2024 May June Marina World

Marina 

www.marinaworld.com 

World 

May/June 2024 

Issue 143 

Essential reading for marina and waterfront developers, planners and operators

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May/June 2024 Vol. 24, No. 5 

13 

30 

CONTENTS 

World News 7 

Marina Planning & Design 

The multiple factors in modern design 13 

Planning Spoilbank Marina 18 

Sustainable design is just “good design” 21 

Living Seawalls 27 

Company Focus 30 

Italian marina build company Ingemar celebrates 

45 years in 2024. CEO and founder, Lorenzo Isalberti, 

talks to Marina World 

Marina Groups 34 

Private Mediterranean marina network, Marinedi, is on an 

ambitious path to protect the environment 

Buying & Selling Marinas 37 

37 

Smart Technology 49 

Product and service providers give advice on the most 

cost-effective ways to adopt smart systems 

Products, Services & People 56 

On the cover: 

Marina di Vieste is one of 

15 marinas in the Marinedi 

group portfolio. Racking up 

an important influence in the 

Mediterranean marina sector, 

the group has set high goals 

for sustainability and is in the 

forefront of defending and 

promoting the tourist port 

industry. Read more p.34 

www.marinaworld.com – May/June 2024 

3



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Perfecting 

plans 

As you will read in this issue, industry experts need to take an increasing 

number of factors, aspirations and practicalities into account when planning 

and designing a new marina, marina refurbishment or expansion. Lorenzo 

Isalberti sums all up neatly in the special Ingemar 45 th anniversary Company 

Focus (p.30) by emphasising that marinas are no longer concepts for 

‘sheltering and parking boats’ but hubs that centralise and provide different 

services for water-related experiences. 

Mike Ward and Simon Goodhead of UK company Marina Projects, when 

examining the multiple factors in modern design, tell us that in some markets their 

clients are regularly asking them to “break the mould” – and do something exciting 

that has not been seen before. But innovation, as they stress, has to dovetail with 

supply, practicalities and codes. Early project design stages are peppered with 

“healthy debate” and site conditions need to be balanced with vision and aspirations 

so as to identify the “optimum marina design solution.” 

Owners of new marinas often want to enter the market at the top of the class; 

seeking designs and facilities that will secure the highest recognised industry 

accreditations – immediately. Marina Projects balances this goal with sustainable 

design principles, and educates clients with regard to the operational procedures 

and processes they need to implement so as to meet these exacting accreditation 

standards. And, of course, all design needs to take “sustainability” into account. 

Esteban Biondi of US-based Applied Technology & Management bases his article 

(p.21) on the fact that sustainable design is nothing other than “good design”. Good 

design enhances value, reduces risk, and reduces costs on multiple time and spatial 

scales, he says. It’s about people, the environment, and connectivity. 

The PIANC Working Group 148 report published in 2023 states that we should 

seek proactive inclusion of ecological features and identify opportunities for guest 

experience that provide direct benefits to the local community. 

Climate change mitigation should be factored in realistically with designs that can 

be adapted to future change – but meet all the requirements appropriately for now 

and for the near future. 

Operationally, marinas now need to be “smart”. Ward and Goodhead note that 

the correct physical infrastructure needs to form part of the initial design so as to 

integrate with ongoing marina operations, and Idan Cohen of Pick a Pier asserts “the 

future of marinas lies in their evolution into smart, interconnected hubs that optimise 

decision-making and provide valuable insights.” Read more in the Smart Technology 

feature p.49. 

Designing and maintaining marinas at the highest level boosts their value as an 

asset class. Suntex, already the largest marina group in the USA, is now poised to 

spend a further US$1.25 billion on marina acquisitions (p.7) and global investment 

shows no sign of flagging (see p. 37 for our new regular section on Buying & Selling 

Marinas). 

© 2024 Loud & Clear Publishing Ltd 

Views expressed by individual contributors in this issue 

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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

STRONG · SAFE · SUSTAINABLE 

SEAFLEX 

 

1975. 

 

 

 

NEW PRODUCTS AND PATENTS - TWICE 

THE STRENGTH & SAFETY FACTOR 

' 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CUSTOM 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUALITY 

 

 

 

ENVIRONMENT 

 

 

 

TECHNOLOGY 

 

 

 

VALUE 

 

 

 

Headquarters 

SEAFLEX AB 

 

P 

Americas 

SEAFLEX, Inc. 

 

P 

Oceania 

SEAFLEX Australia 

 

P 

THE MOORING SYSTEM

WORLD NEWS 

Billion dollar spend 

on US marinas 

USA: Suntex Marina Investors, the largest stand-alone marina owner in the US, 

and Centerbridge Partners have established a Joint Venture (JV) backed by 

Centerbridge-affiliated funds and global institutional investors to acquire over 

US$1.25 billion in new marinas across the United States. 

The funds will be used to support 

new acquisitions and capital 

improvements at recently acquired 

facilities, as well as for several 

development projects across the 

country. The day-to-day operations of 

the JV will be managed by Suntex, 

for which it will receive customary 

fees. The transaction further expands 

Suntex’s partnership with Centerbridge, 

which first invested in the company in 

2021. 

In connection with the transaction, 

the JV also closed on a revolving credit 

facility of up to $600 million. 

“We’re thrilled to close on this 

joint venture to usher in new growth 

for Suntex Marinas,” said Bryan 

Redmond, CEO Suntex Marinas. 

“While our team continues to increase 

our interest in new acquisitions, a 

portion of these funds are going to be 

dedicated towards redevelopment and 

enhancement of new marinas as well. 

We have an incredible opportunity to 

further grow our network from coast 

to coast and improve upon the Suntex 

experience. We are confident that our 

guests will enjoy what we have in store.” 

“The marina industry has shown 

consistently strong fundamentals 

for many years as enthusiasts have 

invested in more and bigger boats while 

the availability of high-quality marinas 

and boat storage remains scarce,” 

said William Rahm, chairman Suntex 

Marinas and global head of real estate 

Centerbridge Partners. “Bryan and the 

Suntex team have a demonstrated track 

record of acquiring quality properties, 

enhancing operations for customers 

and adding value though accretive 

capital investments.” 

Read more on sales and acquisitions 

in our NEW regular section ‘Buying & 

Selling Marinas’ p.37 

Full steam ahead 

in Taichung 

TAIWAN: The Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) is making good 

progress with its master plan to promote the Port of Taichung as a central 

Taiwan mecca for tourism and recreation. 

Two wharves on the northwest side 

of Mitsui Outlet Park, a mall that has 

attracted tens of millions of visitors 

since opening in December 2018, have 

been designated for a leisure marina. 

Taiwanese yacht club operator Argo 

Yachts Development Co has leased the 

space and will build an international 

standard marina on the site. 

There are subsequent plans to 

develop hotel, dining and retail 

services, as well as family arts and 

entertainment and marine education 

facilities. The ultimate goal is to create 

a multi-faceted complex tailored to 

serve the entertainment, recreation and 

pleasure craft support needs of central 

Taiwan. 

Plans for the project have been under 

way for a number of years and Argo 

Yachts won the tender in a third round of 

bidding in autumn 2023, securing a 30- 

year build and operate lease that covers 

a total area of 10.7ha (26.4 acres), 

5.9ha (14.5 acres) of which is on land. 

The development will proceed in two 

phases, starting with the installation 

of breakwater facilities and berths 

for around 30 boats, a temporary 

clubhouse and boatyard. Phase two will 

add 50 further berths as well as a hotel 

and family-friendly amusement facility. 

 

 

 

 


7

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Skippers and landlubbers alike are clear about one thing: water is 

precious. Whether due to legal requirements or on their own initiative, 

more and more port operators also feel obliged to offer a professional 

disposal station for waste water and bilge water. With its powerful and 

robust rotary lobe pump the PierPump from Vogelsang comes at just 

the right time for all of them. It is easy to install and can be used by boat 

operators at the touch of a button. Emptying the tank takes just a few 

minutes and the waste water is discharged directly into the port‘s waste 

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WORLD NEWS 

Oasis expands reach to Texas 

USA: Oasis Marinas has been contracted to manage JMK5 Marina in Kemah, 

Texas. This is the specialist marina management company’s first managed 

property in Texas and thus expands its reach beyond the Mississippi River and 

into the bustling boating market of Clear Lake. 

“JMK5 Marina is the perfect fit for 

our expansion into Texas, thanks to 

its prime location on Clear Lake and 

the marina’s outstanding amenities,” 

said Oasis Marinas CEO Kenneth 

Svendsen. “We’re eager to bring our 

expertise and passion for high quality 

marina management to Texas, and 

even more excited to make a positive 

impact at JMK5 Marina.” 

JMK5 is a full service marina with 

immediate access to Galveston Bay. 

Located just outside of Houston, it 

features 331 wet slips and a range 

of amenities including a beautiful 

swimming pool, a covered deck, and a 

barbeque and picnic area. 

The marina is a popular destination 

for both tourists and the many boaters 

that call Clear Lake home. Known for 

its boardwalk and proximity to Houston, 

Kemah offers a lively atmosphere with a 

rich history as a commercial shrimping 

town turned leisure destination. 

“Oasis Marinas’ reputation for 

enhancing the boating experience 

aligns perfectly with our goals,” said 

Jerome Karam, CEO and founder of 

JMK5 Holdings. “With Oasis Marinas, 

we believe our marina will continue 

to be a premier destination on Clear 

Lake.” 

USA: Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina in Fort Myers, Florida now has brand new Golden 

Marine aluminium docks after its infrastructure was devastated by storm surge caused by 

Hurricane Ian in September 2022. Dock master, David O’Connor, said that, thanks to Golden 

Marine, the marina was fully operational within just 14 months, just in time for the season. 

Build 

starts for 

Livorno 

ITALY: Construction of the longawaited 

Livorno Marina commenced 

last month (April). The joint venture 

with private yachting group Azimut 

Benetti and D-Marin will deliver 

a notable Mediterranean marina 

designed by Archea of Florence. 

The entire project is expected to 

complete in June 2026 although parts 

of the marina will be available to 

customers ahead of schedule. There 

will be a total of 815 berths. 

In an investment of €14-15 million, 

the project includes renovation of the 

docks, meeting spaces, leisure and 

entertainment amenities. Significant 

parts of the site will be reserved for 

restaurants, bars and offices. The 

marina will feature natural elements, 

such as trees and hedges, in place 

of fencing, solar panels to produce 

a significant proportion of energy, 

and rainwater recovery systems for 

irrigating green spaces. 

Luca Salvetti, mayor of Livorno, said 

the City was delighted to have its own 

marina. “After 16 years, the procedure 

to effectively grant the concession was 

finalised,” he explains. “This represents 

another milestone in the development, 

growth and transformation of the city, 

which will benefit from the boost to the 

local economy in terms of both tourism 

and employment.” 


9

Delivering the marinas 

of tomorrow 

Dubai Harbour - United Arab Emirates 

Hi-tech solutions to connect land and sea 

Pontoons, breakwaters, superyacht piers, floating crossings and 

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

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Dock project completes 

for Marine Max 

USA: Golden Marine Systems has completed the ‘B’ dock construction 

project for Marine Max Pensacola. The newly constructed dock measures an 

impressive 358ft (109m) long, has side-to-tie functionality and comprises 19 

slips designed to accommodate vessels of up to 70ft (21m) in length. The 

addition of a 100ft (30m) fuel 

dock, featuring custom flotation 

tailored for a ship store, 

enhances the dock’s versatility. 

Golden used its 850 Series 

single track pontoon system with 

Endeck PVC decking and 12in 

(30cm) GMS adjustable cleats for 

secure mooring, along with pile 

guides and finger piers to enhance 

functionality and safety for boaters. 

GCG Construction, a general 

contractor based in Fort Myers, 

Florida, played a pivotal role 

in overseeing execution, ensuring 

adherence to the highest standards of 

quality and craftsmanship. Installation 

management was handled by Mid- 

Coast Marine. 

Mike Shanley, president of Golden 

Marine Systems, expressed his 

gratitude for the seamless collaboration 

between Mid-Coast Marine and GCG 

Construction, citing their collective 

efforts as instrumental in the project’s 

resounding success. “The completion 

of the ‘B’ dock project for Marine Max 

Pensacola exemplifies our unwavering 

commitment to delivering superior 

marine solutions,” he said. “We are 

immensely proud of the craftsmanship 

and innovation showcased in this 

project, and we look forward to 

continuing to exceed the expectations 

of our clients.” 

New waterfront to revitalise Muscat 

OMAN: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MoHUP) has announced 

the master plan for a waterfront development in central Muscat, the nation’s 

capital. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), the $1.3 billion Al Khuwair 

Muscat Downtown and Waterfront Development will span 330ha (815 acres) 

and is set to revitalise the area. 

The district will comprise five 

key areas: a marina; a recreational 

waterfront lined with beaches 

and sports facilities; a canal 

walkway; a cultural quarter; and 

a Ministry campus. Incorporating 

residential areas, extensive 

mixed-use developments will cater 

for government and commercial 

businesses, together with arts, 

culture and leisure spaces. 

Continuing Muscat’s rich 

tradition as a historic port city, the Al 

Khuwair development will reflect local 

culture, with the marina acting as 

the cornerstone of the project. It will 

feature a range of attractions while 

emphasising green spaces and public realm 

along with waterfront, including destination 

dining experiences, luxury retail outlets, 

health and wellness facilities, hotels and 

residential spaces. 

WORLD NEWS 

Algarve marina 

now in build 

PORTUGAL: Further to plans 

revealed during the ICOMIA World 

Marinas Conference in Vilamoura 

last October (see report in Marina 

World November/December 2023), 

Vilamoura Marina on the Algarve 

coast has now begun construction 

of its new associated marina. 

Three pontoons with a total of 68 

berths will be installed, equipped with 

the latest technologies. All berths are 

specifically designed for large boats 

of 20 to 40m (66 to 131ft) in order to 

respond to the fast-growing popularity 

of boats in this size range, and 

strengthen the destination’s capacity to 

attract a high net worth demographic. 

Every berth will include multiple 

features, such as individual waste water 

pump-out systems, charging points 

for electric boats, and systems for 

remote monitoring and management 

of water and electricity consumption. 

Work is also underway to explore the 

implementation of desalination systems 

and photovoltaic energy generation. 

Isolete Correia, director of Vilamoura 

World, commented: “This new marina 

in Vilamoura really sets the destination 

apart and responds to the growing 

needs within the market in relation to 

large boats, which currently pass this 

part of the coast.” 

“The new marina is also the result 

of our constant desire to improve the 

service we provide to our clients,” she 

added. “These clients, and those that 

visit and stay in Vilamoura, are the real 

focus of this project and are the ones 

we work for on a daily basis to provide 

them with an ever better and more 

extraordinary experience.” 

Construction of the marina is 

expected to complete by the end of the 

year. 


11

MARINA PLANNING & DESIGN 

Portonovi Marina in Montenegro was 

designed from the outset to achieve high 

levels of accreditation. 

The multiple factors 

in modern design 

Modern marina projects have an increasing range of important factors 

and considerations that need to be addressed through the marina design 

process. Mike Ward and Simon Goodhead of UK-based Marina Projects 

summarise issues and how they interface with traditional and typical design 

considerations. 

There is often a complex matrix of 

considerations, with different clients 

placing emphasis on particular aspects 

of the scheme. In part, the reasons for 

these varying considerations are the 

specific drivers relevant to a particular 

client, making each design project 

unique. These differences, combined 

with factors such as the site conditions 

and the resulting design process, 

require a tailored approach. 

We routinely consider the market 

conditions and influences at a particular 

site to establish the scale and nature of 

demand that can be anticipated. There 

must be a significant focus on the site 

conditions to establish the physical 

and environmental constraints and 

opportunities. Balancing these factors 

with the client’s vision and aspirations is 

at the heart of identifying the optimum 

marina design solution. 

The same set of principles 

applies, whether for a simple marina 

reconfiguration and extension project 

or integrating the design of a marina 

into a new world-class waterfront 

development. 

So, what are the main factors 

influencing marina design studies? 

Marina accreditation 

It is regularly a client requirement 

that the new marina must achieve 

(and even seek to exceed) industry 

recognised accreditation, such as The 

Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA) 

Gold Anchor Platinum Status. In some 

markets we are also regularly being 

asked to “break the mould” and do 

something exciting, something that 

has not been seen before. This is a 

clear signal that clients are pushing the 

industry to innovate. 

There is undoubtedly a tension that 

arises with ambitious and lofty goals 

to push the boundaries when, at its 

heart, the most important aspect of 

any marina is that it must first and 

foremost provide a safe haven, a calm 

environment for leisure boaters and 

their boats. ‘Safe’ and ‘calm’ are not 

necessarily words that ambitious and 

driven clients want to hear. Striking the 

right balance between the traditional 

and innovative can provide for some 

healthy debate during the early design 

stages of a project. 

Of course, ambition and innovation 

often come at a price, both directly 

in terms of infrastructure and capital 

expenditure, but also indirectly in 

terms of efficiency and utilisation of 

water space. Testing design concepts 

through business planning and viability 

modelling can 

both flush 

out the true 

aspirations and 

ambition of a 

client, but also 

help to identify 

the longer term 

commitment 

to deliver and 

maintain the 

Mike Ward 

necessary 

operational standards required to 

sustain the marina accreditation. As 

part of this process, there is often a 

natural filtering of elements that won’t 

have a meaningful bearing on the final 

marina product. 

Sustainability 

Key pillars of modern marina design 

are matters relating to sustainable 

design principles, products and 

working practices/operations, which 

are becoming increasingly important 

as awareness across the industry 

continues to improve and develop. 

Sustainability essentially refers to 

“meeting the needs of today without 

compromising 

the needs of 

tomorrow” and 

can be mostly 

captured under 

three primary 

headings, 

environment; 

social; and 

economic. In 

Simon Goodhead 

broad terms, 

delivering projects to address matters 

arising under each of the three 

headings in a symbiotic and cohesive 

manner is pertinent to sustainable 

marina design. 

There are many challenges that 

clients and operators can be presented 

with; particularly with existing marinas 

seeking to increase their ‘sustainable 

profile’. Examples include the 

introduction of sustainable working 

practices, such as ‘closed loop washdown’ 

in boatyards, which can be both 

expensive in terms of capital investment 


13

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Applying modern marina design codes 

ensures optimum berthing arrangements. 

and require regulatory approval, and 

converting traditional swing moorings 

that create scour on the seabed to 

more sustainable ‘eco moorings’ that 

are less proven in design terms and 

fundamentally will not increase the 

revenue generation. It is important 

to build a compelling argument to 

change needs to satisfy the primary 

sustainability headings. In simple terms, 

moving towards improved sustainable 

design requires a commitment from 

our clients and the marina industry to 

ensure that our sector continues to 

thrive in an ever-evolving landscape. 

Programmes such as Clean Marina 

and Blue Flag are examples of leading 

industry initiatives that are providing 

the guidance and framework upon 

which operators can demonstrate 

their environmental awareness and 

underpin their credentials along with a 

commitment to ongoing improvement. 

The international clean marina 

programmes typically consider the 

impact of marina operations on the 

water body, but historically there has 

been more of a focus in predominantly 

assessing marina operations through 

site management, environmental best 

practice and customer engagement. 

However, with the global focus on 

sustainability, emphasis is emerging 

on the design, technical specification 

and aesthetics of marina infrastructure, 

and it is our responsibility to ensure 

that the principles of sustainability can 

be delivered by the operating marina 

post-design. 

Salt marsh monitoring on the 

Beaulieu River in Hampshire, 

England protects the natural environment. 

Smart marinas 

What is a smart marina and what is 

the role of design in achieving smart 

marinas? 

The International Council of Marine 

Industry Associations (ICOMIA) Marina 

Group usefully defines a smart marina 

as “a marina that is first and foremost 

easily accessible by boaters and other 

stakeholders through digital platforms 

and physical data collection sources, 

such as interconnected sensors. It 

optimises operations through analysis 

of the collected data and adjusts them 

accordingly.” 

More broadly, there is an observed 

potential to connect marinas with 

surrounding services of local 

community facilities, external service 

providers, and for smart marinas to be 

interconnected. 

Similarly to achieving marina 

accreditation, it can be seen that the 

physical smart marina infrastructure 

and systems must be completely 

integrated with the ongoing marina 

operations. As the marina designer, 

communicating this essential link 

through to marina operations, even 

at the conceptual design stage, is of 

paramount importance. 

Retaining that link all the way 

through the design, construction 

and implementation phases can be 

particularly challenging, not least 

because so often the larger waterfront 

development projects have a significant 

lifespan often of many years. 

Design codes 

The role of design codes in achieving 

marina accreditation, sustainable 

design and smart marinas is 

an interesting topic worthy of 

consideration. 

On the face of it, there is a natural 

link between marina accreditation 

and the application of design codes 

but simply meeting the code will not 

achieve the accreditation standard 

because, quite rightly, the standard 

requires extensive consideration of how 

the infrastructure is applied in practice 

to deliver for the needs of the customer. 

Accordingly, there is a significant 

role for operational procedures 

and processes in the accreditation 

assessment, and communicating this to 

our wide range of clients can present a 

challenge. At one end, marina operator 

clients are very familiar with the 

operating procedures, processes and 

requirements, but ambitious waterfront 

developers generally less so. 

There is more that design codes can 

do to support the marina accreditation 


15

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process, and it is also the case that 

design standards need to be brought 

up to date to take account of innovation 

and the changing marketplace. 

Undoubtedly, design codes also 

need to give more consideration to 

sustainability and smart marinas/ 

technology. 

Evolving customer 

profiles 

The issue of sustainability in marina 

design and operation naturally leads 

to early consideration of tomorrow’s 

customer. That comes against a 

backdrop of changing boating trends 

both in terms of vessel propulsion but 

also user expectations. The advent 

and growth of boat clubs as a way of 

seeding customer interest certainly 

adds another user group to the 

consideration during market studies, 

and demand projections must provide 

for expansion of the marketplace and 

increasing vessel size as a result. 

From start to finish 

A consistent theme of the marina 

design detail, as outlined above, 

emphasises the need to dovetail 

with the final operational standards 

and procedures, particularly if 

accreditation, sustainability and smart 

marina objectives are to be realised. 

Experience shows that if the main 

Porto Montenegro was designed to meet 

the needs of different vessel sizes including 

superyachts. 

factors described are not considered 

at early feasibility and concept 

design stages, it can be challenging 

to retrospectively redesign and 

incorporate key requirements into a 

client’s masterplan. 

It is often the case that the wider 

development objectives and vision 

necessitate the requirement for 

exploring such initiatives, and 

maintaining that continuity through the 

life of a project and into the operational 

phase often calls for Marina Projects to 

take up a role as the marina champion 

or marina design guardian. 

Evidence of the evolving nature of 

marina design and the matrix of design 

Designing and upgrading marinas in 

sensitive areas of natural beauty requires 

careful consideration of site conditions and 

environmental constraints. 

considerations is observed by the 

increasing recognition and request for 

us to retain ownership and coordination 

of the design throughout the life of 

the project. As the various delivery 

packages come forward, it is important 

to maintain and protect the overarching 

vision for the development, to ensure 

that the initial premise does not become 

diluted through ‘value engineering’ 

exercises that are often the result of 

internal and external influences and 

pressures. 


17


Artist’s impression of the completed 

Spoilbank Marina at Port Hedland in 

Western Australia. 

Spoilbank Marina: 

a refuge from industry 

Spoilbank Marina at Port Hedland in the Pilbara region of Western Australia is 

set to transform the busy industrial waterfront into an attractive destination for 

locals and tourists to visit, with a grand opening expected later this year. 

The Hedland community has 

held aspirations for a marina since 

the 1980s and the AU$187 million 

Spoilbank Marina project – a key 

election commitment from the Western 

Australia Government – is unlikely to 

disappoint. It is being delivered by the 

country’s largest port, Pilbara Ports, 

and is funded by the state government, 

the town of Port Hedland and resources 

company BHP. When complete, it will 

join a crop of marinas springing up 

along the Western Australian coast, 

including the world-class Ocean Reef 

Marina in Joondalup. 

Naturally deep waters have helped 

Port Hedland achieve its status as the 

highest tonnage port in Australia. Each 

year, around 3,300 vessels come and 

go, transporting 566.5 million tonnes of 

cargo. The town is also famous for its 

enormous trains, with one BHP train 

in 2001 setting the world record for the 

longest and heaviest train at 7.3km (4.5 

miles) long, comprising 682 cars and 

hauling 82,000 tonnes of ore. 

While the sight of such large 

vessels and trains is awe-inspiring, to 

improve access and ensure safety for 

recreational boaters and fishermen 

Spoilbank Marina sits at the end of 

a separate navigational channel that 

splinters off from the main shipping 

lane. 

Led by Australian landscape 

architects and environmental 

consultants, Emerge, and working 

closely with DevelopmentWA, the 

new marina has been designed to 

alleviate demand on the existing boat 

launching facilities at Port Hedland. Its 

construction has provided a boost to 

the Pilbara economy, with more than 

60% of project spend to date awarded 

to local and registered Aboriginal 

businesses and more than 200 local 

jobs generated during the construction 

period. 

The marina has been in the planning 

pipeline for more than a decade, 

Emerge says, but due to the size and 

scale of previous concept plans, as well 

as funding constraints, the project was 

put on hold. 

The initial proposal was for dredging 

works resulting in up to 900,000m³ of 

dredge spoil, dredged to a maximum 

depth of -2m chart datum. The dredge 

spoil will be used onsite as fill material 

to raise the finished ground level before 

landscaping, with excess material 

disposed of offsite. Plans also involved 

clearing and ground disturbance 

of up to 40ha (99 acres) within a 

development area of around 77ha (190 

acres). 

The budget was set at AU$121.5 

million and the project was expected to 

complete by late 2022, but both budget 

and time to complete the work have 

been significantly extended. 

The marina boat ramp was officially 

opened to the Hedland community 

in January 2024. 

18 www.marinaworld.com – May/June 2024


A two-platform public jetty has been 

designed to account for fluctuating tides. 

Construction underway 

Construction of the marina is now well 

advanced, Pilbara Ports project director 

– Spoilbank Marina, John Freimanis, 

told Marina World. A four-lane boat 

ramp has been installed, with floating 

pontoons that rise and fall with the 

tides, allowing it to be accessible to 

the public at all tides. The pontoons 

are designed to lay flat, removing the 

need for split levels and making the 

ramp suitable for wheelchair users. The 

marina has 22 boat pens, with capacity 

to expand to 80 pens in the future. A 

two-platform jetty has been designed to 

account for Port Hedland’s fluctuating 

tides. The top level is wheelchair 

friendly and includes lowered handrail 

sections so that children and people of 

all abilities can fish from the jetty. Six 

artificial reef balls have been installed 

underneath to create an inviting habitat 

for fish. Pilbara Ports is also building 

trailer parking for up to 200 vehicles. 

The final stage of construction will 

bring the marina vision to life and 

provide a vibrant foreshore area for 

locals and visitors to gather. This 

stage includes the delivery of retaining 

walls, footpaths, landscaping, a public 

amenities building, shade structures 

and the installation of utilities and 

services. Pilbara Ports will also 

plant around 700 trees in this final 

stage. For the public, there will be an 

accessible breakwater with pedestrian 

path, recreation and event space, 

a waterfront promenade, barbecue 

facilities and an art and cultural 

gathering space. Nine unique artworks 

by indigenous Kariyarra artists have 

Artificial reef balls will be 

installed underneath the jetty 

to create an inviting habitat for fish. 

been selected for the marina and their 

fabrication is ongoing. 

The marina will also boast a 

maintenance hardstand, two fish 

cleaning stations with six taps and 20 

CCTV cameras for security purposes. 

The lights at Spoilbank Marina have 

been designed to minimise impacts to 

turtles at the nearby Cemetery Beach – 

an important nesting site. 

The marina is being opened to 

the public in stages. The first stage, 

which included the public boat ramp 

facility, car park and main access road, 

was officially opened to the public in 

January. The boat ramp opening hours 

are currently 6am to 6pm, daily, and 

will be increased to 24 hours a day 

once the marina lights are operational. 

The boat pens will be the next stage to 

open, which is expected by mid-2024. 

Civil and landscaping construction is 

well progressed, with construction of 

the concrete retaining walls progressing 

well around the promenade/central hub 

in the southeast corner of the marina 

basin. Western Australian business 

Ertech was awarded the contract for 

the works. Work has also 

begun on the footpaths 

near the boat pens and 

boat ramp, using decorative 

exposed aggregate paving. 

The picnic shelters are 

also being installed, with 

footings constructed and 

steelwork going in. Steel 

columns have been erected 

for the shade structure 

near the public amenities 

building. Installation of 

underground services 

continues, including 

irrigation, power and communications. 

The marina has also begun work 

on curved seats that emerge from 

the ground, hand made using local 

Karratha stone. 

Work is expected to continue until 

late 2024, when the marina will 

fully open. When the boat pens are 

operationally ready, the Department of 

Transport will take over operation of the 

marina. 

In harmony with nature 

Despite its fame as a transport hub, 

Port Hedland is also a popular tourist 

destination, just a two-hour flight from 

Perth. Its desert climate provides yearround 

hot weather, averaging ten hours 

of sunshine a day. The main beach front 

is home to a flatback sea turtle rookery, 

while several lookouts on the waterfront 

allow for viewing bottlenose dolphins 

and humpback whales. Estuaries 

support mangroves, fish and an 

impressive array of birds including rednecked 

stints, sharp-tailed sandpipers, 

red-necked avocets, oriental plovers, 

bustards, bowerbirds and finches. 

Port Hedland sits at the heart of 

a region rich in indigenous culture, 

which has been sensitively woven into 

the marina design. The ‘Staircase to 

the Moon’ phenomenon can be seen 

between March and October, when 

the full moon rises above the exposed 

mudflats at low tide, creating an optical 

illusion of a staircase to the moon. 

Nearby, more than 129km (80 miles) 

of pure white, undisturbed beach 

sand is flanked by the warm waters 

of the Indian Ocean. When complete, 

Spoilbank Marina is set to seamlessly 

blend these industrial and natural 

worlds. 


19

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A farmers’ market at Rodney Bay Marina in 

St Lucia is a popular and community-based 

event for locals and visitors. 

Photo: Adam Foster 

Sustainable design is 

just “good design” 

By Esteban Biondi 

When we look at sustainability principles and how they can be applied, we 

can show that they are all about “good design”. Good design enhances value, 

reduces risk, and reduces costs at multiple time and spatial scales. 

Sustainability is a broad concept, but 

it has been over used and may not be 

as strong a call to awareness and a 

driver of change as it should be. On one 

hand, we are now familiar with generic 

statements, buzz words and fashionable 

declarations that only sugarcoat 

“business as usual”. On the other 

hand, regulations are evolving rapidly 

to impose additional requirements. But 

when we step back, there is significant 

value in applying a thorough design 

approach to achieve sustainability. 

Modern sustainable marina design is 

not about introducing external or foreign 

issues, but about rethinking design and 

operation more thoroughly. What used 

to be considered acceptable, even if 

not ideal, was often justified in terms 

of some sort of cost reduction. Now we 

know that we can do better. We seek 

more value in different dimensions, 

lower indirect and societal costs, 

and make deliberate efforts for risk 

reduction. These considerations now 

have more relevance in design. 

Some environmentalists rage against 

marinas, saying that they all cause 

negative environmental impacts. We 

must recognise that there are too 

many examples of marinas in pristine 

environments that have caused 

excessive and unjustified damage, 

which leads to this assessment. But 

it is also true that some locations in 

degraded environments will benefit from 

the proper development of recreation 

navigation infrastructure. There is 

arguably more total value in sustainable 

marinas that expand local economic 

activity, revitalise cultural traditions and 

provide ecological functions than some 

pure ecological restoration projects. 

Sustainable marina design 

guidelines, such as the PIANC Working 

Group 148 report published in 2023, 

now explicitly state that we should 

seek proactive inclusion of ecological 

features and identify opportunities for 

guest experience that provide direct 

benefits to the local community. 

Higher expectations result in some 

details becoming more relevant and 

unavoidable. Analysis is more complex 

and nuanced, but the result is better. 

Net positive environmental impacts, 

meaningful stakeholder engagement, 

resource conservation, resilience to 

extreme events and climate change, 

and reduction of greenhouse gas 

(GHG) emissions are now part of 

modern marina design. 

While Working with Nature 

emphasises following a design process, 

it highlights specific environmental and 

social issues applicable to marinas; and 

it also discusses climate mitigation and 

adaptation issues. 

Climate change mitigation 

Climate change mitigation refers to the 

reduction of GHG emissions, which are 

classified depending on the control that 

a company has over those emissions. 

Scope 1 emissions are due to the 

Puerto Calero in the Canary Islands 

has pontoon arrangements designed for 

variable water levels and low-impact 

design featuring volcanic stone and native 

plants. Photo: Melanie Symes 


21

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• Yard, self-propelled, and highway models 

• Open frame design to maximize flexibility and efficiency 

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activities that the company 

controls, scope 2 emissions 

are generated by the energy 

the company consumes, 

and Scope 3 are emissions 

by customers and suppliers. 

The design, development and 

operation of marinas all play a 

part in reducing emissions to 

mitigate climate change. 

Marinas in certain 

jurisdictions that already have 

regulations promoting climate 

mitigation measures are 

now introducing procedures 

specifically designed to 

document, quantify and reduce 

Scope 1 emissions, including emissions 

by marina owned vehicles, generators 

and equipment. 

Scope 2 emissions are GHG 

emissions by power generators. 

Marinas do not control them directly, 

but energy conservation reduces 

them. Many marinas began some time 

ago to evaluate their consumption of 

resources (water, energy, materials 

etc.) and to implement conservation 

measures. Consumption reduction 

results in economic and environmental 

sustainability benefits, but energy 

conservation measures also reduce 

Scope 2 emissions. Reduction can also 

be achieved by self-generation of power 

within the property, such as installation 

of solar panels. 

The next type of climate change 

mitigation actions that marinas should 

begin to consider are related to Scope 

3 emissions. These are GHG emissions 

by customers and suppliers. Most 

marinas sell fuel for recreational vessel 

propulsion, so this type of Scope 3 

emission is large and relatively easy to 

track. 

The marina industry already has 

companies dedicated to power charging 

stations and hydrogen supply for new 

propulsion systems. Some developers 

in the Middle East have established the 

goal that no fossil fuels will be used for 

mobility systems, including recreational 

navigation. Marinas that are considering 

improvements to their electrical 

supply systems to charge batteries of 

electric boats and provide fuel for new 

recreational vessel propulsion systems 

are not only responding to the market 

A large scale resort marina project in Los 

Cabos, Mexico includes a basin for local 

fishermen. The fishermen’s basin facilities 

are operated by local fishermen who offer 

fishing tours. Photo: E Biondi 

demand but setting themselves up to 

document impactful climate mitigation 

measures. 

Marina assets also include embodied 

carbon due to the emissions required 

for construction and maintenance. But 

we are much less advanced than some 

property sectors in accounting for those 

when designing new developments and 

expansions. Additionally, the positive 

contribution due to carbon capture by 

increasing vegetation cover is not yet 

accounted. 

Resilient design 

Planning, design and operation of 

coastal development is under scrutiny 

due to increasing risks that are being 

fuelled by climate change and poor 

development. Institutional property 

investors, the reinsurance industry and 

regulators are further evaluating the 

extra costs of storm damage. Sea level 

rise and changes in frequency and 

intensity of extreme events will only 

increase those risks. 

This appears as a challenge, since 

Maintaining a mangrove 

shoreline at the edge of a marina 

in Jupiter, Florida preserves 

the ecosystem and keeps the 

facility connected to its natural 

environment. Photo: E Biondi 

some of the basic assumptions 

of marine design throughout 

the history of engineering, 

such as the elevation of 

a mean sea level and the 

statistical analysis of extreme 

events, are not true for future 

conditions. But engineers 

only need to apply the same 

engineering principles to these 

new conditions, including the 

uncertainties that still exist. 

Structural resilience is a principle 

that underlies all engineering design 

standards; you don’t want catastrophic 

failure when design conditions are 

exceeded. But the project response 

to extreme events now needs to be 

evaluated more thoroughly. We can now 

apply resilience principles knowing that 

low probability actions due to maritime 

hydrodynamics will get worse over time. 

With the current understanding we have 

of the effects of climate change, we 

know that wave protection and marina 

edge structures will have to adapt to 

maintain a certain level of service. We 

also know that planning for adaptation 

must consider uncertainties but can be 

based on the information we do have. 

For example, we know that due to 

future sea level rise, the elevation 

of marina edge structures will need 

to be higher to avoid flooding. But it 

may not be reasonable to build the 

edge structure now at the elevation 

needed in one hundred years, because 

functionality in the short term will be 


23

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The Flovac system can capture sewage and bilge water 

from boats and all facilities around the marina complex. 

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Validates MARPOL certification 

No risk of water contamination 

Suitable for boats and docks of any size 

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compromised. So now the standard 

practice is that all coastal works should 

include a climate change adaptation 

strategy and plan. With the proper 

approach, it is not critical to know 

exactly when adaptation will be needed, 

but we can build knowing how we can 

adapt, while having some flexibility in 

the time scale. 

Unlike other change processes 

in recent engineering history, 

infrastructure that does not adapt will 

have little opportunity to be reused in 

the future. Many urban and recreational 

waterfronts in developed countries have 

resulted from the reconversion of aging 

or obsolete port areas because part of 

their infrastructure was reusable. But 

structures that cannot adapt to climate 

change will be more difficult to reuse. 

Beware of top-down 

frameworks 

In addition to the way in which climate 

change may transform marina design, 

the economic and financial effects 

will have a fundamental impact on 

waterfront property development 

and infrastructure for recreation 

and tourism navigation. Broad 

During the concept planning of various facilities along a 10km (6mi) stretch of waterfront 

at Haicang Bay, Xiamen, China, the design team observed that some local boats had 

been adapted to transport tourists. The proposed strategy was thus to work with the local 

community in planning the associated tourist marina. 

sustainability and climate frameworks 

are now being developed based on 

very general concepts but will drive 

further regulations and incentives to 

achieve sustainability social goals. 

Companies that are already evaluating 

their sustainability and climate risk 

profiles and implementing the resultant 

adaptation strategy may benefit from 

these changes. But our industry should 

ensure that the implementation details 

are appropriate. 

Esteban Biondi is a principal at Applied 

Technology & Management and is 

chair of the PIANC Recreational 

Commission. 

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Anya Freeman, CEO (left) and Charlotte 

Hoffman, business development lead. 

Life in the seawall 

Florida-based company Kind Designs is innovating on traditional, uninspiring 

concrete seawalls by installing vibrant, cost-competitive ‘Living Seawalls’ that 

benefit marine life and can be tailored to suit different environments. Charlotte 

Niemiec finds out more 

Seawalls haven’t changed much 

since they were first installed in the 

USA, in Galveston Bay, Texas more 

than 100 years ago, Kind Designs 

product development lead Charlotte 

Hoffman says. By 2050, the US 

construction industry is expected 

to have destroyed 50,000 miles 

(80,468km) of marine habitat by 

installing traditional, toxic seawalls. 

Kind Designs seeks to replace these 

seawalls with an environmentally 

conscious and economically scalable 

solution. 

“We are the first and only company 

in the world to 3D-print seawalls,” says 

Hoffman. “We’re disrupting coastal 

construction by addressing a major 

pain point for coastal contractors. 

Instead of having to make their own 

concrete seawall slabs, which takes 

a lot of labour and space, these 

contractors can now buy the seawall 

panels at a price competitive to making 

their own. Instead of competing with 

local businesses or existing contractors, 

we are enabling them to take on much 

more business.” 

The seawalls also help to solve 

marine habitat degradation. By 3Dprinting 

the product, the company is 

able to incorporate an artificial reef 

structure into the seawall design, which 

helps rejuvenate coastal ecosystems 

and improve water quality. 

Living Seawalls are plug-and-play, as 

the printing technology allows slabs to 

be customised to meet the exact design 

of already-permitted concrete seawall 

projects or integrated into the design 

at the start of a project. “Additionally, if 

you have seawalls already installed but 

would like the environmental benefit, 

we can add Living Tiles,” Hoffman says. 

These are independent artificial reefs 

that can be affixed to any seawall – 

steel, vinyl or concrete – made with 

the same non-toxic materials as the 

seawalls. 

The company installed its first Living 

Seawall in Miami Beach earlier this 

year and is now in the process of fitting 

12 more in the state in the next two 

months. 

Environmental benefits 

Living Seawalls feature an artificial reef 

on their facade that offers shelter and 

60% more surface area for sea life to 

A Living Seawall in the water (above) and 

being installed in Miami Beach earlier this 

year (right). 


27


attach, encouraging colonisation 

and the creation of a robust coastal 

ecosystem. Irregular ridges and 

textures on the wall, as a result 

of the 3D-printing process, act as 

anchoring sites, better protecting 

organisms from wave energy, boat 

wakes and storms compared to a 

traditional flat wall. 

The seawalls have been designed 

using biomimicry principles to 

imitate the natural coastal habitat 

in South Florida, making it suitable 

for native marine species. Based on 

where the seawalls are installed, 

the company can change the design 

to mimic the environment. Water 

quality sensors fitted into the walls also 

collect 15 parameters of essential data. 

Importantly, the seawalls are costcompetitive. 

“Part of Kind Designs’ 

founding principle was to make sure 

there were economies of scale for 

an environmental solution,” Hoffman 

explains. “So many times there are 

green premiums for products that 

either don’t harm or don’t even benefit 

the environment, preventing them 

from becoming a global solution for 

an environmental problem. Our Living 

Seawalls are a cost competitive solution 

to traditional ones, priced at US$25-30/ 

ft². Traditional concrete walls usually 

range from US$20-25 and steel sheet 

pile costs even more.” 

The seawalls are durable, too. 

“Concrete lasts forever – there are 

concrete seawalls built during the 

Roman Empire that are still standing 

today!” Hoffman says. “That being 

said, modern day seawalls require the 

use of a reinforcement bar (rebar) for 

added tensile strength. Rebar is the 

actual determining factor in the life of 

a concrete seawall. Concrete seawalls 

with steel rebar last 30-50 years, while 

a concrete seawall with a fibreglass 

rebar can double their life, or more.” 

Printed protection 

The walls are constructed using 3D 

printed mortar, made from 5,000psi 

marine-grade extrudable concrete, 

which is environmental product 

declaration (EPD) certified, pH 

balanced and non-toxic, using no 

metals, chloride or sulphates. The 

concrete used to fill the interior is 

6,000psi marine-grade ready-mix 

concrete. The company uses the 

customer’s choice of either steel, 

glass fibre or galvanised steel 

rebar, depending on the engineer’s 

specifications. 

With the fastest concrete printer 

in the world, extremely small layer 

sizes are printed using a completely 

autonomous robot, allowing for fast 

production times and seawalls with 

detailed designs. 

In the first step, the 3D shell is printed 

with the artificial reef design, which 

takes around one hour and 15 minutes. 

Next, the rebar cage is inserted inside 

the shell, which takes another hour. 

In another half an hour, the interior is 

complete. Cure time is just 48 hours, 

compared to the two or three weeks for 

traditional seawalls. The entire panel is 

ready for delivery within seven days of 

printing. 

The panels are then delivered to 

the installation site by truck or barge 

and can be installed by any marine 

contractor, with no special ‘know-how’ 

or equipment — just a crane. They 

can be installed using either piles or 

tiebacks. For very large projects, the 

printing robot can even be brought on 

site. 

Tailored design 

The nature of 3D-printing lends itself 

to completely customisable designs, 

enabling each seawall to be unique 

and recognisable. “We can print a 

design that mimics the natural coastal 

environment, your marina’s logo 

into the wall, or even an art piece,” 

Hoffman says. Partnerships between 

Kind Designs and renowned artists 

are possible, and can transform 

waterways into public art installations 

on an impressive scale while protecting 

marine environments. 

“Our business model is based on 

franchising,” Hoffman explains. “We 

have international exclusivity to 3D-print 

seawalls with our robot partner CyBe. 

Our goal is to franchise nationally and 

internationally to replace traditional 

seawalls with Living Seawalls 

across the globe. Right now 

we’re working on a joint venture 

in the Bahamas to service 

the Caribbean. All licensing 

partners will get access to our 

copyrighted library of designs, 

and we can work on specific 

designs tailored to each partner 

location.” 

The company’s success 

owes as much to its team as 

to its idea. Born in Ukraine, 

the company’s adventurous 

CEO, Anya Freeman, lived in 

Israel, South Africa and China 

(Shanghai) before receiving 

a scholarship to study law at the 

University of Miami. Afterwards, she 

worked for the US Attorney’s Office and 

clerked at the US District Court before 

opening her own law firm, Freeman 

Law Group, focused on environmental 

policy and litigation. Inspired by firsthand 

experience at her flooded house 

in South Beach and frustrated with lack 

of innovation around rising sea-levels, 

Freeman took on the challenge of 

finding technological 

solutions to this 

global challenge 

that both supports 

the environment 

and has economies 

of scale. That’s 

when Kind Designs 

was born. 

Other team 

members are experts in marine 

construction, 3D printing, autonomous 

robots, software engineering, 

conservation and media. 

Living tile designs (above) and a close-up 

view of the seawall shell (below). 


COMPANY FOCUS 

The temporary bridge for the Redentore 

Festival in Venice is a stunning example 

of the floating structures Ingemar helps 

develop for events. 

Ingemar at 45: 

innovating for the 

bigger picture 

Italian marina design and build specialist Ingemar celebrates 45 years in 2024. 

Marina World talks to founder and CEO Lorenzo Isalberti about his passion to 

continually ensure that infrastructure is improved and relevant, while never 

losing sight of the fact that marinas are for ‘people’. 

“From the very beginning, Ingemar’s 

growth has been fuelled by the 

desire to improve the traditional 

structures designed for the needs of 

the past, with new solutions designed 

for the changing expectations of 

modern yachting,” Isalberti says. He 

highlights the advantages of floating 

infrastructure, such as ease of layout, 

constant freeboard at varying tides and 

minimal environmental impact, and 

emphasises the focus Ingemar 

has always placed on materials. 

“From a production point of view, 

Ingemar has always favoured the 

use of natural and environmentally 

friendly materials and tropical 

timbers from FSC-certified forests,” 

he notes. 

Over the years, Ingemar 

research has developed noninvasive 

anchorage systems, 

and damping systems with special 

elastomers and Dynema ropes, 

expanded its operating facilities, 

established a network of licencees 

in the UAE, Oman and India, built 

ever bigger breakwaters and, most 

recently, launched a Marina4all range 

of products. 

What’s ongoing and in the pipeline for 

Ingemar – and for the industry? 

Q: In a bid for decarbonisation, boats 

– especially large yachts – will be 

increasingly designed to accommodate 

different fuel systems. How will this 

impact on the design of marinas and 

pontoon systems? 

A: At the moment, separate safe areas 

are being created on floating platforms 

and pontoons that are equipped with 

spill guards and special filter sections 

in the water that absorb hydrocarbon 

residues. 

In the near future, it is foreseeable 

that we will see a progressive 

development of hydrogen propulsion, 

which seems to be able to provide an 

autonomy that electric power does not 

currently guarantee. The difficulties to 

be overcome will no longer concern 

problems related to pollution but to the 

storage and safe transfer of potentially 

flammable and explosive elements. 

With this in mind, Marina Sant’Elena 

in Venice seeks to be a ‘pathfinder’ for 

the new technology and is currently 

collaborating with NatPower srl to install 

a first ‘clean’ refuelling point. 

Many marinas are also equipping 

themselves with photovoltaic systems, 

with projects to cover their buildings 

and also to cover their jetties with 

canopies, or even to transform their 

decks into photovoltaic surfaces. 

Q: What is the thinking behind your 

Marina4all products? 

A: Marina4all products aim to make 

the approach to modern ports 

Ingemar pontoons at Marina del 

Gargano, a 700-berth marina in the 

Italian Gulf of Manfredonia. Vessels 

up to 50m (164ft) in length can moor 

up in an environment that offers 

privacy as well as multiple amenities. 


COMPANY FOCUS 

Lorenzo Isalberti (wearing white 

waistcoast) and the Ingemar team. 

‘kinder’, with high safety standards 

and easy accessibility for everybody 

– for those with disabilities, but also 

for anyone who wishes to use the 

port, from the elderly or those with 

mobility difficulties to new mothers 

with bags and pushchairs and ship 

owners, sportsmen, craftsmen, service 

personnel, etc. 

In addition to special and often 

technically complex solutions, such as 

reduced distance between the water 

level and the walking surface, the 

minimal slope of the connecting ramps, 

and attention to the sufficient width 

of walkways to ensure comfortable 

manoeuvring spaces, the new 

structures are equipped from the start 

with special provisions for auxiliary 

protection and support systems (cranes 

for lifting people and other devices), 

as well as original patented surfacing 

sections that absorb the oily residues 

suspended in the waters of the host 

basins. 

The first Marina4all prototypes 

were launched in 2023 at the Venice 

and Genoa Boat Shows and used by 

disabled sailor Marco Rossato as the 

starting and arrival bases for his Tour 

of Italy by Sail “Navigating Beyond 

Limits”. He visited 45 Italian ports in 99 

days of navigation and covered over 

A destination marina in the Gulf of 

Naples, Marina di Stabia’s Ingemar 

pontoons deliver 789 berths. The largest of 

megayachts can be accommodated due to 

deep waters. 

1,700 miles aboard ‘Tornavento’ to 

“photograph” the accessibility of Italian 

boating facilities and to urge operators 

and the public to pay more attention to 

it. 

At the design level, the next 

Marina4all facilities will also include 

new elements designed to overcome 

other forms of access barriers, invisible 

to those who can see, but unfortunately 

penalising those who are visually 

impaired or blind. They will include 

dedicated experimentation areas, tactile 

paths, contrasting colours and Braille 

signs. 

Q: Can further progress be made with 

new materials and techniques? If so, 

what is currently under discussion and 

what can be foreseen? 

A: There are many areas where action 

can be taken today to improve the 

performance and quality of modern 

marinas. The most likely development 

hypotheses take into consideration the 

new possibilities offered by research 

into advanced technologies and 

innovative materials. These include: the 

increasingly important use of recycled 

elements and photovoltaic surfaces 

for the construction of roofs and the 

decks themselves; anchoring systems 

equipped with special attenuators 

able to generate energy from water 

movement; and the process of 

digitising services that will soon 

include software and sensors to 

monitor areas and routes and 

facilitate all manoeuvres in port. 

Q: Do you see marinas using more 

water space for floating structures 

in order to make better use of land 

space or overcome the lack of 

space on land? 

A: Available space is and will be 

increasingly limited and crowded. 

This means that marinas must 

be increasingly open to the city, 

allowing non-boaters to enjoy 

some of the marina’s services, 

and solutions to optimise logistics 

and hospitality are multiplying: 

car parking built inside floating 

breakwaters; platforms for services 

and exhibitions; club houses 


31

Mega Tango by 

Mega Tango by 

There’s a whole new 

global audience out there 

Mega Tango by

COMPANY FOCUS 

becoming sports centres; and even 

the new trend of building floating 

houses inside marinas to improve 

their reception and accommodation 

offerings. 

Q: Have you recently built floating 

structures specifically for marinas? 

A: Since most of Ingemar’s installations 

are tailor-made, there are many 

significant structures in terms of design 

features and dimensions. Examples 

include those in the Gulf of La Spezia, 

an open-air showcase of the most 

diverse Ingemar creations, and the 

service platforms for the four marinas 

built in LaAla Al Kuwait for a new 

city risen from the desert. In Lignano 

we built connecting pontoons for 

houseboats in a floating resort; we built 

the floating office and service centre 

for the regional port of Locarno; and 

the floating headquarters of the Tevere 

Remo rowing centre in Rome. 

Q: What will be the design and 

construction principles for marinas 

in the coming decades? 

A: The shortage of new water space 

for pleasure boating leads us to 

look more and more insistently at 

solutions that, on the one hand will 

seek to expand existing marinas 

with the addition of new protective 

breakwaters and the construction 

of automated shore shelters to 

free the basins from small boats, 

and on the other will contemplate 

Marina di Valetta in Malta has been 

designed to maximise mooring for 

different kinds of vessels within a 

sensitive and historically 

rich environment. 

major projects for the reconversion of 

degraded areas or disused industrial 

settlements to transform them into 

drivers of tourism and territorial 

development. 

The most recent examples of 

reclamation and restitution to the 

community of water areas equipped 

with Ingemar floating structures can 

be seen in Italy. For example, in 

Castellammare di Stabia or Piombino, 

where new large boat marinas have 

sprung up on the ashes of the old 

local steel industry, and at the old port 

of Genoa as part of Renzo Piano’s 

waterfront regeneration project. 

Q: What we should do and what 

should we not do? 

A: The model inspiring modern marinas 

has profoundly changed from the 

original concept of ‘sheltering and 

parking’ for boats. 

The Ingemar marina at the annual Genoa 

Boat Show is one of the company’s most 

famous references. 

Today’s marinas respond more to the 

idea of a large hub that centralises and 

provides different services, i.e. a place 

to go to for a water-related experience. 

This is why, as in other sectors, it 

would be desirable to spread ‘boatsharing’ 

and all-inclusive short-term 

rental practices, from small boats to 

maxi-yachts. 

Marinas must become the water 

gateway to the host city, attracting the 

population to experience the sea, not 

just admire it. Therefore, in addition 

to enjoying the services present, 

such as shops, bars and restaurants, 

people should be able to enjoy the 

sea and water sports, such as sailing, 

rowing, diving, sport fishing and so 

on. Marinas should be able to attract 

and entice people to experience the 

sea, spreading the culture of the sea, 

respect for the sea, the beauty of the 

sea. 

As mentioned, it will be interesting to 

place new land spaces next to ‘classic’ 

marinas, where new dry marinas will 

be built, offering a launching service for 

smaller boats with automated or on-call 

systems. 

In the traditional marinas, meanwhile, 

associations and sports clubs will 

continue to be able to find space, but 

will have shared facilities to provide 

new experiences to a wider public, not 

necessarily made up of boat owners. 

Equipped floating structures will 

also gain more and more space in the 

future, due to the ease with which port 

layouts can be reconfigured according 

to size of boat and market demands. 


33

MARINA GROUPS 

Left: Marina di Vieste, at the extreme edge 

of the Gargano promontory, is perfectly 

positioned for access to the Croatian, 

Greek and Albanian coasts. 

Renato Marconi, CEO and founder of 

Marinedi Group. 

Sustainability goals 

across the network 

Following an ambitious path to protect the environment, and utilising Artificial 

Intelligence (AI) to foster its sustainability goals, Italy-based Marinedi Group is 

racking up an impressive influence in the European marina sector. Donatella 

Zucca reports 

Marinedi is the first private marina 

network in the Mediterranean and 

a leader in the development and 

management of tourist ports. With 

6,000 berths, 15 operational entities 

and a fivefold increase in its EBITDA 

valuation in just five years, its rising 

success is obvious. 

Since its foundation at the end 

of 2012, Marinedi has always been 

eco-friendly, primarily choosing to 

rejuvenate abandoned sites rather 

than create new ones. Today, the 

group aspires to be an environmental 

ambassador, especially for countries 

where sensitivity to environmental 

issues is poor or non-existent. 

Marinedi’s journey has been supported 

by its membership of Assonat (National 

Association of Tourist Landings & 

Ports) which actively promotes nautical 

tourism, its activity in the maritime 

economy with FEE Italia via its Blue 

Flag awards, and its inclusion in the 

European group Cooperation Odyssey. 

The group has been at the forefront 

in the fight to defend the tourist port 

industry, and emphasise its crucial 

importance to Italy as a country, by 

engaging in continuous dialogue with 

the Italian Government and various 

institutions. In February of this year, 

it took part in the ‘General States of 

Italian Tourist Ports’ meeting organised 

by Assonat-Confcommercio and 

Assonautica Italiana-Unioncamere 

on the 2025-2027 strategic plan for 

Italian tourist ports. On this occasion, 

Nello Musumeci, the Minister of Civil 

Protection & Sea Policies, invited 

Renato Marconi, founder and CEO of 

Marinedi, to assist the Government in 

analysing the principal needs of those 

who manage tourist ports and defining 

appropriate objectives. 

Thanks to tourism and boating – 

‘Made in Italy’ excellences – nautical 

tourism is a crucial part of the country’s 

nautical industry economy, which 

has a €7 billion annual turnover. 

Growth is continuous, especially 

with the expansion of the Blue 

Economy, which includes the use 

of new technologies and AI. The 

establishment of the Blue Marina 

Awards for green marinas, tourist 

ports and landing places, promoted 

by Assonautica Italiana-Unioncamere 

and Assonat-Confcommercio, bears 

witness to this in addition to being 

a model of collaboration in the 

sustainable development goals of 

the United Nations and in the blue 

economy objectives of the European 

Commission. 

Aware of the importance of 

harmonising its expansion with the 

environment, Marinedi aims to transform 

each construction and management 

project into a hotbed of ideas and 

technologies for the benefit of land 

and sea. “In Marina dei Presidi in Porto 

Ercole and in marinas in Cagliari, 

Procida and Vieste, we have positioned 

Seabin floating baskets to capture 

microplastics and other residues,” 

explains Renato Marconi. “In the marina 

in Villasimius, we’ve tested a drone that 

moves on the surface of the water to 

capture waste and floating substances, 

as well as an underwater drone that 


MARINA GROUPS 

An ideal starting point for exploring the 

Tuscan Archipelago, Marina dei Presidi 

Porto Ercole is a popular destination, 

especially in the summer. 

identifies and captures waste on the 

seabed, and a 100kg [220lb] transcollector 

that can be positioned on 

fixed and mobile docks.” 

Further to this, Marinedi has 

entered into a partnership with 

Aqua superPower for installation of 

marine rapid charge electric charge 

points, the first of which is now 

at Brindisi Marina offering 22kW 

AC and 150kW DC for leisure and 

commercial vessels. 

“Throughout the network we urge 

the use of paints and antifouling 

systems that have the lowest possible 

impact on the ecosystem, products that 

reduce the presence of biocides and 

the use of antifouling films that are free 

of pollutants,” Marconi adds. 

In 2022 Marinedi joined the Pick 

a Pier digital platform, which had 

already partnered with TransEurope 

Marinas, the largest European marina 

network with over 75 marinas and 

around 45,000 berths. Together, Pick 

a Pier and TransEurope committed to 

sustainable growth of the sector and its 

standards of innovation and services. 

Pick a Pier, formed in 2017 by 

Idan Cohen and his brother Asaf 

as a start-up, focuses on utilising 

Marina di Villasimius has 840 berths 

and numerous facilities and amenities. 

machine learning and AI to design 

a technological future for the marina 

industry that is capable of reinventing 

the nautical experience. 

The first objective has been to 

synergistically combine the needs 

of efficiency, profitability and 

sustainability by connecting marinas, 

boaters, government agencies and 

organisations with support from global 

partners. By collecting and analysing 

real-time data using powerful and 

intuitive software, an AI-enabled system 

is being created by and for the nautical 

industry. A team of engineers, product 

designers, data scientists, revenue 

management specialists, operational 

experts, and more, work within the Pick 

a Pier team. 

Partnerships and memberships 

are crucial to Marinedi’s quest to 

progress in line with its precise policies. 

Being part of Assonat is particularly 

important. “It represents the opportunity 

to contribute to re-launching tourism 

and boating, the principal excellence 

of ‘Made in Italy’ and, more generally, 

to the sea economy. Furthermore, 

we can explain the major needs of 

those who manage tourist ports to 

the Government and help define the 

objectives we need to work towards. 

With Assonat, we are taking action 

to shed light on the rules of state 

concessions and the tax rules that 

apply to the sector,” says Marconi. 

Education plays a key role right down 

to school level. “In various ports within 

the network, for example, Marina di 

Porto San Giorgio, we have organised 

educational workshops at local 

schools, aimed at raising awareness 

of the port area, delving into issues 

related to maritime civilisation and 

with the intervention of people who 

bring their own testimonies. These 

are free activities, driven by a desire 

to strengthen the idea of a ‘heritage 

community’. Where possible, we 

promote schoolwork initiatives aimed 

at making ports nurseries for modern 

yachting professionals. Also in Policoro, 

Procida and Balestrate activities 

are promoted by the local nautical 

institutes.” 

Marconi would be the first to agree 

that fuel and energy systems are 

amongst the most talked about topics 

industry-wide and are of particular 

importance to Marinedi as part of its 

role as an environmental ambassador. 

“In September 2023, we started a 

five-year autonomous energy supply 

programme, which plans to make the 

network tourist ports more sustainable 

by exploiting renewable, clean and 


35

MARINA GROUPS 

Marina di Procida offers moorings on a 

Tyrrhenian island that is renowned for 

natural beauty and close to one of the most 

important colonies of dolphins 

in the Mediterranean. 

self-produced energy sources. The 

aim is to reduce combustion pollutants 

and climate-changing emissions. The 

programme includes interventions on 

the energy efficiency of port buildings 

and public lighting systems, the use 

of electric means of transport, the 

reduction of emissions from boats 

at the dock and the creation of 

infrastructure for the use of electricity.” 

“The autonomous energy supply 

programme began by diagnosing 

the energy use at each marina in the 

network. The opportunity to create 

an energy community that extends 

to neighbouring manufacturing and 

commercial structures, and port 

infrastructure, will then be studied. 

We carry out analytics at each port to 

identify the actions needed in order 

to achieve energy autonomy across 

our entire network within the five-year 

timeframe.” 

Enhanced efficiency and 

environmental benefits have, 

meanwhile, accrued from Marinedi’s 

association with Pick a Pier. “Joining the 

Pick a Pier platform to connect boaters 

and marinas has guaranteed an easy 

and fast service. As an example, the 

platform’s inclusive payment simplifies 

the lives of both boaters and staff,” 

Marconi notes. “From an environmental 

point of view, the results have been 

achieved via Pick a Pier’s Popeye 

Sailing Club [created in collaboration 

with Blue Flag]. This allows boaters 

(by signing up for free) to earn points 

and discounts for each vacancy they 

report to the ports, making navigation 

more accessible, convenient and 

sustainable.” 

Marinedi is strengthening its 

collaboration with Pick a Pier in 2024 

and implementing some of its latest 

features that help eliminate repetitive 

tasks and financial errors while 

enhancing customer satisfaction. 

+61 7 5594 8200 

info@superiorjetties.com 

www.superiorjetties.com 

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The next Florida superyacht marina? 

A very rare opportunity to create a new superyacht marina in Stuart, South Florida has come to market via CBRE Capital 

Markets. 

The offering includes two vacant 

parcels totalling 11.4 acres (4.6ha), 

comprising 3.7 acres of upland and 

7.7 acres of deeded submerged land. 

There is a potential to expand the 

existing marina basin to 15.3 acres 

(6.2ha) with a state submerged land 

lease. The property can accommodate 

yachts up to 200ft (61m) in length with 

its basin depths of up to 17ft (5.2m). 

Proposed designs have been drawn 

up by Cummins Cederberg Engineers 

to conform with existing zoning and 

regulations. The plan showcases 

the potential for development of a 

superyacht marina within the fee simple 

area, as well as in an expansion area 

that is subject to the submerged land 

lease. Renditions have been developed 

for different configurations for 92 to 157 

slips and a 256ft (78m) dedicated fuel 

dock. 

“It is one of the only superyacht 

development opportunities in South 

Florida,” Julie Fisher Berry, senior 

vice president CBRE Capital Markets, 

tells Marina World. “The depths in and 

around the property can accommodate 

large yachts, which is unusual. With 

New owners 

for Ozarks 

resort 

Simply Marinas, in partnership with 

Graymeadow LLC, has successfully 

brokered the sale of an iconic 

destination property on Lake of the 

Ozarks in Missouri, USA. 

Coconuts Marina and RV Park and 

its associated vacation rentals, beach 

bar and grill are of a scale rarely seen 

in a major hospitality and marina 

destination. Lake of the Ozarks, a 

manmade reservoir, is the most popular 

lake destination in Missouri offering 

1,100 miles of shoreline. Visitors enjoy 

multiple public beaches, swimming, 

watersports and fishing. 

Coconuts includes an RV resort with 

space for over 200 vehicles and first 

the shortage of slips for larger vessels 

in South Florida and everywhere, our 

Stuart development opportunity is 

positioned to be a stunning marina 

with land to develop amenities and 

concierge services. Stuart is also 

exploding with affluent residential 

homes.” 

Senior associate Sheila Roux adds: 

“A new Brightline station has been 

class amenities. Boaters moor up in a 

163-slip marina and PWC owners have 

access to 21 dedicated PWC slips. 

There is room for further expansion. 

There are multiple short-term 

vacation rental residences and a 

massive destination bar and restaurant 

concept with various swimming pools. 

BUYING & SELLING MARINAS 

approved for Stuart as well, coming in 

2026, and is within walking distance 

of the property. This aligns quite nicely 

with the timing of a new development.” 

The rail service will give quick and 

convenient connections to Orlando, 

West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and 

Miami. 

Enquiries to: julie.berry@cbre.com or 

sheila.roux@cbre.com 

The Simply Marinas team facilitated 

the sale after a detailed and complex 

due diligence process by a group 

buyer, and the sale was conducted 

via a confidential sale process. Simply 

Marinas and Real Capital Markets 

reached out to global pre-qualified 

buyers. 


37

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Suntex boosts 

northeast portfolio 

Suntex Marina Investors has added to its northeast portfolio with the 

acquisition of Lighthouse Point Marina & Yacht Club in Toms River, New Jersey. 

One of the premier full-service 

marinas located along the scenic Toms 

River, Lighthouse Point offers 243 wet 

slips and 38 jetski slips, each with 

access to electricity, water, cable and 

Wi-Fi. Located within a fully protected 

natural breakwater on the river, which 

leads into Barnegat Bay, it is also one 

of the most luxurious on the Jersey 

Shore, with amenities including a fullservice 

boat yard with haul and launch 

capabilities, winterisation services, 

easily accessible customer amenities 

of bathrooms and showers, laundry 

facilities, a pool with lounges and 

cabanas, a games room, snack bar, 

pump-out stations and a store. 

“Expanding our offerings in the 

beautiful and iconic Jersey Shore 

area is a long-term goal of ours, and 

Lighthouse Point is a perfect addition 

for our portfolio in that region,” said 

Sam Chavers, senior vice president of 

coastal operations, Suntex Marinas. 

“This is a high-demand marina 

with a very loyal customer base and 

every possible amenity, located in a 

vibrant waterfront community that is 

a destination hotspot for locals and 

tourists alike. We believe that Suntex 

can elevate Lighthouse Point and 

provide even more for guests and the 

surrounding population.” 

Suntex is the largest recreational 

marina owner in the USA in terms of 

marina count and boat slips. 

Port Dinorwic sold to local consortium 

Specialist leisure property adviser, Christie & Co, has brokered the sale of Port Dinorwic Marina on behalf of Azets, 

which has been dealing with the administration of Port Dinorwic Marina Limited. The marina has been sold to The 

Waterside Consortium, a newly formed company of local investors. 

The picturesque Port Dinorwic 

Marina, which dates back to 1763, was 

previously operated by The Marine and 

Property Group and offers year-round 

cruising in the Menai Strait, which 

separates North Wales and Anglesey. 

Simon Monks, restructuring partner 

at Azets and joint administrator, 

commented: “Whilst Port Dinorwic 

Marina has had its challenges 

in recent years, its sale out of 

administration to a new owner/operator 

will enable the necessary investment 

to create a thriving marina that staff, 

berth holders and local community can 

be proud of. I wish the new owners 

every success in operating the marina 

going forward.” 

Jon Patrick, head of leisure and 

development at Christie & Co, 

concluded: “Considerable interest 

in Port Dinorwic resulted in multiple 

offers for the business being received, 

a number from owners of holiday 

park businesses in and around the 

northwest, as well as community-based 

investors, lifestyle buyers and multi-site 

marina operators. We saw a marked 

increase in marina and marine related 

advisory work throughout 2023, with 

further new marina instructions already 

confirmed in Q1 2024.” 


39


MDL buys prime waterfront plot 

UK-based MDL Marinas Group has purchased a 3.2-acre (1.3ha) plot in Southampton, Hampshire that offers key 

expansion opportunities for its Shamrock Quay Marina (below). 

The newly purchased acreage, 

with prime waterfront and deep-water 

access, represents a highly strategic 

acquisition, enabling MDL to expand 

operations across both its Shamrock 

Quay and nearby Saxon Wharf 

Marina over time, giving both shortterm 

and long-term development 

opportunities to extend the services 

on offer to its berth holders, visitors 

and other marina businesses. 

Opportunities could include the 

expansion of MDL’s drystack services, 

boat storage and car parking, as well 

as enhanced superyacht berthing and 

expanded boat manufacturing facilities. 

The land, officially designated as 

Millstone Point, is currently owned and 

operated by Oil Spill Response and 

incorporates a vast building with offices, 

which MDL plans to rent out to tenants 

looking for prime office space within a 

marina setting. 

“Today marks a pivotal moment for 

MDL Marinas as we proudly unveil 

our latest expansion in Southampton 

waters,” said MDL Marinas managing 

director Michael Glanville. “With the 

acquisition of the 3.2-acre plot, we’re 

not only securing prime waterfront 

real estate but also reaffirming our 

long-term commitment to growth and 

innovation.” 

“This strategic move positions 

Shamrock Quay to become one of the 

UK’s largest trading boatyards, 

demonstrating our dedication 

in serving the boating 

community with excellence, 

offering unparalleled facilities 

and services to all our marina 

customers,” he added. 

Situated in the heart of 

the River Itchen, with the 

backdrop of Chessel Bay 

providing scenic overwater 

views, MDL’s Shamrock Quay 

Marina offers the perfect blend 

of sheltered waters and access 

to world-class sailing conditions, with 

the bustling city of Southampton 

conveniently located a short distance 

away. 

Steeped in history, the 255-berth 

marina offers excellent services and 

facilities, including refit and boat 

building, specialist marine trades and a 

70m (230ft) superyacht berth, as well 

as a popular bar and restaurant. 

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Marina market insights 

Steven Ekovich, executive managing director and partner of Leisure 

Investment Properties Group (LIPG), looks at how the marina market 

performed in the USA in 2024 and how it’s panning out this year. 

The boating market has charted a 

course of remarkable growth in recent 

years, and this trajectory showed no 

signs of slowing in 2023, with continued 

momentum expected to carry into 2024. 

Finite storage options, together 

with technological advancements and 

innovative boat designs, have propelled 

a surge in demand for recreational 

boats. 

Notably, the allure of boats exceeding 

25ft (7.6m) has bolstered the necessity 

for public storage amplifying the demand 

for wet slips and drystack options. 

A recap of 2023 

In 2023, the US marina industry 

reported robust revenue of $6.7 

billion, marking a 1.1% increase 

from the preceding year. However, 

amidst a narrowing spread between 

debt costs and marina cap rates, 

caution looms as this disparity may 

deepen the chasm between buyers 

and sellers. Despite these challenges, 

the industry fundamentals remain 

robust, underpinning operations amidst 

macroeconomic shifts. 

Investment activity slowed but both 

the median and average sales prices 

for marinas were up. Buyers acquiring 

without leverage were still buying, but 

the sky-high interest rates caused 

severe disruptions for investors needing 

financing. 

Boat sales and slip 

occupancy 

The boating market and industry have 

seen significant growth in recent years, 

and this trend is expected to continue 

in 2024. 

Boat sales have slowed to a 

pre-pandemic level, yet there is a 

significantly higher number of boaters 

today than pre-pandemic, and the 

overall age of boaters has shifted 

towards younger generations. 

Interestingly, the usual trend during 

economic paradigm shifts is to see 

the larger yacht segment cool off first, 

followed by a slowdown in the smaller 

yacht segment. However, the current 

situation is the opposite. This can be 

attributed to the rise in interest rates 

and inflation, which have impacted the 

affordability of smaller yachts. Despite 

these challenges, there is still hope for 

strong activity in the market. The larger 

market segment is actively engaged 

in both acquiring and selling yachts, 

and the inventory of available yachts 

remains scarce, as reported by a 

number of yacht brokers in 2023. 

Rental rates (slip and drystack) 

growth has benefited from full 

occupancies and extensive waiting 

lists – demand indicators that are still 

strong through Q1 2024, and which 

we expect to remain strong throughout 

the year. We continue to see marinas 

in suburban and rural markets benefit 

from net migration out of major 

metropolitan areas to the southeast, 

a shift that was initially driven by the 

COVID-19 pandemic and the ability to 

work remotely. 

Rental boats 

Dockmaster states the boating rental 

trend continues expanding as more 

individuals continue to rent boats for 

their boating needs – be it fishing boats, 

yachts or other kinds of watercraft. 

Boats up to 28ft (8.5m) are among 

the most sought-after rental options, 

and boats between 28ft and 45ft 

(13.7m) are also in high demand. 

However, the market for boats longer 

than 45ft is limited. Tours, charter 

rentals and day cruise rentals are also 


43

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The full version of this marina 

market insights article can be read 

in Leisure Investment Properties 

Group’s Marina Investment Report 

2024. Other articles focus on 

capital markets, interviews with 

four market experts on the state 

of the insurance market, buyer 

sentiment, and transactions in the 

US$1 to 10 million tranche. 

Download the Report for free at 

www.thelipg.com 

widely available. Rental has fantastic 

potential as the market expands and, 

by 2028, it is expected to surpass 

$280.2 million in size. 

Boat rental companies provide a 

stable income for slips at a marina with 

extra space. They are better tenants 

than individuals as they tend to be 

better financed and, as a result of 

renting multiple slips, they don’t want to 

lose their space in a marina so they pay 

on time. 

The supply side 

According to IBISWorld, there are 

approximately 10,445 marinas in use 

in the United States. This inventory 

is not materially increasing but new 

projects are coming online with decent 

consistency. We also see marina 

expansions as a common value-added 

component. 

The “supply” takeaway is that 

marinas are not like other commercial 

real estate, which can be easily 

developed with the right site, proper 

zoning and capital. There are 

expansion opportunities, but there 

are still barriers to entry for new 

marinas. This can be an advantage 

or disadvantage depending on who 

you ask (marina owner, boat owner, 

investor, government, etc.), but marina 

valuations are positively impacted by 

limited supply (and a low probability 

of new supply) since demand and rate 

growth for existing storage space is 

high. 

On the other hand, low-demand 

locations with ample supply are more 

prone to vacancies – not necessarily 

due to property-specific causes, but 

a factor of the location and boating 

market. We carefully assess those 

factors with each asset our team 

works on because there are always 

opportunities to improve operations, 

change the business model, and/or add 

value by building on the uplands, e.g. 

building a drystack, adding a restaurant 

or apartments, etc. 

Investment activity 

Marina sales data is dynamic as recent 

sales become public, are recorded, or 

are identified with a price. Based on the 

most current available data recorded 

for 2023 sales, transaction volume 

was down while both the median and 

average sale price were up from 2022. 

The average price was up slightly from 

$4,468,685 to $4,493,488 an increase 

of 0.5%, while total recorded sales 

between $1-20 million declined from 

129 in 2022, to 78 in 2023. The median 

sales price in 2023 was $3,185,000 up 

from the 2022 median of $2,750,000, 

a whopping increase of 15.56%! 

The median price is considered a 

better statistical measure of trending 

value because the average is easily 

influenced when a large quantity of 

lower or higher-priced sales exists in 

the data set. Further analysis of the 

intermediate subset ($1-10 million 

range) provides insights into where 

marinas traded in 2023, and the result 

points to the higher range with fewer 

overall sales. 

Market forecast for 2024 

After looking at all the demand 

drivers, marina inventory levels, 

macroeconomic factors, transaction 

data and impact from natural disasters, 

we have a cautious yet optimistic 


45

To be seen in the world of marinas, 

you need to be seen in Marina World … 

Contact Julia Hallam +44 (0)1621 855 890 

juliahallam@marinaworld.co.uk 

SEE YOU AT MARINAS24 

Booth 13

outlook for 2024. We 

believe transactions will 

continue at a healthy 

pace as fundamentals 

remain strong. Sellers 

and buyers must 

be cognisant of the 

changing environment 

so appropriate 

expectations can be set: 

To be seen in the world of marinas, 

you need to be seen in Marina World … 

• With financially 

healthy marinas, 

increasing occupancy 

and Contact strong support Julia Hallam for +44 (0)1621 855 890 

increasing juliahallam@marinaworld.co.uk 

slip/rack 

rates, we believe the 

asset class remains 

a great alternative 

investment for both 

private clients and larger, institutional 

investment companies. 

• We expect to see more owners 

continue holding their asset(s) when 

physically able (and desiring) to 

continue operating. Cash flows may 

stagnate in some areas, but the 

fundamentals are extraordinarily 

strong around the country and lead to 

excellent income for owners. 

• With inflation seeming to stall 

and hopefully fall by the end of 2024, 

interest rates should come down 

providing easier access to credit for 

marina investors. 

• Consolidation is expected to 

continue by institutional investment 

companies, with excellent opportunities 

for stabilised and value-added marinas 

around the country. 


• Boat sales are normalising 

to pre-pandemic levels. 95% of 

boats sold in the US are under 

26ft (10m) – a demographic 

more likely to finance the 

purchase, and therefore more 

sensitive to rising interest 

rates, so smaller boat sales 

should pick up in the second 

half of the year if rates drop as 

is widely expected. 

• Marina owners should 

focus on boater retention 

and introduce amenities and 

events that foster a stronger 

community. The goal should 

be to keep current boaters 

active at the marina. 

• Insurance rates are rising, 

and it is best to stay on top of how this 

expense may impact a marina’s value. 

If you are in a hurricane country, make 

sure you insure your docks as this can 

be an extremely expensive repair. 

While there is uncertainty about 

the economy and several shifts to the 

investment landscape, we are looking 

forward to another momentous year for 

the marina business in 2024. 

Global Coverage, Global Marketing 

Book your advertising space in print and online to make your business stand out 

Marina World Contacts 

www.marinaworld.com 

The Americas — Philippe Critot pcritot@marinaworld.com • France — Catherine Metais catherinemetais@marinaworld.com 

Italy — Eva Green nauta@ediconsult.com • Rest of World — Julia Hallam juliahallam@marinaworld.co.uk 


47

POWERING THE 

FUTURE OF MARINAS 

The next step in custom smart green 

electrical infrastructure 

Upgrade your marina today! 

Scan code to explore our solutions and get in touch with our experts. 

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information

Cost-conscious smart marinas 

Marina operators around the world are striving to embrace smarter working practices using digital technology. How can 

suppliers help? Marina World asked a selection of industry experts to give guidance by answering a couple of pertinent 

questions. 

Q: What do you think is the single most important thing that marina owners/operators need to do to pave the way for a 

smarter marina? And how can they keep costs down in the adoption of smart technology? 

Vance Young, 

Scribble Software/MARINAGO 

A: Operating a marina or marine facility 

in the post-COVID era has revealed 

unprecedented challenges and created 

the ever-important need to operate a 

smarter operation. A key challenge 

affecting nearly all industries revolves 

around retaining quality staffing and 

the marina industry is no exception. 

Customer demand seems to rise while 

the pool of good, qualified personnel 

appears to be decreasing. With this 

challenge, it is ever so important to 

implement less time-consuming and 

smarter operation procedures. 

Scribble Software completely 

understands this dilemma and has 

invested time and resources to 

implement smarter technologies in 

our cloud-based marina management 

solutions. We know that many 

marinas are operating with fewer 

employees, so one of our goals is to 

create technology that allows the end 

customers to perform tasks that would 

normally be performed by marina 

staff. While this may sound strange at 

first, many operations are ideal for the 

end customer if marinas make use of 

features such as: 

• Online and self-guiding bookings and 

reservations 

• An online customer portal where 

customers can sign in and perform 

self-operations, such as reservations, 

invoice payments, adding payment 

methods, setting up ACH information 

and keeping track of account activity 

• Easy to use mobile QR code fuel 

pay-at-pump activity 

• Instant-Pay invoices via email and/or 

text messaging 

• Payment receipt delivery via email 

and/or text messaging 

All of these technological options 

have been made available in the 

MARINAGO Office cloud-based marina 

management solution. The mobile 

QR code fuel pay-at-pump system 

has proven to be a key contribution to 

operating a smarter marina. Our “smart” 

fuel server allows customers to use 

their mobile phones and easily scan a 

QR code on a fuel dispenser. This pulls 

up the MARINAGO Fuel system on the 

phone and guides the customer through 

purchasing and dispensing fuel. This 

automated and end customer-centric 

system is a key aspect in converting a 

marina to a smarter operation. 

Irena Cadez, Marina Master 

A: With over three decades of 

global experience supporting 

marina management worldwide, 

the Marina Master team recognises 

the transformative impact of smart 

technology on the future of marina 

operations and management. 

The single most crucial step for 

marina owners/operators in embracing 

a smarter approach is to automate and 

digitise marina processes extensively. 

This entails deploying automated and 

adaptive services and facilities that can 

be remotely accessed and managed via 

digital platforms, accessible from any 

device. This shift allows marina staff to 

redirect their focus towards meaningful 

client communication, nurturing 

empowered marina-client relationships 

and fostering an environment of 

superior customer service. 

Additionally, our myMarina mobile 

app enhances smart customer service 

SMART TECHNOLOGY 

by providing 

marina clients 

with convenient 

access to services 

and information, 

ensuring a 

seamless 

experience. A 

smart marina 

requires intelligent Irena Cadez 

technology, 

well-trained staff and adept customer 

service, all while upholding safety and 

data privacy. 

As an all-in-one support solution, 

we don’t merely provide software; 

we evolve alongside smart marinas, 

offering flexibility, ongoing consultation 

and reliable ongoing support to adapt 

to the dynamic needs and trends of the 

marina industry. 

Smart staff within a smart marina 

must possess a robust understanding 

of smart technology, excellent 

communication skills, strong problemsolving 

abilities and a willingness to 

learn and adapt. Our collaborations 

with Certified Marina Managers 

(CMMs) around the globe have proven 

highly beneficial, fostering knowledge 

exchange and the implementation of 

innovative ideas from different regions. 

Smart technology not only reduces 

costs but also promotes sustainability 


49


and eco-friendliness. Manual services 

are now automated and paperless, 

consuming fewer resources and 

requiring fewer staff. As Darrell Barnett 

CMM, marina manager at Soldiers 

Point Marina in Australia, attests: 

“The software not only improves 

day-to-day operations but also saves 

me thousands of dollars annually in 

operational costs.” 

Bas Durieux, Seijsener 

A: One of the most transformative 

technologies today for a smarter 

marina is the AanUit.net system, which 

revolutionises how marina services are 

accessed and managed. AanUit.net 

allows guests to 

independently 

start services 

like docking, 

electricity, 

water, and 

more. It also 

provides them 

with direct 

Bas Durieux 

insight into 

their usage. 

Guests only 

pay for the services they actually use 

through a digital environment. This 

not only reduces the need for physical 

interactions but also streamlines 

the management of utility services, 

optimising both cost and usage. 

Our system gives marina operators 

complete oversight of who is using the 

facilities and who has paid. We handle 

the invoicing and ensure they receive 

the payments, significantly simplifying 

the administration of the marina. 

However, the journey towards a 

smarter marina isn’t just about digital 

upgrades. It’s about maintaining 

a balance with reliable ‘analogue’ 

infrastructure that’s easily accessible 

and manageable. That’s why we focus 

on solutions with a low total cost of 

ownership – durable, dependable, and 

maintenance-friendly. 

At marinas where we have introduced 

AanUit.net, the impact is clearly 

noticeable. Boat owners and guests 

enjoy a smoother, more streamlined 

service interaction, which significantly 

increases the likelihood of them 

returning. 

Adopting smart solutions like AanUit. 

net is essential for marinas aiming to 

meet contemporary needs and prepare 

for future challenges. This system not 

only simplifies life for guests but also 

propels facilities forward, especially as 

we advance towards more sustainable 

and electronically powered boating 

paradigms. 

Brent Wierson, Molo Marina 

Management/Stellar Software 

A: In the ever changing landscape of 

marina management, leveraging smart 

technology has become paramount 

to ensuring operational efficiency and 

enhancing customer experiences. 

There’s been an uptick in marina 

management 

software 

companies 

focusing on the 

pain points of 

marina owners 

and providing 

technical 

solutions to solve Brent Wierson 

them. 

Companies like Molo Marina 

Management and Stellar Software take 

a unique approach to envisioning the 

future for marinas and how various 

aspects can benefit from integration of 

smart solutions, some of which we’ve 

included below: 

1 Dock management and monitoring 

– one way companies like Molo 

are getting ahead is by providing 

monitoring of dock occupancy, vessel 

arrivals and departures, and meter 

tracking for electricity, gas and water 

usage. Rental software platforms like 

Stellar have also adopted their own 

version of dock management with 

features like their ‘Dock Attendant’ 

tool, which provides a digitised 

process for launching and returning 

rental boats to ensure smooth 

operations and compliance. 

2 Customer services and experience 

– smart technology empowers boat 

rental and club businesses to provide 

customers with instant access to 

information about marina facilities, 

membership details and rental 

options. Additionally, automated 

booking and payment systems are 

a great way to simplify operations, 

enhancing customer satisfaction and 

relieving administrative burden. 

3 Business operations and 

management – integrated 

management solutions for things 

like inventory management (POS), 

billing and financial reporting can 

enhance efficiency and accuracy. 

Data analytics tools take it a step 

further by offering insight into 

customer behaviour, market trends 

and operational performance, 

empowering marina managers with 

the information needed for informed 

decision-making and strategic 

planning. 

John Barbanas, 

Successful Software 

A: In order for marina owners/operators 

to be able to move towards a smarter 

marina, they need to invest in flexible 

digital infrastructure. This infrastructure 

should support interconnected 

systems that will be an amalgamation 

of hardware, Internet of Things (IoT) 

and software 

solutions. 

The ideal 

infrastructure 

will gather 

data from 

various data 

sources. By 

having a 

solid digital John Barbanas 

foundation, marina owners/operators 

can harness the power of data 

analytics, automation and monitoring 

to optimise operations, improve overall 



efficiency and ensure positive word of 

mouth from their customers. 

To keep costs down in the adoption 

of smart technology, the management 

team should invest in modular and 

scalable systems. This will allow the 

gradual adoption of smart technologies 

based on the current needs and budget 

of the business. When the budget 

permits, the management will be able 

to add the next module that will make 

its operation smarter. 

Moreover, choosing smart solutions 

that can seamlessly integrate with 

existing software and hardware will 

minimise integration costs and reduce 

the learning curve. 

George Spiers, Konnected 

Technology 

A: In our experience at Konnected 

Technology the single most important 

upgrade or smart improvement that 

marina operators need to adopt within 

possible smart marina technology 

starts with investing in comprehensive 

internet network with coverage over the 

entire facility. 

As most smart 

technology is 

cloud based, a 

strong, reliable 

internet system 

is paramount 

regardless 

of the smart 

technology 

George Spiers 

deployed. In the 

age where internet access has become 

as essential as water, light and food, 

the trend is high demand for premium 

internet in marinas. Also comprehensive 

internet is the first step to implementing 

further smart marina solutions. 

In terms of cost recovery, upfront 

investment costs can also be recovered 

by passing along the cost, along with 

the benefits of premium Wi-Fi to boat 

owners. If implemented, premium 

services can create a new revenue 

stream for marinas. Recognising this 

shift, we acknowledge that premium 

Wi-Fi is not just a luxury but an 

essential service that defines a marina 

experience. 

Idan Cohen, Pick a Pier 

A: The future of 

marinas lies in 

their evolution 

into smart, 

interconnected 

hubs that 

optimise 

decision-making 

and provide 

valuable insights. Idan Cohen 

By collecting 

data digitally and methodically, 

marinas can comprehensively 

understand their operations and make 

more informed decisions. While there 

are immediate learnings and actions 

marinas can take from day one, the 

long term, compounding effect of this 

effort would be game changing. 

With today’s technology and tools, 

the initial investment is no longer a 

barrier. Instead of expensive hardware 

and complicated physical solutions, 

marinas can now access and leverage 

proprietary and external data in 

new ways. Connecting the dots and 

combining all stakeholders, while 

utilising future planning as part of the 

sharing economy and circular economy 

principles, will yield the best results for 

our industry. 

Smart marinas must also look beyond 

their own operations and communicate 

with other industry stakeholders to 

share and receive data. This approach 

also applies to marina chains, which 

may excel at internal communication 

but often lack external data sharing 

capabilities. 

At Pick a Pier, we’re working with 

partners to establish harmonisation 

within marinas and across the industry, 

making data collection more valuable 

for all. We invite you to join us in this 

collaborative effort, as we can drive the 

growth of smart marinas worldwide. 


53

We are building our global marine fast charge network, creating local and 

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If you are looking to offer electric boat supercharging to future-proof 

 

technology at no cost to you, providing 24/7 customer care and all 

compatibility testing. 

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The Original


Sean Cocks, 

Pacsoft International 

A: There are now plenty of realworld 

examples demonstrating ways 

smart technologies can save marinas 

time and money, make life easier 

for customers, and drive positive 

sustainability and environmental 

outcomes. 

My number 

one piece of 

advice when 

beginning 

your smarttechnology 

journey is 

to educate 

Sean Cocks 

yourself on 

what solutions are out there, including 

their capabilities and limitations. Many 

solutions appear the same at first 

glance, but if you get down to the detail 

there can be significant differences with 

major implications. 

For example, two systems may 

operate similarly, in terms of how you 

management software with functional 

integration across all parts of your 

marina, allowing a single point for 

holistic management. 

Our own PacsoftNG software, 

available on-site or in the cloud, is 

an ideal hub for this purpose. Its 

integrations across membership, point 

of sale, finance and billing, food and 

beverage, security, and fuel and utility 

systems allow you to gain valuable 

insights and manage all your smart 

technologies from a single place. 

A final word of caution: we all want 

our software to be ‘simple’ but that 

can sometimes come at a cost if a 

technology’s shortcomings force you 

and your team to add time-intensive 

manual processes to compensate. 

Picking the right technology up front, 

with well-thought-out automation and 

a comprehensive feature set, will save 

you time and money in the long run. 

Mark Read, 

Smarter Technologies 

A: Deploying a real-time IoT network 

across a site is the first step towards a 

smart marina both afloat and ashore. 

Wireless retrofitted devices monitor 

and track anything, so you can improve 

efficiencies and drive down costs. 

Orion is the largest unified IoT platform 

available: simple, easy, and costeffective. 

This secure network allows you to 

gather real-time data, track, monitor 

and control (turn things on/off etc.) 

without sim-cards or Wi-Fi. This onesystem 

approach to service multiple 

requirements mitigates costs. Using 

standard software platforms and apps 

avoids costly IT development. 

Whilst our hardware and software 

platforms offer monitoring solutions that 

improve customer experiences, many 

business modules focus specifically 

on reducing expenses and improving 

margins. 

Retrofitting our MID-approved 

meters to automate billing and control 

access to utilities removes the cost of 

managing utilities and prevents losses. 

Customer-facing apps allow payment 

and real-time visibility and reporting 

tools demonstrate ESG compliance. 

The costs of managing compliance 

of marine businesses can be huge. 

Our platforms fully automate these 

functions, removing the human 

cost and only 

alerting you 

when necessary. 

Examples include 

temperature 

monitoring, 

safety equipment, 

defibrillators 

and Legionella 

compliance. 

Our geo-fence Mark Read 

platforms also 

help you control parking, track assets, 

know when a berth is occupied, check 

washroom temperatures, water or 

fuel levels, and where your visitors or 

contractors are. 

Many of our solutions can be 

delivered on a zero-capex basis, 

enabling you to get all the benefits of 

efficiencies and cost saving from day 

one without the usual upfront costs. 

The key to smart marinas lies in the 

simplicity and effectiveness of real-time 

data collection, intelligent analysis, and 

ease of reporting. 

capture and input data, but one may 

deliver much richer information back. 

This could be real-time occupancy 

reporting, detailed financial forecasting, 

or even customer revenue analysis. 

If this rich information is coupled with 

intelligent automation, you will gain 

actionable insights while also saving 

your team time and freeing them up to 

do what they do best. 

The foundation underpinning a 

modern ‘smart marina’ is clever marina 


55

PRODUCTS, SERVICES & PEOPLE 

Greener practices in Mallorca 

Melchor Mascaró has awarded Flovac the contract for a vacuum sanitation system that forms part of the remodelling of 

Puerto Portals in Mallorca. 

The project involves the 

installation of a double network 

of pipes for the management of 

sewage and bilge water that will 

provide an efficient waste evacuation 

service directly from the yacht 

moorings. The system will not only 

simplify the process for boaters but 

also contribute to environmental 

protection by minimising pollution 

risks and unpleasant odours in the 

port. 

One of the most notable features 

of the system is its ability to adapt 

to vessels of different sizes, from 

small boats to megayachts. This 

is achieved by installing discharge 

inlets on the dock edges, which 

allow wastewater to be sucked in by 

the vacuum in the network, or in the 

case of larger vessels, by means of 

their own drive pumps. 

www.flovac.es 

There’s a whole new 

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Contact Julia Hallam for details. 

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02382 180 163 • service@mppengineering.co.uk 

www.mppengineering.co.uk 


World www.marinaworld.com 



Inland marina 

– first for 

hydrogen 

Robert and Audrey Parton, husband 

and wife owners of Aqueduct Marina, 

a narrowboat marina in Church 

Minshull on the Shropshire Union 

Canal, have long been stewards 

for decarbonisation. Surrounded 

by iconic English countryside 

and mindful of the need to keep 

inland waterways as unpolluted 

as possible, they have scored a 

UK first by offering hydrogen and 

fuel cell technology to the boating 

community. 

The marina, which was also one 

of the first inland waterways marinas 

in England to offer HVO alongside 

conventional diesel, is now supplying 

BOC’s Genie lightweight hydrogen 

cylinders. These contain 30% more 

gas than equivalent steel cylinders, 

resulting in fewer changeovers. 

In addition to supplying hydrogen, 

establishing a commercial agreement 

with BOC enables Aqueduct to supply 

all BOC gases to customers. Chandlery 

manager, Tom Raines, explains that 

new customers need to set up a BOC 

account, which normally takes about 

ten minutes, and then can buy welding 

gas, balloon gas, oxygen and hydrogen. 

Aqueduct owners are also working 

with Hydrogen Afloat, producers of 

hydrogen fuel cell domestic power 

systems for boats. These innovative units 

can be fitted to the roof of most narrow 

boats and will reduce engine running 

time for battery charging while emitting 

nothing more damaging than water. 

MDL partners with Club Lagoon 

UK operator MDL Marinas has formed an exclusive partnership agreement 

with Club Lagoon at its Ocean Village Marina in Southampton, Hampshire. 

The collaboration offers Club Lagoon 

members access to the marina’s fivestar 

facilities and 10% of the annual 

berthing tariff back in Otium Rewards 

points, double the usual amount. The 

points can be redeemed against a 

wide range of products and services, 

including fuel. 

Launched in 2020, MDL’s pointsbased 

loyalty programme has been 

designed to give customers a more 

personalised experience when using 

services within the marina group. “With 

our Otium Rewards loyalty programme, 

berth holders get the chance to make 

real savings and can choose where 

best to apply their points to give them 

maximum personalised value from 

their berthing agreement,” says Tim 

Mayer, sales and marketing director. 

In addition to the rewards, Club 

Lagoon members will benefit from 

exclusive discounts on short-term 

berthing at the marina, as well as 

“My expectation is that we will not 

sell much hydrogen in the short term, 

but there are power systems, such as 

the one provided by Hydrogen Afloat, 

on the market now and I am looking 

forward to seeing how the hydrogen 

propulsion market develops,” Robert 

Parton says. 

Nick Swift, director of Hydrogen 

Afloat, comments: “We are delighted 

that Aqueduct is the first marina in 

the UK to stock hydrogen. We need to 

find ways to decarbonise the canals 

boatyard services at nearby Saxon 

Wharf and access to permanent 

berth holder offers at numerous 

bars, restaurants and businesses 

surrounding the marina. 

“We’re thrilled to embark on 

this exciting journey with MDL 

Marinas,” says Corentin Blanchard, 

customer relations manager at 

Beneteau Group’s Club Lagoon. “The 

collaboration will offer lots of great 

benefits for our Club Lagoon members 

as well as access to MDL’s fantastic 

Ocean Village Marina.” 

Awarded ‘Marina of the Year’ at the 

British Yachting Awards in December 

2023, Ocean Village Marina is claimed 

to be the UK’s only five-star marina, 

offering a raft of upmarket leisure 

facilities, luxury residential dwellings 

and a £50 million luxury spa hotel 

complex. Surrounded by shops, bars, 

restaurants and a cinema, its waterfront 

is bustling and sophisticated. 

and rivers of the UK. We can start 

with domestic power, since that works 

now, but in time I expect we will see 

hydrogen used for propulsion.” 

“Birmingham, London and other 

cities already have fuel cell buses, so 

hydrogen gas is becoming more widely 

used. Making hydrogen available at 

the canal-side supports innovation 

in the inland waterways, creating the 

opportunity for early adopters to take 

advantage of the benefits it offers,” he 

adds. 


57


Index to Advertisers 

ASAR, USA 14 

Aqua superPower, UK 54 

Bellingham Marine, USA 7 & 59 

Bluet, Finland 36 

Bluewater Marine & Dock, USA 44 

Bluewater Marine Systems, USA 54 

Capria, Argentina 32 

Catamaran Cruisers, USA 38 

Conolift by Kropf 

Industrial, Canada 22 

D-Marin, Greece 29 

EMP Industries/Fast Attack 38 

EMP Industries/SaniSailor 42 

Eagle Floats by 

Hendren Plastics, USA 41 

Edgewater Resources, USA 22 

Flovac, Spain 24 

Gigieffe, Italy 46 

Golden Manufacturing, USA 12 

Ingemar, Italy 10 

Inmare, Italy 44 

Lindley, Portugal 38 

Livart, China 42 

MPP Engineering, UK 56 

Marex, Croatia 32 

Marina Master by IRM, Slovenia 46 

Marina Projects, UK 60 

MARINAGo by 

Scribble Software, USA 51 

Marinetek, Finland 4 

Martini Marinas, Italy 26 

METSTRADE, Netherlands 20 

Molo Marina Management/Stellar 

Systems, USA 52 

Perspective Products, USA 24 

PierPump by 

Vogelsang, Germany 8 

Plus Marine, Italy 52 

Premier Materials/Konnected 

Technology, USA 48 

Rolec, UK 16 

Ronautica, Spain 14 

Roodberg - a brand of Frisian 

Industries, Netherlands 54 

SF Marina System, Sweden 2 

Seaflex, Sweden 6 

Seijsener, Netherlands 48 

Simply Marinas, USA 40 

Superior Group, Australia 36 

Twinwood by CJ Plast, Portugal 44 

Walcon Marine, UK 25 

Wiggins Lift Co, USA 42 

WISE Handling, UK 26 

Promotions at Golden 

Three new positions of vice president have been created at dock solutions 

specialist Golden Manufacturing. 

With over 20 years of valued 

contribution to Golden’s growth and 

success, Amber Clark has been 

named the new vice president of 

administration. In her tenure with 

the company, she’s moved through 

bookkeeping, sales 

and design roles, 

and earned a 

college degree. In 

her new position, 

Clark develops, 

implements and 

manages all 

administrative, 

Amber Clark 

insurance and 

HR policies and 

procedures, as well 

as overseeing DOT and legal issues. 

Devin Garrison has been named 

vice president 

of operations. 

Having begun at 

Golden nearly nine 

years ago, he has 

been promoted 

numerous times, 

proving himself at 

each level within 

the company to 

become a driving 

Devin Garrison 

force behind its many achievements. He 

oversees processes, capacity planning 

and resource allocation, providing 

David Randall 

David Randall CMM has been appointed CEO at Empire 

Marinas Group in Australia. He brings extensive 

experience in the marine and marina industries to his role, 

with a career history in the New Zealand Navy, hospitality, 

yacht charter, yacht club facilities management and marina 

management. Most recently, he was general manager of 

Empire Marina Lake Macquarie and part of the executive 

management team of Empire Marinas Group. 

Empire Marinas Group is owned by 

interests associated with the Vaux and 

Richardson families and celebrates its 

20th year in 2024. Group chairman, 

Darren Vaux, said: “Joining Empire 

Marinas almost three years ago, David 

has demonstrated his capacity and 

drive to deliver outstanding outcomes 

in the management of our facilities and 

the delivery of customer service. He is 

the consummate marina professional, 

with a commitment to the development 

maximum efficiency while further 

reducing operating costs. His focus 

also includes monitoring strict quality 

control measures that exceed industry 

standards. 

No stranger to 

the marine industry, 

Don Lunardini 

is now vice 

president of sales 

and marketing. 

A results-driven 

leader, he has a 

proven track record 

of creating a culture 

Don Lunardini 

of continuous 

improvement and building an effective 

customer base. Prior to joining Golden, 

Lunardini had numerous managerial 

roles within the tyre business, including 

at Michelin. He supervises regional 

teams, coordinates public relations 

and provides input into product 

development. 

“I’m excited by these three 

appointments and the dynamic team 

we’ve built,” said company president Bill 

Golden. “We’ve positioned ourselves 

to be a forward-leaning company that 

will continue to innovate and radically 

redefine boat lifts and dock solutions for 

decades to come.” 

www.goldenboatlifts.com 

www.goldenmarinesystems.com 

David Randall 

of the industry as a whole, and we are 

excited to see what he can achieve in 

his new role.” 

Empire Marinas has big plans for 

the future, with a major expansion and 

redevelopment of Empire Marina Lake 

Macquarie in the planning stages and 

a range of industry-leading climate 

change resilience and environmental 

initiatives proposed for Empire Marina 

Bobbin Head. 

www.empiremarinas.com.au 


SETTING THE WORLD 

STANDARD IN MARINA DESIGN 

CONCEPT DESIGN & MARINA MASTER PLANNING 

FEASIBILITY STUDIES & MARKET RESEARCH 

BUSINESS PLANNING 

MARINA & WATERFRONT DESIGN 

TENDER AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT 

MARINA OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT 

ENVIRONMENTAL & LEGISLATIVE ADVICE 

PROPERTY CONSULTANCY SERVICES 

GLOBAL WATERFRONT & MARINA DEVELOPMENT 

CONSULTANCY AT ITS BEST 

www.marinaprojects.com

2024 May June Marina World

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