish marina industry,” Artun Ertem 

says. “And out main goal is to keep the 

service level as high as possible.” 

The adjacent Mega Yacht Marina is 

a much newer facility, built with 232 

berths for vessels of 25-100m (82- 

330ft). It is the only marina in Turkey to 

be designed and built specifically for 

superyachts but for various reasons 

has attracted few boats. 

“Atakoy Marina is currently at over 

110% capacity and all new enquiries 

are forwarded to the new basin,” 

Ertem explains. “Atakoy Mega Yacht 

Marina started accepting yachts for 

the first time in 2016 but, unfortunately, 

geopolitical situations and the 

pandemic have negatively affected 

operations of the new facility.” 

Owners, Dati Holding – a 

development, investment and 

management company founded 

by experienced nautical industry 

professionals in 2004 – stepped in. 

“Dati Holding focused its concentration 

on securing an extension of the 

concession lease period until 2070 

and this goal has been successfully 

achieved. As of the beginning of the 

spring season, we have monitored 

increased traffic of megayachts in the 

marina compared to previous years. We 

see this as a positive indicator for future 

occupancy projections for the facility.” 

The concrete floating pontoon system 

in Atakoy Marina was built and supplied 

by SF Marina and the floating concrete 

pontoons for the Mega Yacht Marina 

were custom-built by a Turkish concrete 

pontoon manufacturer. There are also 

quay walls in the Mega Yacht Marina, 

which are ideal for hosting some of the 

larger vessels. Services are provided 

via Plus dockside pedestals, and onsite 

facilities are plentiful, including 

restaurants, cafés, supermarket, health 

and sports centre, swimming pools, 

tennis courts, a children’s playground 

and 5 star hotel. 

Both marinas also have boatyards: 

“One is operated by the marina and 

the other is expected to become 

operational as of 2025. At the moment, 

Artun Ertem (inset) is focused on putting 

Atakoy Mega Yacht Marina (left) firmly on 

the superyacht circuit. 

the lifting and launching operations 

are undertaken with a 75 ton Marine 

Travelift. The Mega Yacht Marina is 

expected to have a 300 ton travel hoist 

and a boat mover. There is a possibility 

that we may franchise our boatyard 

so we would be open to proposals by 

interested parties,” Ertem says. 

Atakoy also benefits from being a 

core element of the ITC project. The 

Port Galleria plan, which surrounds 

the landside of the marina, offers a 

shopping mall, leisure and activities 

facilities and a conference centre. There 

are also four major hotels and Marina 

Park private residences. 

Safety, security and environmental 

management are a big focus. 

“Environmental sensitivity is a top 

priority for the marina management and 

all team members. We have a tenant 

operating the fuel station facility and 

the marina has a full capacity pump-out 

service established in line with the legal 

obligations.” 

“The marina management team has 

prepared an extensive risk analysis and 

action plan as part of its environmental 

management approach. An Emergency 

Response Plan is also a significant 

part of this task. All works have 

been undertaken in line with existing 

legislations and codes of practice. 


19

VISIT US AT METS! 

BOOTH 05.726 

Cascais, PORTUGAL 

+351 214 692 024 

If it’s on water 

 

www.lindley.pt 

Barcelona, SPAIN 

+34 933 601 101 

Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL 

+55 21 3942 8828 

Vigo, SPAIN 

+34 986 906 770


Atakoy Mega Yacht Marina has 232 berths 

and is able to moor vessels up to 100m 

(330ft). It is the only marina in Turkey 

to have been built specifically for the 

superyacht sector. 

On the job training and exercises are 

constantly being implemented for all 

staff, and these processes are regularly 

documented.” 

Atakoy has manned security as well 

as CCTV systems monitored on a 24/7 

basis. “Our security management plan 

has yielded very good results over the 

past years. Additionally, the availability 

of the Coast Guard and Sea Police 

departments within the marina itself 

provides additional security for our 

premises.” 

As well as being rich in terms of 

facilities, Ertem believes Atakoy’s 

location gives it an important edge. Not 

only is it at the heart of Istanbul, one of 

the great architectural and cultural cities 

in the world, but it’s close to a perfect 

airport. 

“The biggest advantage of Atakoy 

Marina is its vicinity to Ataturk Airport, 

which used to serve as the main 

international airport of Istanbul until the 

opening of New Istanbul Airport,” he 

says. “At the moment, Ataturk Airport 

has been redesigned to serve as a VIP 

terminal, mostly for business jets. This 

creates a great strength for the future 

development of our premises in terms 

of providing a luxury service especially 

for superyachts.” 

He also thinks positively about the 

local competition. “We have competition 

nearby but all establishments have 

satisfactory occupancy as well as 

their own paths of business. I see it 

as a potential for synergy rather than 

competition. Each marina has its own 

strengths and weaknesses. Our major 

strength is that we have the biggest 

megayacht berthing options in the 

region.” 

Ertem has spent over 20 years 

working in the marina industry and 

spent 13 of these years in Croatia 

where he had extensive opportunities 

for networking with the superyacht 

industry’s key European and global 

players. He worked as the regional 

director and general manager for 

Marina Mandalina in Sibenik for six 

and a half years and is bringing all of 

this experience to his new role. “By 

using this huge network, I am trying to 

contribute to the growth of our business 

and I can confidently say that our 

business with increasing megayacht 

traffic in the last ten months seems 

promising and sustainable.” 

Marina Mandalina is, of course, an 

award-winning superyacht facility. How 

do Mandalina and Atakoy compare? 

“Client expectations, service standards 

and sufficiency of facilities stand out 

as similarities,” Ertem notes. “The main 

difference I feel between the two is that 

Atakoy Mega Yacht Marina is located 

in the heart of one of the biggest and 

most well known metropolises in the 

world. Istanbul has a huge marketing 

effect and is a well deserved brand by 

itself. Sibenik is a relatively small city 

with great nature, great people and 

archipelago. Atakoy Mega Yacht Marina 

is much bigger than Marina Mandalina 

in size and capacity. However, both 

marinas represent a great asset value 

as being amongst the limited amount of 

such well organised facilities.” 

“The biggest weakness I see for 

Atakoy is its distance from the major 

cruising destinations. However, this 

turns out to be a strength as we have 

a huge hinterland of shipyards around 

Istanbul with impeccable know-how, 

technical utilities, service quality and 

cost efficiency. Istanbul is considered 

a preferred destination among 

superyachts en route to the Black Sea. 

I am confident that our yacht traffic 

will increase more as soon as the war 

between Ukraine and Russia ends.” 

Artun Ertem believes the challenges 

for Atakoy and for the industry in 

general relate to a very big picture. 

“Global instability is the biggest 

challenge, not only for Atakoy but for 

the entire global business cycle. It 

may become more devastating than 

the pandemic unless preliminary 

precautions are taken by the UN 

immediately. The war between Russia 

and Ukraine must come to an end as 

well as the war in the Middle East. 

We can only be happy and enjoy 

running our businesses under peaceful 

conditions. Wars only pump out hatred 

and animosity, and we don’t want 

people to die.” 

“Our industry has been hit strongly 

by these developments. The superyacht 

industry and yachting market in 

general have never experienced such 

turbulence before. Our situation reflects 

hope in despair, but we tend to stay on 

the hopeful side.” 


21

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Ligurian icons make a comeback 

Porto Carlo Riva in Rapallo on the east coast of Liguria and the mega project 

for the tourist port at Imperia to the west are two very different projects to reestablish 

two of Italy’s best-known marinas. Donatella Zucca reports 

The piers and breakwaters are 

completed and the first yachts are now 

arriving at the newly-designed Porto 

Carlo Riva, and Marina di Imperia 

in Porto Maurizio – after a ten-year 

delay – is finally being completed via 

an improvement project that will also 

benefit the city and its environs. 

Rebuilding Riva 

Porto Carlo Riva, the icon created by 

engineer Carlo Riva, has been rebuilt 

following the devastation caused by 

a major storm in 2018. A new 7m 

(23ft) high breakwater, comprising 

170,000 tons of natural boulders, has 

been tested, and Argo company Bizzi 

& Partners, headed by Davide Bizzi 

is managing the development. 

The ‘recovery’ of the marina has 

delivered a concept that brings 

it closer to the city, a benefit that 

is appreciated and supported by 

the mayor, Carlo Bagnasco, and 

Giovanni Toti, president of the 

Ligurian region. 

The marina pays an annual fee for 

maintaining the port (which belongs 

to the municipality, with concessions 

to maritime associations and small 

nautical entities) and reserves a 

portion of the new berths and newly 

created space for public use. It also 

pledges support at €50,000 a year 

to help fund the highly popular July 

celebrations of the Madonna. The 

money is intended to cover the 

costs of renting barges, which will be 

put to sea as firework firing stations. 

Previously, the fireworks were released 

from the harbour breakwater which 

meant relocating the yachts. 

The newly created areas in the 

marina will be used for a yacht club, 

tourist hotel, shipyard, 300-space car 

park, a series of nautical cabins, a new 

restaurant, pub and port offices. More 

than 190 new berths and new fixed 

piers have been added to completely 

rebuild the port at a cost of almost €80 

million. The current concession lasts 

until 2056 but the municipality will soon 

be focusing on granting an extension 

to this. 

Since early October, all members of 

Porto Carlo Riva during work phase 

(left) and CGI of completed port 

(below). 

the original management team and 

four new members of staff have 

been working at the marina and the 

entire port system is expected to 

employ around 100 people. Bizzi & 

Partners is, meanwhile, involved in 

other nautical tourism projects (see 

inset story). 

The long road to 

Imperia 

Marina di Imperia’s journey to 

get to where it is today has been 

lengthy and frustrating, starting with 

a blockade on work in 2014 and 

removal of the state concession, 

which has now been issued at 65 years 

following a detailed economic/financial, 

urban and construction assessment. 

The entity at the helm of the marina 

regeneration is Go Imperia Srl, 

which deals with services related to 

employment and protection of public 

property. In the instance of Marina di 

Imperia, the value of port activities, 

together with the regeneration of 

original income and new added-value 

income, raised awareness of the 

positive economic impact of the port on 

the city. Guido Corradi, a bank manager 

and new president of the board of 

directors, will start the relaunch phase 

based on accurate market research. 

Like every marina development, 

response is mixed but Imperia mayor, 

Claudio Scajola, recognised the 

challenges last year, admitting “it was a 


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Revisioning 

Rapallo 

complex period in which the difficulties 

of temporary ordinary management 

overlapped with the tasks for requesting 

a new concession and the critical 

issues related to COVID-19 and the 

Russia-Ukraine war.” 

Notwithstanding the fact that 

ramifications of an additional war 

are now in the mix for 2023, there 

are people who view the project as 

expensive and aimed at people with 

little interest in the life of the local 

area. The majority, however, view it as 

a precious development link for the 

future of the city and with its 1,278 

berths (156 for visitors and 1,122 under 

contract) as a crucial step in growth. 

The project also includes a 5 star 

hotel, which was not part of the original 

site amenities, but radically reduced 

retail outlet space – solely for shops 

selling marine-related goods. 

Berths along Via Scarincio will adjoin 

a reinforced fixed quayside, and a jetty 

damaged in the 2018 storm will be 

removed to create a new 90m (295ft) 

berth. This is in response to demand 

CGIs of newly developed Marina di 

Imperia (above & below) and a new dock 

at Porto Carlo Riva (left). 

Bizzi & Partners’ tourist port 

projects do not end with Porto 

Carlo Riva as, together with 

Fidim Srl, a biotech, property and 

hospitality holding company, it 

is considering participating in 

the tender scheduled for 2024 

for the port of Lavagna. Davide 

Bizzi also has the concession 

for the international tourist port 

of Rapallo following the public 

tender announced by the Court of 

Genoa. 

Rapallo was also lashed by bad 

luck when the Porto Carlo Riva dam 

burst, destroying piers and leading 

to hundreds of yachts sinking and 

needing to be disposed of. This was 

followed by an investigation into the 

management of the disposal of the 

vessels, an issue that Porto Carlo 

Riva had to deal with as it built the 

dam and was held responsible for 

the disaster. A series of knock-on 

difficulties then followed which forced 

the marina to crisis point. 

Davide Bizzi recently told the press 

that berths at the marina will be 

assigned on short-term rental, with 

a maximum of one year for private 

individuals and three for businesses. 

The management offices will open 

within the year and the commercial 

part of the new port by summer 

2024. This area will include retail 

for important brands in boating and 

fashion. 

for superyacht berths. Other changes 

will include a new six-berth quay for 

professional fishermen which, like the 

rest of the port, the museum and events 

space, will benefit from better services 

from an upgraded electrical substation. 

The two-storey yacht club will 

comprise office space, bar and 

restaurant, and an overhauled car 

park offer free parking for electric and 

hybrid plug-in vehicles. A mooring tower 

will also be built beside the entrance 

to the port and this will house a bar, 

restaurant, reception, port management 

offices and a command and control 

centre. 


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IWMC 2023 

Customers, culture, 

comms and carbon 

The 2023 ICOMIA World Marinas Conference (IWMC) held at the Tivoli 

Conference Centre in Vilamoura, Portugal in October was hailed as one of 

the most successful events in the long-running series to date. Hosted by the 

Portuguese Association of Ports and Marinas (APPR) and expertly moderated 

by professional broadcaster Shirley Robertson, IWMC 2023 was held over 

three days and attracted more than 350 delegates from the international 

marina community. 

The opening session was attended 

by Maria do Céu Antunes, the 

Portuguese Minister of Agriculture 

and Food, the Secretary of State for 

Fisheries, the Vice-Mayor of Loulé, 

the president of the Algarve Tourist 

Board and other national dignitaries. 

Isolete Correia, president of APPR and 

CEO of Vilamoura Marina, opened the 

proceedings. 

Although technology and its 

advantages played a major part in the 

conference discussions, emphasis was 

placed on the importance of people 

right from the outset. “Recreational 

boating enriches people’s lives,” said 

ICOMIA president Darren Vaux. “It’s 

not about ‘boats’ but about the sense 

of calm evident in being in and around 

the water – the increase in well being 

and the physical benefits. Recreational 

boating matters, and thus marinas 

matter.” ICOMIA Marinas Group (IMG) 

chair, Martinho Fortunato, took up 

Left: (l to r) Moderator Shirley Robertson chairs a panel discussion with Elsa Nicol, Falco; 

Tone Britovsek, Marina Master; and Idan Cohen, Pick-a-Pier. Right: Discussing the industry 

around the globe (l to r) Oscar Siches, consultant; Suzanne Davies, MIA; John Hogan, 

Superior Jetties; Cédric Le Rest, MM&C: and Jon White, TYHA. 

ICOMIA president, Darren Vaux, makes 

one of the opening addresses to a packed 

audience. 

the baton: “Industry must focus on 

people and not just technology. It’s very 

important to keep this in mind.” 

With “people” on the agenda, keynote 

speaker Bill Yeargin, president/CEO 

of Correct Craft, Inc spoke about the 

economics of culture, and the need 

to establish team-building and core 

values that act as continual guidelines. 

“Leaders need to be energisers and 

provide clarity,” he said, encouraging 

broader horizons, team projects and 

constant communication and honing of 

the cultural objective. “Culture is not an 

expense but a high-return investment,” 

he stressed, and it’s vital to be “a 

learner and not a ‘knower’.” 

Retaining staff is also, of course, 

a key issue and a global concern. 

Yiannis Kalogerakis, CEO at JMK was 

forthright. “Many marinas today are 

over-managed and under-led. People 

leave people not marinas.” 

The customer base 

“Marinas will be the hospitality hubs 

in the future and offer a marina 

‘guest’ experience – let’s not call them 

‘customers’,” urged Kalogerakis. But 

what of the new ‘guests’? 

“Your new customer will not be an 

old salt but someone who’s made a 

swift decision to just try boating,” noted 

Superior Group CEO John Hogan. And 

these swift deciders may well come via 

a Boat Club route. 

According to Arturo Gutierrez, 

general manager (EMEA) for Freedom 

Boat Club (FBC), one in five club 

members graduates to boat ownership. 

FBC currently has 5,000 boats and 

90,000 members and is welcoming 

increasing numbers of women and 

young people into its fold. There are 

significant financial advantages in 

having a Boat Club on a marina site 


27


Left (down the column): Bill Yeargin, Correct Craft; Yiannis Kalogerakis, JMK; and Frank 

Hugelmeyer, NMMA. Above: Oliver Dörschuck, D-Marin, speaking on industry trends. 

and FBC sees a trend towards the 

marina being seen as a destination. In 

terms of demands, “people want to be 

more responsible and sustainability is 

important to them,” he said. “They also 

enjoy having a personalised experience 

on the water.” 

This customer trend is backed up 

by Joana Glória, founder of the Lagos 

Digital Nomads Community and Femke 

Irik, founder of SeaBookings. “We’ve 

seen a huge difference in tourism 

after COVID. We notice people are 

more into experiences (some have 

sold properties, cars etc and can 

work anywhere). We organise events 

that connect like-minded people,” Irik 

explained. 

Charter also takes centre stage. 

“Charter is the most relevant platform 

for all of us for the future,” asserted 

Boot Düsseldorf director Petros 

Michelidakis revealing that, compared 

to 2020, there is a significant rise in 

the amount people are prepared to 

spend. In 2021 the average weekly 

spend was €4,267 and this is up by 

32%. According to Sail Croatia, the 

most popular charter destinations in the 

world are Croatia (over 38%); Greece 

(over 28%); Italy; Turkey; EU other; 

Spain; France; and the Caribbean. 

Smart technology 

Digital technology plays a core part in 

our lives and, while marinas need to 

adopt ‘smart’ approaches and make 

best use of data, the message is clear 

that the customer is king. “Customers 

are more demanding. Mobile phones 

connect them and customers are selfconfident 

and want to interact. They are 

in control. They book online, get instant 

confirmation and pay immediately,” said 

D-Marin CEO Oliver Dörschuck. 

Smart marinas give us sensors, data 

analytics and other technology that 

collects, analyses and monitors data. 

Amongst other things, this can be used 

to optimise berth utilisation, manage 

energy consumption, monitor water 

quality and track weather conditions. 

“We can use these to create customer 

experience with ‘real’ online booking 

and payment, real time weather 

updates and on-demand concierge,” 

Kalogerakis noted. 

It’s all about flow said Elsa Nicol, 

CEO of tech company Falco, whose 

platform integrates with management 

software and booking software and 

has digital apps to make things flow 

between. “We need to automate the 

things that least affect the customer 

experience,” she observed. Idan Cohen 

of Pick-a-Pier expanded: “We must 

change pretty much everything at 

the back end. We need to deliver the 

best customer experience, and the 

systems need to be accessible without 

huge cost. We need to work together 

to develop networks, and we need a 

balance between digital and human 

interaction. It’s also important to collect 

the data that works for you. It doesn’t 

have to be a costly exercise.” 

Tone Britovsek of IRM/Marina Master 

believes the future will comprise a mix 

of Customer Relationship Management 

(CRM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), 

and Kalogerakis warns that “the current 

AI is child’s play in comparison with 

what’s coming.” 

Balance is the key. “Some tech is 

important but if we don’t have human 

28 www.marinaworld.com – November/December 2023


contact we are going to lose a lot. Being 

automated may be impressive but while 

clients appreciate the tech they also like 

having people to look after them during 

their stay,” said Isolete Correia. Stavros 

Katsikadis, managing director Lamda 

Marinas Investments, emphasised: 

“Smart technology has become 

essential but we need to listen, change, 

learn. We need to think about remotely 

controlled systems in marinas, i.e. things 

that are moved without people. Will 

there be fewer accidents? Technology is 

coming, and it’s coming fast.” 

Marina infrastructure 

What is the life expectancy of a marina? 

“At Vilamoura we can say it’s over 49 

years but I’ve seen marinas completely 

break apart in weeks,” observed 

Michael Sigvardsson, CEO SF Marina. 

The golden rules, he said, are to put the 

right pontoon in the right place; put the 

right boat size on it; and the right size 

and load of accessories. Maintenance 

is also crucial. “A maintenance action 

that is not logged doesn’t exist,” he 

warned. “Selecting products that have a 

very long maintenance interval is very 

profitable.” 

Patrick Lindley, CEO Grupo Lindley, 

advised opting for “the smallest 

environmental impact and the best 

investment in quality.” 

Michael Shanley, president Golden 

Marine Systems, called for higher piling 

specifications when installing floating 

dock systems in hurricane risk areas 

and the need for forward-thinking on 

marina designs that will survive severe 

weather patterns. Speaking about the 

devastating effects that Hurricane Ian 

had on marinas in Fort Myers Beach, 

Florida he said “we are four to five 

years away from getting it sorted. We 

sustained $109 billion in damages in 

what was the deadliest hurricane in 

Florida since 1935.” 

In terms of drystack infrastructure, 

Oscar Siches pointed to “permits” as 

the bottleneck for the future as he 

ventured: “Will we cover them with 

vegetation? Build them underground? 

Will they be totally electric with 

absolutely no noise? They will definitely 

be architect-designed, and the buildings 

will have additional use.” 

“The key for the future is being very, 

very flexible. We are just ‘handling’ it 

now but we need to make sure our 

equipment is adaptable or can be easily 

traded or recycled,” he also noted. 

Fuel and the environment 

“A decarbonised boating future will 

evolve from a set of technologies 

and fuels already available. Some 

technologies are more adequate for 

some vessel sizes, uses, ambient 

conditions etc., in the short and long 

term. A mix of propulsion systems is 

envisioned,” said Ian Dobson of PIANC. 

Assessment of future fuel 

infrastructure, electrical supply and 

cabling, insurance implications 

and funding implications are major 

considerations under review in a 

“science without fear or favour” 

decarbonisation study being carried 

out by Ricardo, UK. The study was 

outlined by Darren Vaux on behalf 

of ICOMIA,which will launch a 

Sustainability Report at Metstrade. 

Frank Hugelmeyer, president and 

CEO of the US National Marine 

Manufacturers Association spoke on 

how to align decarbonisation policies. 

“We have to have cradle to grave data 

as we are facing regulation by ideology. 

Round the clock conference speakers: 

Arturo Gutierrez, Freedom Boat Club; 

Michael Shanley, Golden Marine Systems; 

Roberto Perocchio, Assomarinas; Stavros 

Katsikadis, Lamda Marinas Investments 

and Isolete Correia, Vilamoura Marina. 

We have to stay ahead of the regulatory 

sector where decisions will be made by 

judging other sectors, e.g. automotive.” 

“Good marine public policy doesn’t 

choose a single technology. It supports 

innovation and the best carbon 

reduction strategy by use case. Boats 

are built to last. Fleet replacement 

takes 25 to 40 years based on 

product lifecycles. Accelerating fleet 

replacement adds CO2.” 

“We need to prioritise infrastructure 

for the distribution of sustainable 


31


Joe Lynch, CEO ICOMIA, and IMG 

chair Martinho Fortunato (right) present 

marina consultant Dan Natchez with the 

2023 ICOMIA Golden Cleat Award for 

Lifetime Achievement. The presentation 

took place at the gala dinner event 

(below). 

fuels. This will achieve an instant and 

industry-wide carbon reduction of 28% 

for the entire fleet.” 

Brands and owners 

The rebranding of marinas as “tourist 

destinations” formed a central 

conference theme most specifically 

because, as tourism assets rather than 

general infrastructure, marinas will not 

only receive the acknowledgement 

they deserve as valuable players in 

the tourist sector but be in a stronger 

position to resolve concession issues. 

Building marinas as ‘destinations’ 

from the outset sends a strong 

message to government. Ra’anan Ben- 

Zur of Porto Habacoa in the Bahamas 

is doing just this. The superyachtspecific 

resort that is scheduled to open 

in 2026 has not only been built from 

the ground up as a superyacht facility 

but, as he revealed at the conference, 

flexibly designed to welcome small 

cruise ships. 

“The brand of a destination 

communicates values (sustainability, 

smartness) and marinas have to be 

aligned and be carriers of them,” said 

Alfonso Vargas Sanchez, Andalusian 

Academy of Regional Science. Oliver 

Dörschuck endorsed this. “As an 

industry, we need a strong voice, and 

innovation needs different people. 

We have to attract and retain talent, 

and build effective alliances and 

consolidations to create stronger 

brands.” 

Such consolidations can be found 

in the rise of marina chains and the 

advantages they have brought to the 

marina sector, e.g. capital, synergy of 

operation and effective buying power. 

Marina consultant, Dan Natchez, noted: 

“They have raised prices in an industry 

that is traditionally underpriced. We 

are somewhere between 30 and 50% 

underpriced. The hotel industry has 

shown that it can raise its prices and as 

a result can fund improvements.” 

Independent marina operators, 

representing by far the bulk of 

ownership in the private sector, also 

Carlos Muriongo 


have significant strengths. “We feel 

the advantage of being independent 

is that we are quick to make decisions 

and to react. I feel we are closer to our 

town and our community. Continuity 

is better with independent marinas,” 

said Ingrid Fortunato, manager Marina 

de Lagos. Melanie Symes, secretary 

of TransEurope Marinas noted: 

“Independent marinas are optimal 

operators of their own space. They build 

a cultural capital and this gives them 

strength and resilience.” 

Roberto Perocchio added: “We 

recognise the value of the chains and 

their wonderful economy of scale. They 

can make big digital investments and 

access funds more easily but at Marina 

del Cavallino, where we are now third 

generation owners and operators, we 

think a port needs a face. It is also 

paramount that we have a strong link 

with our marina association and we 

need to be flexible and customeroriented.” 

Grand finale 

IWMC 2023 had a broad reach to cover 

‘big challenges, big opportunities, big 

decisions’ – and it suitably concluded 

by highlighting what must surely be 

the world’s most ambitious ongoing 

infrastructure project – Neom. A new 

landscape in Saudi Arabia, Neom will 

feature at least 12 coastal marinas, 

the first of which is Sindalah. Chief 

environment officer, Prof Richard Bush, 

outlined the vast scale of Neom, which 

covers a land area the size of Belgium, 

and described it as a “beautiful 

challenge”. 

In and around the innovative major 

city of The Line, Neom development 

will be restricted to just 5% of the 

total area, leaving the remainder as 

national park. This will be the subject of 

re-wilding projects and reintroduction 

of animal species. “We plan to deliver 

a real liveable city by 2030,” he said, 

“where humanity and nature can thrive.” 

The above article highlights content 

from amongst 72 presentations. 

Additional articles covering topics in 

greater depth will appear in future 

issues. 


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IWMC 2023: IN THE FIELD 

Jacek Sopotnicki 

Expansion plans in a 

buoyant market 

A highlight of any ICOMIA World Marinas Conference is the field trip 

opportunity to explore marinas in the host country, and IWMC 2023 delivered 

three of the Algarve’s finest facilities on a day blessed with blue sky, warm 

sunshine and the gentlest of breezes. 

Isolete Correia, president of APPR, 

the Portuguese Association of Ports 

and Marinas, and CEO of Vilamoura 

Marina, set the scene on Day 1 of 

the conference by presenting the 

conclusions of a survey on the 

revenues, strengths and challenges 

of Portuguese marinas. 

Portugal has around 12,000 

berths, a third of which are in the 

Algarve, and occupancy rates are 

around 90%. The value of revenues 

for marinas and recreational ports 

was an estimated €60 million for 

2022, a growth of 19% compared 

with 2021. From the beginning of 

this year until 31st July, the total 

revenue continued to grow above 

10% leading to expectations that 

revenue will exceed €70 million 

at the end of 2023. Visitors are 

primarily from Portugal, France, the 

UK, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden 

and Spain. 

Between 2019 and 2022, the annual 

average turnover of recreational and 

sports boat builders in Portugal was 

around €137 million, a 47% increase 

on 2018. This data shows there is a 

clear sign of growth for the recreational 

marine industry in the country. 

Vilamoura Marina 

There are plenty of signs of this 

prosperity at Vilamoura Marina, the 

host venue for IWMC and the flagship 

marina for Portugal. A pioneering, multiaward 

winning facility, Vilamoura Marina 

remains the largest in the country with 

825 berths and ability to accommodate 

vessels up to 60m (197ft) in length. 

Surrounded by bustling shops, 

restaurants, bars, cafés and hotels 

that give it high destination appeal, 

it’s a prestigious port of call with 

comprehensive but unobtrusive security 

and full concierge services. An on-site 

Above & right: Pioneering, multiaward 

winning Vilamoura Marina was 

the starting point for the field trip on 

Day 2 of the conference. 



35


boatyard boasts a 60 ton travel hoist, 

slipway and crane, additional lifts, and 

hardstand for 200 boats. 

Expansion plans are also underway 

adjacent to the main basin where a 

new 50-year marina concession has 

been secured for a 68-berth facility for 

vessels of 20-40m (66-131ft) in length. 

The project will involve extending two 

existing piers, dredging the entire area 

to 4.5m (15ft) depth and installing three 

pontoons. 

There is a long waiting list for berths 

at Vilamoura and the new offerings 

are top-level, with pump-out points on 

the pontoons and an electric charge 

point at each berth. “The new marina 

will have all the amenities of a smart 

marina,” Isolete Correia says. “The 

focus will be on security, sustainability 

and customer service, making sure that 

the expectations of guests are met.” 

A retail area adjacent to the marina 

will also be totally refurbished to meet 

guest expectations. 

Marina de Lagos 

Located in the Bay of Lagos, Marina 

de Lagos is a family-owned marina that 

opened in 1994. Martinho Fortunato 

CMM, CEO of Marlagos (owner of 

the marina) and Ingrid Fortunato 

CMM, marina manager, enjoy a close 

relationship with the town. The marina 

benefits from a year-round season and 

a strategic position as a crossroads 

to the sailing routes between the 

Mediterranean and the Atlantic, to the 

Azores and Madeira, and north to the 

northern European harbours. It also sits 

on the Golden Coast, named for the 

striking yellow colouration of the rocky 

cliffs. 

Delegates left the marina by boat to see 

the rocky cliffs that give the 

Golden Coast its name. 

Marina World 

Welcoming around 2,000 visitors 

per annum, Marina de Lagos has 464 

full-service berths for boats up to 30m 

(98ft), shops, restaurants and bars. 

The Fortunatos like to be in the 

forefront of new thinking and new 

concepts and have installed a biohut 

artificial nursery habitat for small fish, 

and an events pontoon, built by Lindley 

Marinas, that has all-new eco-friendly 

composite decking and an electric boat 

charge point. The latter has, to date, 

only been used for an electric boat 

event. The marina 

is also one of a 

growing number of 

facilities to adopt 

the new on-screen 

advertising concept 

developed by 

Marketing Marina 

(see inset story). 

Marina de 

Lagos also has 

an expansion 

programme in 


Marina de Lagos is a family-owned marina 

that enjoys a close relationship with the 

town. It has 464 full-service berths and an 

expansion project is in hand. 

hand to create a south basin. Located 

within an established fishing port, 

whose berths will not be disrupted, the 

planned Lagos Yacht Club & Marina will 

have 100 berths for boats to 30m (98ft) 

and a 100-boat drystack for vessels 

up to 10m (33ft) in length. It has been 

a 15-year journey to obtain planning 

and concession rights from the relevant 

authorities but contracts are expected 

to be signed very soon. 

Marina de Albufeira 

Marina de Albufeira, with its strikingly 

unforgettable highly coloured buildings, 

opened in 2003 primarily as a tourist 

port. A huge phase of nautical 

development is now due to start so as 

to fully cement the marina’s position in 

the tourism sector. 

The marina currently has 475 boat 

berths and 35 berths for jet skis. 

Permission has been secured for a 

potential 70 to 80 additional moorings. 

There is an impressive underground car 

park for 1,100 cars and an extensive 

boatyard with 70 ton travel hoist, 6.3 



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ton crane and 3.5 ton forklift. Four large 

and six smaller workshops offer a range 

of services including a sailmaker and a 

ship’s chandler. 

Marina director, José Massapina 

CMM, hopes that work on the new 

nautical reception – just part of the 

ambitious expansion plan – will start 

in January next year. The building 

will house all essential office and 

administration space, areas for 

maritime tourism companies and the 

new nautical club, and a new electrical 

Marketing in 

the marina 

Marina de Lagos has contracted 

with Marketing Marina for a 

commercial marketing plan. The 

concept, launched just 18 months 

ago and already present in eight 

countries, involves the installation 

of sophisticated screens that 

display high-end advertisements. 

Marketing Marina creates the 

commercial plan for each specific 

marina, secures the advertising, 

installs the hardware, and shares 

the profits with the marina. Joonas 

Ruolahti, partner at Marketing 

Marina, confirms that “the marina 

environment is especially good 

for promoting high-end premium 

brands”. The screens are mostly 

located outdoors but can also be 

installed in yacht club buildings. 

“We expect to have installed 

systems in 40 marinas by the end of 

the year,” he says. 

Marina World 

Above & below: Marina de Albufeira, the final port of call, is a busy marina set for serious 

expansion starting with a new nautical reception building. 

power station. It will have a rooftop bar 

and restaurant. 

The far-reaching plans also include 

two hotels; a shopping mall; three 

tourist apartment blocks; a fuel station 

for cars; a hypermarket; sports training 

centre; and around 40 villas. 

Massapina is also excited to discuss 

the inauguration of a special project to 

attract recreational divers that opened in 

September this year. “It’s a permanent 

underwater exhibition just about a 

mile in front of the marina at about 

12m [39ft] in depth,” he clarifies. The 

initiative was developed by a partnership 

between EDP (the national electricity 

company), the University of Algarve, 

the Municipality of Albufeira, the artist 

sculptor VHILS and Marina de Albufeira. 

Called ‘Art Reef by VHILS’, it has 

been created using redundant parts 

and machinery from an old coal plant/ 

power station that have been cleaned, 

sand blasted and repurposed to create 

fascinating underwater artwork. Some 

of the components were prepared in 

the marina boatyard and, due to their 

weight and size, were transferred to 

the water using the travel hoist, and 

towed to the site with the help of large 

floatation balloons. 

A team from the University of Algarve 

has planted corals and other plants 

typical to the area around the structure 

and these have taken well and are 

spreading rapidly. “It is already a great 

attraction for divers who visit our 

marina,” Massapina says. 

The IWMC 2023 field trip was 

generously sponsored by Lindley. 



39

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PROPERTY 

Regeneration continues 

at Isle of Wight harbour 

Bembridge Harbour (above), a picturesque port of call on the Isle of Wight, 

is very unusual. Unlike other UK harbours, it is privately owned and with its 

own Act of Parliament that sets out the terms of its management. But, over the 

years, private ownership has not necessarily been kind to it. 

On Christmas Eve in 2011, the 

current owners Fiona and Malcolm 

Thorpe concluded a deal to buy the 

harbour from administrators who had 

been appointed earlier in the year. 

Although armed with enthusiasm and 

vision, the Thorpes knew they had 

challenges ahead. 

Bembridge Harbour experienced 

torrid times under various private 

ownerships until the turn of the century 

but most of the damage was done to 

its balance sheet and reputation in the 

decade up to 2010. The immediate 

issue for the Thorpes was a huge 

lack of both annual berth holders and 

visiting customers. A programme of 

weekly talks to local sailing clubs and 

associations between Brighton and 

Weymouth on the English south coast 

was instigated, along with discussions 

with the three clubs resident at 

Bembridge Harbour. 

As a result, upgraded longer berthing 

pontoons with electric connections 

were installed; more harbour taxis 

were purchased; better shower and 

toilet facilities were constructed; and 

customer car parking was enhanced. 

One forward-thinking enhancement 

was the establishment of a covered 

drystack facility; still a rare thing in 

the south of England. A large shed 

fronting on to the harbour, with a 

slipway adjacent to the harbour office, 

was acquired within a couple of years. 

A Wiggins Bull marina forklift was 

imported from the USA and full racking 

installed to create Bembridge Boat 

Storage, a facility for around 100 boats 

(mostly RIBS and sports boats) up to 

10m (33ft) in length. 

“It took some four or five years for 

the sailing community to realise that 

the harbour had become a serious 

destination on the Isle of Wight 

alongside Cowes and Yarmouth,” 

Malcolm Thorpe says. “By then we 

had a resident restaurant – The Best 

Dressed Crab – operating on one of 

our berth holder’s pontoons – and we 

decided to promote the Duver Café 

and Steve’s Bar specifically for visiting 

yachts where local yards have a regular 

evening happy hour together with 

harbour customers.” 

Development is ongoing. “Our 

present project is the construction 

of a brand new harbour office on 

two storeys on the main dock-head 

overlooking the visitors’ pontoon that 

will be completed in March 2024. This 

will include showers and toilet facilities 

plus the return of our Galley Locker 

shop,” Thorpe confirms. “This planning 

approval also includes 13 yachtsmen’s 

cottages around the harbour to be 

developed at a later stage.” 

Thorpe acknowledges an interesting 

12 years at the helm of a fascinating 

and wonderful location but is it time for 

more change at Bembridge? “Wishing 

I was 30 years younger, even I have to 

admit that, at the age of 75, perhaps 

it is time to hand the helm over to 

younger management to take the 

business further forwards.” 

Anyone interested in learning more 

about a potential purchase of this 

unique harbour can email: malcolm@ 

bembridgeharbour.co.uk 


41

AWARD-WINNING MARINAS 

Voting in the best for 2023 

Every year brings a huge bevy of industry and general business awards for many aspects of marina and yard operations, 

such as sustainability, entrepreneurial spirit, commitment and performance. While the majority are national or regional, 

a handful while focusing most strongly on their own market, also seek to honour and reward marinas at an international 

level. 

Examples for 2023 include the 

Nautilus Marine Insurance Marina 

of the Year Awards, facilitated by 

Australia-based Marina Industries 

Association (MIA); The Yacht Harbour 

Association (TYHA) Marina Awards run 

by TYHA, UK and sponsored by Haven 

Knox-Johnston; and the Sustainable 

Smart Marina Awards as part of the 

Monaco Sustainable & Smart Marina 

Rendezvous. 

Nautilus Marina 

of the Year 

Referring to the 2023 awards as 

“another incredibly successful industry 

celebration,” MIA president Andrew 

Chapman CMM said that record entries 

in many categories had been received. 

The awards were presented in May at a 

gala dinner event at the Cruising Yacht 

Club of Australia, Darling Point, New 

South Wales. 

Marina of the Year (over 140 boats) 

was awarded to Sanctuary Cove 

Marina. General manager, Steve 

Sammes, collected the award and 

commented on owner Mulpha’s brave 

Steve Sammes, general manager Mulpha 

Sanctuary Cove Marina, receives the 

Marina of the Year award (over 140 boats) 

in the Nautilus/MIA award ceremony. 

$10 million investment in providing 

Australia’s first undercover berthing for 

recreational boaters. Marina Mirage, 

a recently redeveloped facility on the 

Gold Coast, won Marina of the Year 

(under 140 boats). The boutique marina 

is managed by GC Marine on behalf of 

the asset owner Makris Group. 

The highly 

competitive Club 

of the Year award 

went to Royal 

Queensland Yacht 

Squadron (RQ). 

Karen Baldwin, RQ 

CEO, received the 

award, commenting 

“I am so excited 

about what is 

ahead for this club, 

I see so much 

more potential, 

opportunity and 

growth.” 

For the second year in a row, the 

International Marina of the Year 

Award was received by One15 Marina 

Sentosa Cove. Marina director, James 

Roy, and general manager, Jonathan 

Sit, flew in from Singapore to accept 

the award. 

Sydney Harbour Boat Storage 

at White Bay 

Marine Park also 

scored a second 

consecutive win 

as Best Dry Boat 

Storage. Lorraine 

Yates, MIA director 

and general 

manager of White 

Bay Marine Park, 

commented: 

“Industry 

recognition is so 

important and we 

are grateful for 

awards such as 

these. We have a 

beautiful facility in 

a stunning location 

and I am privileged 

that the owners 

entrust us to run 

it for them. We 

talk every day about safety, quality and 

customer service, and this is the result.” 

The Yard Brisbane secured Boatyard 

of the Year (over 20 boats) and the hotly 

contested Boatyard of the Year (under 

20 boats) award went to Nicky Vaux 

and her team at Empire Marina Bobbin 

Head. 

Team members from Boatfolk marina 

Royal Quays hold trophies awarded for 

UK Coastal Marina of the Year (over 250 

berths). 

TYHA Marina of the Year 

The Yacht Harbour Association 

Marina Awards, presented at the UK’s 

Southampton Boat Show in September, 

attracted strong representation from 

many of the 200 plus Gold Anchor 

accredited marinas around the world 

that were eligible to win the 2023 

accolades. 

TYHA general manager, Jon White, 

commented: “These awards are voted 

for by berth holders and celebrate 

the very best marinas both in the UK 

and overseas and provide a perfect 

opportunity to recognise those marinas 

that go above and beyond, offering 

outstanding quality and service to their 

berth holders and visitors.” 

The winning marinas were: 

• Royal Quays Marina (UK Coastal 

Marina of the Year – over 250 berths) 

• Emsworth Yacht Harbour (UK Coastal 

Marina of the Year – under 250 

berths) 

• Campbell Wharf Marina (UK Inland 

Marina of the Year) 


AWARD-WINNING MARINAS 

• Vilamoura Marina, Portugal 

(International Marina of the Year) 

• Yalikavak Marina, Turkey (Superyacht 

Marina of the Year) 

• Haslar Marina, UK (Sustainability 

Award) 

• Porto Montenegro, Montenegro 

(Marina Team of the Year) 

Sustainable 

Smart Marina 

Karpaz Gate Marina in North Cyprus 

and Limassol Marina in the Republic 

of Cyprus were joint winners of the 

International Smart & Sustainable 

Marina Award at September’s 

Monaco Sustainable & Smart Marina 

Rendezvous. The event, which attracted 

over 250 participants, was organised by 

M3 (Monaco Marina Management). 

The awards were presented 

in recognition of sustainable and 

innovative practices, actions and 

initiatives for driving positive change. 

Karpaz Gate Marina managing 

director, Liza Singer, commented: 

“We saw a high level of competition 

here with very competent marinas 

Award winners at the Monaco Sustainable & Smart Rendezvous held in September. 

and are very proud to have won. We 

inaugurated our marina 11 years ago 

and it was developed straight away as 

a sustainable and smart marina as it is 

in a remote undeveloped area that is 

not politically recognised. The aim was 

to introduce the boating community to a 

new destination.” 

Tom Lord, managing director of 

Limassol Marina, said: “We are very 

happy to win this award. As we built 

this project from a blank canvas, we 

were able to incorporate the latest 

technologies and best practices. In 

terms of operations, we continue to 

invest in new technologies to show 

what can be done in marinas in 

sustainability terms.” 

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ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS & INITIATIVES 

D-Marin makes €1.7 

million investment 

D-Marin, operator of 20 marinas in Greece, Turkey, the UAE, Montenegro, 

Croatia, Italy and Spain is installing a €1.7 million solar power network to 

increase its current investment in renewable sources. 

The first phase of solar panels is Turkish marinas, Didim and Turgutreis. 

already installed at Borik, Mandalina Combined, the panels produce 4.9GWh 

and Dalmacija marinas in Croatia, and of energy per year – the equivalent 

works are ongoing at two of D-Marin’s annual energy consumption of 1,345 

MDL continues multimillion 

pound roll-out 

Supporting its commitment to sustainability and further investing in its green 

infrastructure, MDL Marinas has installed a new system of solar panels at its 

Cobb’s Quay Marina in Poole, Dorset. 

Part of a multi-million pound roll-out 

across its UK marina network, the 

new 34kW photovoltaic system at the 

1,130 berth marina in picturesque 

Poole Harbour will produce around 

31,500kWh of electricity each year, 

saving over 9,500kg of carbon and the 

equivalent of planting 425 trees. 

Installed by specialist solar energy 

contractor Your Eco on the roof of the 

main facilities building, the 82 new solar 

panels join 120 panels installed in 2011 

and 270 installed in 2021, bringing the 

total number of solar panels across 

MDL’s network to 1,134. 

The electricity generated by the 

new solar modules will be used to 

power MDL’s activities and services. 

Giving live, measurable data, MDL’s 

website will display the total power 

now generated at Cobb’s Quay, and its 

other marinas, along with the total C02 

emission saved. 

“Our aim is to power our marinas 

through on-site generated renewable 

energy,” said MDL’s estates director 

Simon Welch. “We’ll continue with 

the multi-million roll out of solar panel 

installations across our other marinas, 

as we work through our planned green 

Solar panels installed at 

Turgutreis Marina, Turkey. 

households – which equates to 71% of 

the energy used by D-Marin across the 

five marinas. 

Areti Priovolou, health, safety and 

environmental officer at D-Marin, said: 

“Our ESG [Environmental, Social 

& Governance] strategy is core to 

everything we do. This investment 

in solar power represents a notable 

milestone in our journey to constantly 

reduce our carbon footprint, marking 

the next step in our commitment to the 

Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) 

pathway.” 

“We know that solar power stations 

will lead to a significant reduction in the 

amount of energy needed from nonrenewable 

sources. This, in turn, will 

help us protect the stunning yachting 

destinations we call home while 

maintaining a premium marina service. 

We will be installing solar panels across 

all 20 D-Marin marinas as we work 

towards creating a self-sufficient marina 

network.” 

The project is part of the company’s 

ESG strategy and vision to create 

sustainable marinas for present 

and future generations. D-Marin is 

audited for ESG by Ecovadis, the 

global authority providing business 

sustainability ratings, which ranks it 

in the top 30% of leisure companies 

globally for environmental practices. 

The 82 new solar panels installed at 

Cobb’s Quay bring MDL’s total 

to 1,134 across its network. 

investment programme.” 

“By investing in solar at its marinas, 

MDL has afforded long-term energy 

security from a renewable source, 

future-proofing the company’s energy 

supply,” added Nick Spicer of Your Eco. 


47


Sustainable 

sanitation for 

America’s Cup bases 

Four of the six bases to be used in the port of Barcelona, Spain for the 2024 

America’s Cup will have a Flovac pneumatic sewerage network of vacuum 

valves for the evacuation of grey and hydrocarbon water. 

All of the facilities that host the teams 

for this most important and prestigious 

sailing competition are undergoing 

adaptation work so as to offer the best 

infrastructure for the participants. The 

level of demand is extreme as these 

teams work with the latest technologies 

and the best professionals on the 

planet. 

Flovac has carried out all necessary 

modifications, and its equipment is 

already operating in Marina Vela, 

Marina Barcelona 92, Marina Port 

Vell and the Muelle Orientale, all of 

which are located in the Port Vell of 

Barcelona. 

The main difference between a 

pneumatic vacuum valve system and 

a conventional system is that it works 

with minimum energy consumption, i.e. 

just the central management system 

requirement. Being an airtight system, 

it completely avoids odours, and it 

remains completely airtight even in 

the event of a burst pipe. The vacuum 

Marina Port Vell in Barcelona, 

Spain is one of four America’s 

Cup bases fitted with a Flovac 

pneumatic sewerage network. 

absorbs the outside air without any 

spillage. The system is eco-sustainable 

as, in addition to saving energy, it 

is guaranteed not to generate any 

pollution. 

Flovac has plenty of national and 

international experience having 

completed projects in the Caribbean, 

USA, Vietnam and Australia and 

can adapt its system to any size 

or requirement. “We do tailormade 

projects. Depending on the 

characteristics of each port, we can 

offer different formats or create a 

completely new one if necessary,” says 

Flovac’s commercial director Bruno 

Galindo. 

The Flovac system solves three 

problems at once with a single 

installation: the evacuation of 

wastewater in buildings, and evacuation 

of grey and bilge water on boats. 

Five teams from the UK, Switzerland, 

Italy, the USA and France have 

challenged to snatch the mythical 

Hundred Guineas Cup from the 

defending champions Emirates Team 

New Zealand. The first preliminary 

regatta was held recently with AC40 

boats, almost half the length of the 

AC75s, meaning that the teams of 

the next America’s Cup have already 

become users of the Flovac system. 

www.flovac.es 

Using bacteria 

to eliminate 

hydrocarbon 

residues 

Marina Ibiza has become the first 

marina in Spain to promote and use 

a device known as Bio-Box, which 

uses a 100% natural product capable 

of digesting hydrocarbons. 

In the event of a spill in the marina’s 

waters or contamination spread via 

the Levant wind, the microscopic living 

beings in the Bio-Box help return the 

water to its purity and transparency 

without damaging the environment with 

toxic substances. 

“This product is based on 

microorganisms composed of 

enzymes and bacteria. The enzymes 

are responsible for breaking down 

the molecular chain, in this case the 

hydrocarbon enzymes, by making 

them smaller. The bacteria can then 

digest them by transforming them into 

CO2 and clean water, without leaving 

residues,” says Mirko Abbruzzese, 

co-founder of La Alternativa Eco the 

promoter of Bio-Box in Spain. 

The system consists of a hose 

that runs from its container along the 

pontoon to the sea, dripping bacteria 

into the water at a certain frequency 

while an air pump siphons oxygen into 

the water to activate the bacteria and 

begin the process. 

The bacteria are protected 

shoreside by a box built specially for 

their conservation. This is strikingly 

decorated to create a visual impact and 

provide relevant information that raises 

awareness among marina users. 

“The bacteria lie dormant in a special 

container on land. If necessary, they’re 

channelled into the sea and start 

creating their colony, but they always 


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need sustenance, i.e. 

hydrocarbon (petrol, 

diesel, mineral oil, etc.) 

and oxygen, which we 

add with an air pump. 

When they reach the 

water and come into 

contact with oxygen, 

they’re activated and 

start to act,” Abbruzzese 

explains. 

Daniel Marí, manager 

of Marina Ibiza, is closely 

monitoring the results of 

the small microorganisms 

as they’re an incredible 

natural solution to a 

problem with a huge 

environmental impact. 

The new system has been 

installed at a specific point in 

Marina Ibiza where, due to its proximity 

to the fuel station and also due to the 

easterly Levant wind, spills and dirt 

tend to build up. However, there are 

challenges because it’s a semi-open 

space, with movement of yachts and 

water currents. 

The microorganisms begin to work as 

The Marina Ibiza team is closely monitoring the results of the 

Bio-Box installation. 

soon as they’re released into the sea 

by generating a natural foam, which 

is a sign that they’re active, and any 

patches gradually start to fade away, 

leaving the water crystal-clear and 

without an oily surface. 

“There’s a widespread belief in 

the yachting industry that the right 

thing to do in the event of a spill is to 

throw a popular washingup 

liquid into the water 

because it has a dispersing 

effect, but this product is 

harmful to marine flora 

and fauna, and has a longlasting 

effect on the marine 

environment,” Abbruzzese 

notes, emphasising that these 

bacteria are a 100% organic 

bioremediation solution in the 

event of accidents, with results 

that can be seen straight away. 

“The collaboration of Marina 

Ibiza in this project has 

been vital, as it has provided 

the place, the staff, and 

the technical and financial 

resources for the development of 

Bio-Box. On behalf of La Alternativa 

Eco, we’ve been responsible for the 

design and construction of the first 

bioremediation box that is energyautonomous 

thanks to the installed 

solar panel. We’re very grateful and 

happy with this first step towards a 

more sustainable yachting industry,” 

says Abbruzzese’s business partner 

Diego de la Viña. 


51

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MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 

Mooloolaba Marina is a 

popular hub for boaters and 

non-boaters. 

Smart software and 

yachting boom drive 

success in Mooloolaba 

Mooloolaba Marina in Queensland, Australia has the wind in its sails with a 

recent boom in yacht ownership and the use of powerful marina management 

software helping to push its average annual berth occupancy rate up to 90% 

this year. 

After expanding its capacity from 

167 to 265 berths in 2008, the bustling 

marina introduced PacsoftNG, realising 

that without a comprehensive marina 

management software platform it would 

be a major challenge to manage such a 

large operation. 

Marina manager Jason Roles said 

the decision to upgrade had paid 

dividends, particularly in light of the 

growing demand for yachts and rapid 

growth in Australian yacht ownership 

following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“COVID saw a dramatic shift in 

occupancy trends and many people 

investing in boats as overseas travel 

was off the cards,” he noted. 

According to Roles, the software’s 

modules have made it easy for marina 

staff to handle everything, from berth 

rental and payments to customer 

details, invoicing and SMS and email 

customer communications. He also 

said the berth rental and visual marina 

functionality in PacsoftNG was more 

comprehensive than comparable 

features in other systems, enabling 

Mooloolaba’s team to easily manage 

its berthing rental pool system, which 

oversees the management and rental 

of privately-owned berths as part of a 

collective pool. 

“PacsoftNG can manage our 

complicated berthing rental pool 

system. I haven’t seen another system 

that can. We can place and remove 

berths from the rental pool easily, 

change ownership and at the end of 

each month it calculates the net income 

we pay to our berth members.” 

As more and more visitors have 

flocked to the marina the increase 

in custom has led to the marina’s 

office team growing from two people 

to four, all of whom use PacsoftNG 

to manage berths and communicate 

with customers to ensure 

their experience is as 

streamlined as possible. 

Roles said that in 2014 

the marina’s average 

annual occupancy was 

70%, so to steadily grow 

to over 90% was a big 

achievement. “We are less 

seasonal these days, rarely 

dropping below 80% in our 

quietest months and we 

book out well in advance for 

our peak season December 

to January.” 

Mooloolaba Marina is a 

paradise for anyone who 

loves being in or on the 

water, with a vast range of 

activities and services for 

everyone from the casual 

beach tourist to the hardcore boater. 

The marina features several boating 

clubs, a marine skills training provider, 

marine surveyor, insurance and boat 

brokers and varied boat maintenance 

services. If a service is not onsite, 

customers can access an online local 

service directory. The marina also 

serves as a hub for fishing charters, 

scuba tours and seafood cruises whilst 

whale watching trips and submarine 

diving excursions are a short stroll 

down the road for people who want to 

explore the depths. 

Without a well-managed marina 

management system boaters might 

not be able to make the most of the 

services Mooloolaba Marina has to 

offer. 

Roles said one of the benefits of 

PacsoftNG was that it was a onestop-shop 

solution that could manage 

all the services the marina provided 

and was also intuitive for new staff. 

“New team members can learn quite 

quickly how to book in a vessel, send 

out confirmations and check them in. 

There’s also a lot of flexibility in terms 

of reporting. Over the years we have 

set up our own Microsoft Word-based 

customised confirmation emails and 

check-in agreements for customers 

which we merge with customer details 

from PacsoftNG and email or print out.” 

“Customers can pay berthing fees 

online straight from their invoice or by 

credit card using the Windcave add-on, 

thanks to payment integration within 


53

For over 35 years, Den Hartog Industries in Hospers, Iowa has 

elevated the quality of foam-filled float drums, setting the industry 

standards and is a leader in the marine industry on quality, durability 

and longevity. Visit www.acefloatdrums.com for a variety of product 

sizes, specifications with bouyancy and technical information. 

“Ocean Reef Marina”, Panamá 

 

05.763

MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE 

Installing PacsoftNG software 

has pushed occupancy at 

Mooloolaba up to 90% this 

year. 

PacsoftNG’s software. With 

so many moving parts at the 

marina it’s a relief to have a 

software tool that can handle 

the heavy lifting.” 

“There are many flexible 

options in terms of how 

we choose to operate, for 

example we recently just 

changed from charging 

based on boat length to 

charging on berth length 

– with just a few simple 

changes in the system.” 

The future is bright for 

Mooloolaba Marina with the 

peak summer season round 

the corner. 

“We like to think it’s a place 

where people arrive for a 

night or two, but choose to 

stay a little longer,” Roles 

said. 

www.pacsoftmms.com 


55

PRODUCTS, SERVICES & PEOPLE 

Stacking up on 

Okanagan Lake 

An eight ton top-running stacker crane from Capria sits at the heart of Mission 

Group’s new drystack-only Aqua Boat Club in Kelowna, British Columbia. The 

facility is part of the Group’s Aqua Waterfront Village on Okanagan Lake, a 

picturesque glacial Canadian fjord. 

Mission Group has 

located the 160-vessel 

drystack building away 

from the valuable 

mixed-use shoreline. 

It covers an area of 

2,801m² (30,150ft²) and 

has narrow aisles and 

a 19.5m (64ft) ceiling. 

The Capria crane was 

selected for safety 

and ease of use and 

as a more appropriate 

solution than forklifts. 

“We looked at our 

Marine focus for new website 

A sharper focus on Capria’s marine-specific solutions can now be found on 

the new website www.thestackermachinery.com 

Monica Capria, who heads up 

marketing and business development, 

explained the rationale: “With a 

company the size of Capria and the 

scope of industrial machinery we 

manufacture, our drystack solutions 

were somewhat obscured within our 

general industrial website,” she said. 

“This new site better showcases how 

marinas and drystack businesses can 

increase productivity, profitability and 

customer satisfaction.” She explains 

that, with a standard set-up, the allelectric 

system can remove a boat of up 

options and travelled to Canadian and 

US marinas for references,” said Austin 

Friesen, vice president of Aqua Boat 

Club. “They voiced many annoyances 

regarding working with forklifts at 

heights. We wanted our operators to 

be able to move with the crane forks so 

as to mitigate accidents from a loss of 

depth perception.” 

CE-marked and manufactured to ISO 

9001 standards, the all-electric Capria 

crane is semi-automated. As members 

select an arrival time using the Boat 

Cloud mobile app, the crane operator 

is notified of the request. Whether 

on a lower rack or nearer the ceiling, 

the operator is in an anti-fall cabin 

and always at eye level with the boat. 

This drastically reduces the chance of 

pulling a boat off centre or hitting an 

adjacent vessel while working. “Our 

crew has never been happier,” said 

Friesen. “The crane is simple to use 

and there’s no exhaust noise or dust 

kicked up from tyres.” 

Once the boat is off the rack, the 

operator uses the crane to place it on 

one of Aqua Boat Club’s loading trucks 

that then transports it to the water for 

launching. When the member arrives, 

the boat is fuelled, potable water 

topped up and a complimentary bag of 

ice placed on board. 

The club currently moves 86 vessels 

a day but expects to move 

more when it increases 

its ground loading slips 

from nine to 16. Once 

construction is finalised, 

the club will accommodate 

193 boats of up to 9m 

(29ft 6in) in length. 

Aqua Boat Club 

operates from May to 

September and operates 

an optional Boat Sharing 

Programme. Members can 

choose from one of the 

club’s fleet of brand-new 

premium sport boats. 

to 13m (43ft) and 10,000kg (22,050lbs) 

from a rack and have it floating in less 

than three minutes. 

The bi-lingual website is tailored to 

the needs of marine professionals. 

It provides a detailed comparison of 

how the Capria solution compares 

to a traditional forklift solution and 

how it can be incorporated into new 

construction or existing drystack sheds 

with minimal downtime. 


Boat Hoists 

Trailer Hoists 

Slipway Hoists 

Boat Transporters 

Amphibious Hoists 

Industrial/Bespoke 

Design 

Design, Manufacture, Support 

+44 (0)1535 272033 

sales@wisehandling.co.uk 

www.wisehandling.co.uk


Digital payment solution for visitor moorings 

After the successful launch of new charging points for electric boats in Cowes Harbour on the UK’s Isle of Wight earlier 

this summer, Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) has improved the payment system for visitors. 

Both Trinity Landing and Town Quay 

in Cowes now have an easy to use 

smartphone payment system for all 

short stay visitor moorings of RIBS and 

small craft. The system was designed 

specifically for CHC by parking and 

payments specialist Avalon. 

“Cowes Harbour had identified that 

visitor mooring payments were not 

user-friendly and Avalon’s system 

has brought them into the digital age,” 

said Avalon director Tim Watkins. “The 

previous process was totally manual 

and not at all convenient for users who 

had to walk to the office and rely on the 

availability of a member of staff.” 

Visitors simply use their mobile 

device to scan the QR code, enter 

a few key details and pay for their 

mooring, leaving them more time to 

enjoy their visit. 

www.avalonpay.co.uk 

Meet us at METS booth 05.764 

The choice of professionals 

www.roodberg.com 

The Original 


Suppliers & Services 

March 2024 – February 2025 

Add your company entry now at www.marinaworld.com 

Deadline for editorial entries 26th January 2024 

For advertising options: 

The Americas: pcritot@marinaworld.com 

Italy: nauta@ediconsult.com 

France: catherinemetais@marinaworld.com 

Rest of World: juliahallam@marinaworld.co.uk

ONE SMART ENERGY 

PLATFORM FOR YOUR 

ENTIRE MARINA 

With SenTrance Control Power 

• SenTrance Control Power increases energy 

efficiency in the marina. 

• It saves energy costs 

• SenTrance Control Power enables remote monitoring 

and control of energy usage. 

• It enhances safety by identifying and addressing 

issues in real-time. 

• Improved customer experience through reliable and 

consistent energy service. 

visit seijsener.com 

Or scan QR-code 

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

 

 

Pu customer a th hel 

wit ou ne onlin custome pta 

Pacsoft NG is your comprehensive platform for 

management of marina and boatyard operations 

Learn more at pacsoftmms.com


New forklift 

boosts 

operator 

confidence 

Marine Travelift has delivered a 

new M2300H (23,000 lb/10,000 kg 

capacity) Hydro M_Drive marine 

forklift to The Boat House Chicago 

on the Fox Chain O’Lakes. The Boat 

House is a one-stop-shop for all 

things boating and is the sole marina 

on the Chain O’Lakes equipped with 

multiple negative lift marine fork 

trucks. 

The Marine Travelift team made a 

site visit to the marina in order to fully 

understand the customer’s needs, take 

measurements and ensure nothing was 

being overlooked. The forklift benefits 

from an increased grade package to 

ensure easy operation in all parts of 

the yard, now and in the future. It has 

an auto lubrication system for ease of 

maintenance and a camera system that 

includes a back-up camera and second 

wireless camera on the carriage to give 

ultimate visibility to the operator. 

“Site visits and discussions on future 

plans are both essential pieces of any 

sale,” says Marine Travelift director of 

sales and marketing Brock Rubens. 

Popular boat lifts form 

part of renovation project 

Safe Harbor North Palm Beach in Florida recently installed 18 four-post 

boat lifts from Golden Manufacturing. Part of a larger renovation project, the 

addition gives slip holders the option of a premium storage solution. 

Eight of the lifts are for vessels of 

up to 24,000 lbs (11,000 kg) and ten 

for boats up to 32,000 lbs (15,000 kg). 

The CE-approved lifts are built to ISO 

9001:2015 standards using only fully 

welded marine-grade T6 aluminium 

with 300-series stainless steel 

hardware. This dramatically reduces 

maintenance and ensures long-term 

structural rigidity. Each is powered by 

the renowned Golden Sea-Drive lift 

motor. 

“All 18 lifts have signed contracts,” 

confirmed Josh Steib, Safe Harbor 

North Palm Beach general manager. 

“Feedback so far has all been positive 

– people love them. They’re easy to 

get on and off and lift evenly every 

“We ultimately want to provide a 

solution that fits the customer’s current 

facility but also works with their future 

goals.” 

Marine Travelift also built the unit with 

a very short 105in (267cm) wheelbase 

to achieve a more precise turning 

radius and lowered the overall mast 

height which is necessary to ensure 

seamless entry and exit through the 

barn doors. 

time without issue.” The installation of 

the lifts is part of Safe Harbor’s master 

plan for its North Palm Beach location, 

which also included rebuilding two 

seawalls and replacing batter piles. 

Just a mile from the Palm Beach 

Inlet yet three miles inland, keyholeshaped 

Safe Harbor North Palm 

Beach is a hurricane hole and can 

offer refuge from serious storms. The 

marina has hardwood-decked floating 

docks and a wide array of shoreside 

amenities including a newly-added 

permanent food truck and live music. 

Additionally, members have access to 

swimming, golf and tennis at nearby 

North Palm Beach Country Club. 

www.goldenboatlifts.com 

“Our operators are more assured and 

secure while handling and relocating 

boats with the reliability and durability 

the new machine provides,” explains 

general manager Don Schnurr. “They 

have developed a strong preference for 

the new machine and it’s reassuring 

to witness the confidence in their 

expression each time they lift and 

manoeuvre boats.” 

www.marinetravelift.com 


61


Index to Advertisers 

AMI Conference & Expo, USA 40 

ASAR, USA 18 

American Muscle, USA 38 

Applied Technology & 

Management, USA 51 

Aqua superPower, UK 44 

Bellingham Marine, USA 7, 9 & 11 

Bluewater Marine & Dock, USA 50 

Boat Lift, Italy 22 

Capria, Argentina 46 

Conolift by Kropf Industrial, 

Canada 26 & 34 

D-Marin, Greece 29 

Den Hartog Industries, USA 54 

EMP, USA 50 

Eagle Floats by 

Hendren Plastics, USA 49 

Flovac, Spain 63 

GH Cranes & Components, 

Spain 24 

Gigieffe, Italy 37 

Golden Manufacturing, 

USA 14 & 15 

Horizon Marina, China 40 

Ingemar, Italy 12 

Inmare, Italy 60 

Lindley, Portugal 20 

Livart, China 34 

Marex, Croatia 46 

Marina Master by IRM, 

Slovenia 41 

Marina Projects, UK 64 

MARINAGo 

by Scribble Software, USA 16 

Marine Travelift, USA 45 

Marinetek, Finland 4 

Martini Marinas, Italy 43 

Molo, USA 30 

Pacsoft, New Zealand 60 

PierPump by 

Vogelsang, Germany 8 

Plus Marine, Italy 55 

Poralu Marine, France 33 

Rolec, UK 10 

Ronautica, Spain 54 

Roodberg - a brand of Frisian 

Industries, Netherlands 58 

SF Marina System, 

Sweden 2 

Seaflex, Sweden 6 

Seijsener, Netherlands 60 

Superior Group, Australia 44 

Walcon Marine, UK 24 

Wiggins Lift Co, USA 38 

Wise Handling, UK 57 

Marinetek hones 

management team 

Marinetek is strengthening its hold on the Finnish market and, at the same time, 

expanding its global presence by investing in key people and positions in the 

Group. The aim is to speed up processes and serve a broader customer base. 

“Marinetek is on a growth path,” 

confirms Marinetek Group CEO Santeri 

Suoranta. “To further accelerate the 

growth and strategy execution, we have 

reorganisations and new appointments 

to the Marinetek management team.” 

Valtteri Vauramo 

Valtteri 

Vauramo has 

been appointed 

managing 

director of 

Marinetek 

Finland. He 

replaces 

Markku Rantanen, one of the two 

founders of Marinetek. Rantanen 

continues to work at Marinetek 

Finland as a director, focusing his 

time on marina projects and sales 

for the domestic market as well as 

large scale export projects. 

“I’m happy to take the helm at 

Marinetek Finland as the company 

is in great shape thanks to Markku’s 

excellent work. I’m also happy to 

continue working with Markku,” 

Vauramo says. 

Vauramo is a highly experienced 

marina industry specialist and has 

worked with Marinetek in various 

roles for over ten years, most recently 

as director for Central and Northern 

Europe. He also worked for over a 

decade in the marina construction 

industry in the Middle East and 

Australia. 

Jukka Tukia 

Jukka Tukia has 

become CFO 

of Marinetek 

Group and a 

member of 

the Group’s 

management 

team. He joins Marinetek from Niemi 

Palvelut Oy, where he worked as 

CFO. 

Tukia has extensive knowledge 

over a wide range of industries. He 

has ten years of M&A (Mergers and 

Acquisitions) experience with KPMG 

and Ernst & Young and over 12 years 

of CFO, HR director and business 

controller experience from service, 

retail, logistics and construction 

industries in Finland. 

“I am happy to have Jukka on board,” 

Suoranta says. “He has extensive 

experience from M&A transactions, 

developing business control and 

structured processes. Advancing our 

financial processes and tools is key 

for us to improve manoeuvrability and 

steering of our operations.” 

Jussi Boman 

Jussi 

Boman 

has been 

appointed as 

engineering 

director of 

Marinetek 

Group and a 

member of the Group’s management 

team. 

Boman is an experienced product 

designer and a far from new face at 

Marinetek. Before spending the past 

two years at Metso, where he worked 

as engineering manager, he worked 

for almost a decade at Marinetek in 

various engineering roles, including 

leading the engineering team. 

“I’ve been designing marinas, 

pontoons and accessories for most of 

my career and they are very familiar 

to me. The past two years at Metso 

Outotec working on processing 

technology were very interesting 

and educational. I’m confident that 

the experience can be beneficial at 

Marinetek as well,” he says. 

In his role as engineering director, 

Boman follows Henri Markus who has 

been appointed technical director of 

Marinetek Group. 

www.marinetek.net 


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 | H ONG KONG +852 3796 3533 | C YPRUS +357 97714495

2023 November December Marina World

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