Florida’s central coast is known for its enjoyable cruising and great fishing. The new Sebastian Inlet Marina located in Micco, Florida on the west side of the Indian River Lagoon across from the Sebastian Inlet offers boaters a state-of-the-art modern facility with added storm protection and an ideal location.
The new marina features 25 wet slips and 240 dry storage racks. Bellingham Marine oversaw the waterside portion of the project. “Storm design was important in the design and planning of Sebastian Inlet Marina,” said Ron Carey, Manager of Project Development for Bellingham Marine. The original marina was destroyed by the hurricanes that hit Florida’s coast in 2004 – first by Hurricane Frances, followed by Hurricane Jeanne. Rather than rebuild, the owners decided to sell the property.
In 2005, the marina property was purchased and, over the next three years, redeveloped by an affiliate of Kennedy Holdings, LLC. The new marina was designed to withstand Florida’s extreme environment. The docks and dry storage building were built tough to handle strong winds. The owners have also developed a haul-out program for Patrons during named storms.
The marina’s wet slips accommodate boats from 30 feet to 45 feet in length. Each slip has dedicated power and potable water. The marina’s dry stack building can handle boats up to 40 feet in length and 38,000 pounds. Marine grade (non-ethanol) fuel, pump-out service and light mechanical repair service is available on site. Additional amenities include a captain’s lounge with internet service, private restrooms with shower facilities, and a ship store. The marina also offers safety courses to the public, and promotes community involvement through social events. “As boaters ourselves, it was important to us to build a marina that would provide boaters with a level of amenities and services that would enhance their boating experience,” said Ken Kennedy, President of Kennedy Holdings, LLC.
Since opening on Labor Day weekend, the marina has leased out about 100 of its 265 spots. “Response has been positive,” said Preston Perrone, CFO of Kennedy Holdings, LLC. “We knew things were slowing down and that we’d experience a longer lease-up period when we broke ground but we’re not far from our forecasted budget. In spite of the economy, we feel good about the level of interest.”
Sebastian Inlet Marina is committed to operating an environmentally friendly facility. The marina has been certified by the State of Florida as a “Clean Marina”, a “Clean Boatyard”, and a “Clean Ship Store”. The marina’s ship store offers a variety of biodegradable and green products. Sebastian Inlet Marina is one of a very few marinas in the state to receive all three designations.
As the world’s leading marina design/build construction company, Bellingham Marine produces Unifloat saltwater systems, Unideck freshwater systems and Unistack dry storage systems for marinas worldwide.
Bellingham Marine, P.O. Box 8, Bellingham, WA 98227; ph. 360-676-2800, fax. 360-734-2417, email. bmi@bellingham-marine.com Unifloat, Unideck and Unistack are registered trademarks of Bellingham Marine.
