State of the Marina Industry and Grow Boating Efforts
We are approaching a turning point as an industry. To put a round number on it, the modern marina industry is about 50 years old, a half century of explosive growth in which the number of marinas and slips parallels the growth in boat ownership. By Robert Wilkes Few “original” marina industry pioneers are still […]
Phased Construction Approach Allows Marina to Rebuild Harbor
Large marina rebuilding projects are usually done in phases, but Santa Barbara’s Replacement Project takes this simple concept to a new level. The $14 million rebuild was originally planned in ten phases over 20 years, but as financial and operational goals were met, city managers were able to consolidate the project into eight phases over […]
Portable Wood Dock Developed for Commercial Use
By Robert Wilkes With characteristic South Florida flair, the Miami Boat Show celebrates America’s love of boating every year in February. The show has been produced by the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA) since the 1940s and has been held at the Miami Beach Convention Center since 1969. When the last exhibit of the 2015 […]
Australia’s New Marina Communities Broaden Boating Down Under
Following decades of planning two spectacular waterfront communities 1,000 km apart recently opened in Australia. Wyndham Harbour and Trinity Point are bold in scope and vision. Creating “something out of nothing” marina developments requires persistence, talent, and patient investors. Each is an example of how to build stunning new marina-based living communities on raw land […]
Marina Environmental Report – How Are We Doing?
Here’s a question. Is it better for the marine environment to (A) build a marina basin with a concrete floatingdock marina, or (B) leave the bay, riverside or estuary with no development at all? Years ago the answer was obviously (B). No longer. “Marinas made of carbonates are artificial reefs,” said Todd Turrell, principal at […]
Adapting an Existing Marina to Accommodate Superyachts
Odds are good that marketing conditions that existed when your marina was built have changed. You may have a “problem child,” a section of the marina that is underperforming. Or, you may suspect there is an opportunity you could capture if you could repurpose part of your marina. You’re not alone. Around the world owners […]
Will Your Marina Weather the Storm?
Bill Huffman’s remarkable 37- year career as a marine structural engineer encompasses some of the best known and most elite marinas in the Northeast, Southeast, Gulf Coast and Caribbean. His years of experience in the field give him a broad perspective from which to advise marina owners about the storm worthiness of their marinas. Huffman […]
Adding Value and Adapting to Trends
Brett Bolton, CEO of d’Albora Marinas, heads up the largest marina group in Australia. Speaking to Robert Wilkes from his office at a’Albora headquarters in Sydney, Bolton discusses innovation, strategy, customer service and branding. Brett Bolton has held a number of high profile management roles in some of the largest recreation and marina companies in […]
MARINA PARK IN NEWPORT BEACH BUILDS A COMMUNITY SPACE FOR EVERYONE
The City of Newport Beach had a modern problem it shares with other waterfront cities: prime waterfront serving a function well below its potential. That emphatically changed on December 5, 2015, when the Newport Beach opened Marina Park, five months ahead of schedule. Marina Park is on what is called the peninsula, the strand that […]
Expert Views on Renovation and Expansion
The world’s marina infrastructure is ageing and new sites for marinas are difficult to acquire and permit. At the same time, the market for marina slips has evolved toward larger boats, a high-quality living environment inside the marina, signature architectural style and more services and amenities. Operators of older marinas will inevitably face an inflection […]
