On February 2nd Bellingham Marine, worldwide marina builder, and the Melbourne boating community celebrated the opening of the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron’s (RMYS) new marina. Bellingham Marine was contracted by the club in February 2013 to build a new state of the art 250-berth floating marina facility to replace the club’s existing dilapidated timber marina, which will subsequently be removed by RMYS. Concurrently, the club engaged Fitzgerald Constructions to extend the northern groin and southern rock breakwater.
For over ten years, the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron worked with various state and local government agencies on the development of a safer boating harbour and new marina facilities. In January 2014, the club’s persistence and hard work paid off when Bellingham Marine announced the completion of the project.
The club’s new facilities, located at St. Kilda Harbour, includes 250-berths connected by over 1km of floating walkways all protected by an upgraded breakwater and new 140m long floating wave attenuator. Also installed by Bellingham Marine, as part of a separate contract, were 30m of gangway and a dedicated landing pontoon for shared public access.
The marina is accessed via one of nine security controlled access gates and gangways and has capacity for boats from 10 meters to 23 meters in length. All berths are fitted with their own power and water supply via Marine Technologies’ Sterling and Platinum model pedestals. A full marine sanitation and pumpout system manufactured by Keco and supplied by Marine Technologies was also installed.
Situated at the center of the St. Kilda’s foreshore precinct, the St. Kilda pier, kiosk pavilion and rock breakwater have been an iconic destination for Melburnians since the 1950’s when the harbour was first formed as the headquarters for the sailing events during the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games.
The grand opening of the RMYS new marina included a party with live music, an aerobatics display and widespread praise for the quality and functionality of the new facility. “Bellingham has been a delight to work with,” said Club Commodore, Linda Goldsmith, “They were able to work collaboratively with other contractors within the confines of the St Kilda Harbour and were informative and responsive to the Squadron’s requests. Issues that arose were dealt with calmly and responsibly. We are very pleased with the quality outcome and we have received from our members overwhelming praise regarding the new marina.”
About Bellingham Marine
As the world’s leading marina design-build construction company, Bellingham Marine produces Unifloat® concrete floating dock systems as well as timber and metal frame systems. The company also produces Unistack® dry stack systems for marinas worldwide.
Contact:
Bellingham Marine, 22 Sinnamon Rd., 17 Mile Rocks, QLD 4073, Australia
Phone: 011-61-7-3376-6955 | bmi@bellingham-marine.com | www.bellingham-marine.com.au
Canada’s newest marina, Milltown Marina, sits on the outskirts of downtown Vancouver, B.C. in a well-protected basin on the North Arm of the Frasier River on Richmond Island. Following, almost four years of permitting hurdles and a year of construction, Milltown opened its doors in October 2013.
The marina’s wet slips cater to vessels 30’ to 80’ in length with a capacity for 220 vessels. The floating concrete docks are terracotta colored with rounded finger ends. The inspiration for the dock’s color was taken from a high-end megayacht marina in the British Virgin Islands that was built by Bellingham Marine. Full utilities are provided at all slips. The marina also includes a dry storage building for vessels under 30’ in length as well as a restaurant and club house.
According to an article that ran in Marpole Online, the island was originally a sand bar. Then a cannery was built on the island and eventually a sawmill. The site was in disrepair from years of neglect and heavy industrial use. Following a comprehensive cleanup effort of the waters and the upland property as well as a number of habitat restoration measures, the area is coming back to life.
An old creosote contaminated retaining wall was replaced with a “green wall” to encourage plant life, sunken logs, concrete and rebar were removed from the slough floor, and a new bird and wildlife habitat islet was created at the mouth of the slough.
In January 2013, Bellingham Marine was awarded a design/build contract for the construction of the marina. Bellingham’s scope of work included dock and electrical design, dock installation and supply of electrical equipment.
Developers of the marina and upland property hope that the new facility will help provide some relief from chronic moorage shortages for Metro Vancouver boat owners as well as provide new public access to Richmond Island for residents seeking recreational activities and a chance to reconnect with the riverfront. Currently, waiting lists for moorage in Vancouver can stretch up to eight years.
As the world’s leading marina design-build construction company, Bellingham Marine produces Unifloat® concrete floating dock systems as well as timber and metal frame systems. The company also produces Unistack® dry stack systems for marinas worldwide.
Contact: Bellingham Marine, P.O. Box 8, Bellingham, WA 98227; www.bellingham-marine.com.
Stock Island developer, Matthew Strunk, has opened a new marina in Key West, Florida – Stock Island Marina Village. The new moorage facility built by worldwide marina builder, Bellingham Marine was designed by Strunk and his team to appeal to a wide spectrum of boaters from Megayacht owners to shrimp boat captains.
Located in Safe Harbor, Stock Island Marina Village is accessed from the Atlantic through an entrance channel dredged to a depth of 25 ft. to 35 ft. The marina basin is divided by two massive land piers and separated by 300 ft. of water.
Bellingham Marine completed the first phase of construction in November. 128 slips were installed in the marina’s north basin for boats ranging from 40 feet to 70 feet. Two new side-tie docks were also put in to provide Superyacht moorage for vessels up to 250 ft. The second basin houses the marina’s older live-aboard moorage with 80 slips.
Strunk’s vision for the property is to transform the once industrial site into a world class marina that attracts visitors from around the world and reflects an appreciation for the history of the area and the eclectic lifestyle Key West is famous for.
Stock Island Marina Village offers a wide range of amenities on the docks, including in-slip pump outs for all slips and 480A, 3-phase electrical service for power-hungry super yachts. High-speed fueling is available on the 430-foot fuel dock, the largest in South Florida. Upland amenities include a ship’s store with a captain’s lounge above and an outdoor bar and grill, dog parks, and an organic community garden for live-aboards who want to grow fresh fruits and vegetables.
Just beyond the noise and crowds of Duval Street in Key West, Stock Island Marina Village will be a heaven for many boat owners and captains.
As the world’s leading marina design-build construction company, Bellingham Marine produces Unifloat® concrete floating dock systems as well as timber and metal frame systems. The company also produces Unistack® dry stack systems for marinas worldwide.
Marina developer ‘A’ begins with a clean sheet of paper and sees the project as an opportunity to clear away the old and create something new. He gives it a brand name and a logo, but does little else to take advantage of the essential nature of the location. Developer ‘B’ recognizes the potential of what is there. He patiently encourages a process that channels the ethos and energy of the community into the project.
Matthew Strunk is the quintessential Developer ‘B.’ Stock Island Marina Village embraces Key West’s mellow lifestyle and colorful history. Rather than a marina tailored to a narrow market segment, Strunk is creating a Key West experience that appeals across a wide spectrum. “It’s eclectic,” said Strunk. “It’s a big gumbo that appeals to all kinds of people.”
Strunk and his team just completed Phase One of a two-phase development in Safe Harbor on Stock Island. The island is the penultimate link in the Florida Keys before Key West. A new Bellingham Marine-built floating concrete dock marina occupies the east half of the basin. The newly opened moorage features Unifloat docks in a 128-slip configuration with berths ranging from 12m to 21m (40 ft. to 70 ft.). Two new side-tie berths welcome super yachts up to 80m (250 ft.).
Safe Harbor is accessed from the Atlantic through a dredged entrance channel 7.6m to 10.6m (25 ft. to 35 ft.) deep. The marina basin is divided by two massive land piers cut from solid indigenous limestone and separated by 90m (300 ft.) of water. At the end of the north land pier is the ship’s store with a captain’s lounge above and an outdoor bar and grill alongside the new floats. The second land pier anchors an older live-aboard moorage with 80 slips. The facility offers a wide range of amenities, including in-slip pump outs for all slips and 480A, 3-phase electrical service for power-hungry super yachts. High-speed fueling is available on the 430-foot fuel dock, the largest in South Florida.
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Leading marina builder and dock manufacturer Bellingham Marine recently named Michael LaRocque General Manager of the company’s Northeast Division.
LaRocque will be responsible for the day to day operations of the division including project administration, detailed scheduling of manufacture and construction activities, and budgeting. A veteran of the construction industry with a background in civil engineering, LaRocque has over 20 years’ experience, holding a number of varied positions in the civil engineering and construction management trades.
Prior to his appointment as General Manager, LaRocque was a Senior Project Manager /Operations Manager for Bellingham Marine overseeing design/build projects for the company in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.
“I’m honored to be a part of the best team in the industry and am looking forward to leading Bellingham’s Northeast Division toward continued growth,” said LaRocque.
“Mr. LaRocque’s backgrounds in engineering and effective management of complex construction projects make him the best person to lead the Northeast Division,” said Bellingham Marine President, Everett Babbitt. “He has the right mix of experience and drive needed to keep our company moving forward.”
Bellingham Marine’s Northeast division covers the U.S.’s northeastern states as well as those around the Great Lakes.
As the world’s leading marina design-build construction company, Bellingham Marine produces Unifloat® concrete floating dock systems as well as timber and metal frame systems. The company also produces Unistack® dry stack systems for marinas worldwide.
Contact: Bellingham Marine, P.O. Box 8, Bellingham, WA 98227; www.bellingham-marine.com.