Like it or not, if you own or operate a marina you also own and operate an electric utility; one that floats on a highly corrosive and conductive electrolyte (sea water) and is constantly in motion.

Electricity is a revenue generator for a marina. Large yachts use lots of it, and the revenue they generate can often justify a higher initial investment. If your marina is going to serve big boats, your electrical power system must be properly designed before it is locked in concrete…figuratively and literally.

“Good planning cannot be overemphasized,” said Cliff Norton of Bellingham Marine. “Fixing the problem of an undersized electrical system later may not be an option. In some cases, it’s easier to start over with a new marina.”

Norton is General Manager of Bellingham Marine’s Utilities Division, which is unique in the industry. Marina power has become increasingly specialized and different from the residential and commercial electrical industry. To meet the challenge, Bellingham Marine decided in 2008 to set up a separate division staffed by marina power professionals.

Get it right and super yacht captains will heap praise on your marina. Ask Greg Nailler, General Manager of Eaton Corporation’s Marina Power and Lighting Division. Eaton makes power pedestals expressly designed for super yachts. They market two big-boat models, a high-demand pedestal called the Admiral and a top-of-the-line model called the MegaYacht Powerpoint. The latter anticipates a super-yacht engineer’s every need. “I actually got a hand-written letter from a yacht captain,” said Nailler. “He loved the idea of a power pedestal that adapts to a yacht’s power system.”

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MAGAZINE: Marina World
ISSUE: May/June 2009