It’s safe to say that the boating public appreciates placid moorages but has no idea how much science and engineering goes into planning and designing them. That’s my job. I’ve been a structural engineer specializing in marina design for the last 20 years.

For most of that time, I have developed solutions consistent with the site-specific marina engineering system employed by Bellingham Marine. This has afforded me the opportunity to learn, test, study, and solve breakwater, wave wall and wave attenuator challenges all over the world.

A smooth ride in a marina delivers more than just a higher level of comfort to your tenants and a less stressful berth for their boats. It can turn a parking lot for boats into a revenue-producing machine.

In my work with developers and operators around the world, I’ve heard an often-repeated story. The more tranquil the marina basin, the more likelihood your tenants will come to the marina and use your services.

A few years ago, Bellingham Marine Australia replaced a fixed-wood-dock marina for the St. George Motor Boat Club in Botany Bay, Sydney, Australia. The old docks were replaced by concrete flotation and a wave attenuator. One year after the new marina opened, Ralph Gibbons, the General Manager, said,

“People come to the marina for the weekend and stay on their boats. They enjoy just being in the marina with the other boat owners. They use the restaurants and stores. Our revenues continue to go up beyond our planning expectations.”

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MAGAZINE: Marina Dock Age
ISSUE: January/February 2006