When Ko Olina Marina in Kapolei, Hawaii, completed the second and final phase of its marina project in 2006, it brought a whole new standard of world-class service to the state’s industry. This year’s winner of MDA ‘s 2008 Marina of the Year award for marinas with 250 or more slips raised the bar for all of Hawaii ‘s marinas. The 330-wet slip marina built on the Pacific Coast paradise was the first new marina in Hawaii in more than 30 years. Moreover, the marina has changed the way local and transient boaters view Hawaii.
A model for Ko Olina
Marina Manager Russell Doane pointed out that boaters in general never considered Hawaii the friendliest place for boating. “A lot of boaters didn’t stop in Hawaii because there was no place for them to moor their boats,” said Doane. When Ko Olina Marina opened in February 2000, it became an instant success with the boating community. “We became that luxury marina that every boater wac; looking for,” Doane said. To run the marina, Jeff Stone and Kevin Showc, the owners, hired AI mar Management. Randy Short, Almar ‘s CEO and president. said A lmar knew how to create not only financially successful marinas but also marinas with world-class standards.
In Ko Olino, which in Hawaiian translates as “place of joy,” Hawaiian boaters hove found just that. In implementing the vision for Ko Olina, Short turned for guidance to an Almar marina already built in Cabo San L ucas, Mexico. When this marina initially opened, Mexicans occupied only five percent of their country’s first marina, which is no longer the case. Short attributed this shi ft to creating demand for the marina based on Almar’s high quality standards. Short expects the same thing to happen in Hawaii.
“We really had to spend a lot of time creating an image for our people internally in order to know how to keep a marina in world-class condition,” said Short. ” I think we’re following the same footsteps in Hawaii, really creating a level of service and a level of maintenance in a marina that is far beyond anything that you experience anywhere else in the Islands.” Short also brings experience from the ski resort industry and recognizes a lot of similarities in what he does now in the marina industry. Short hopes to provide his marina customers with the resort like experience found at skiing vacation destinations. “Some rHawaiianl marinas look at themselves as parking lots for boats. We don’t,” said Short.
**FOR A COMPLETE COPY OF THE ARTICLE DOWNLOAD THE PDF**
MAGAZINE: Marina Dock Age
ISSUE: April 2009
Port Adelaide, located in South Australia, is undergoing a period of growth and redevelopment. The local government plans to spend an estimated $1.5 billion to revitalize the area.
Marina West, which celebrated its grand opening in March of this year, is Port Adelaide’s newest development. The state-of-the-art boating facility, developed and operated by the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia (CYCSA), is an extension of the Club’s existing complex on the coast at North Haven. Marina West adds 73 slips to the region and offers the state’s biggest berths.
The Club hired Bellingham Marine to oversee the design and construction of the new marina. The completed marina boasts world class accommodations, and positions Adelaide as a distinct player in the international boating arena. Berths range in length from 11 meters to 35 meters. The marina features Bellingham’s Unifloat dock system with high freeboard and extra wide walkways.
“We have worked hard to ensure every aspect of the marina was completed to the highest standard,” remarked Craig Evans Club General Manager. “And the larger slips will help satisfy the growing number of people considering larger craft; initially a lot of interest for the larger berths came from existing club members. “
The marina offers the latest in amenities and security. All slips are single berth with provisions for utilities, including metered power and metered potable water. The larger slips also feature reticulated sewer pumpouts.
Members can lease or sell their berths, as CYCSA owns not only the freehold of the land, but also that of the water. This ability offers boat owners much more flexibility and freedom, and makes Marina West unique among other marinas.
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.
Public Relations Contact: Bellingham Marine, P.O. Box 8, Bellingham, WA 98227; ph. 360-676-2800, fax. 360-734-2417.
Regional Contact: Bellingham Marine Australia, Pier 35 Marina Complex, Suite 11a, 263-329 Lorimer Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3207, Australia; ph. 613-9646-6744, fax. 613-9646-6844
Located near Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard, California the new exclusive residential development at Seabridge is a unique community that embraces the true marina lifestyle. Bellingham Marine was hired as the design/build contractor for the marina portion of the project.
The upscale development, built by DR Horton, encompasses two gated islands with beautiful homes surrounded by a system of canals spanned by two landmark bridges and a causeway. Public and private moorage facilities line the canals and are an integral part of this new community.
A 250-slip marina serves the public, and an additional 250 slips serve as private docks for home owners. The private moorage varies in design. Some have private gangways and others are reached by perimeter walkways from shared gangways. There is a combination of finger-slip berths and side tie moorage. All slips are supplied with utilities such as water and power. Private slips accommodate boats from small electric runabouts to 60-foot cruisers. The public marina offers additional slips for residents and non-residents with moorage for boats from 16 to 60 feet in length.
The docks at Seabridge are fully integrated into the development’s architecture and landscaping. A unique feature is the use of curved floats, which allows the marina to blend seamlessly with its surroundings. “The individual modules are shorter on the inside and longer on the outside of the curvature,” said Jim Puder, General Manager of Bellingham Marine. “The dock gets its round, arched appearance from the use of curved concrete forms. The walers were then formed to the concrete floats utilizing the structural rod construction. The walers and rods together act to hold the assembly in its curved configuration. Once in place the wood takes the curved shape permanently, much like the case of a piano.”
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.
The members of the Sydney, Australia BMI team have a new office location to call home. In January 2009, after 11 years at their previous location, they officially moved to their new workplace.
Citing the old office as too small for their growing business, in addition to being too small to accommodate future staff, the new building is a welcomed change for the group. The new facility is also within walking distance to four of the marinas they have built or extended along the waterfront.
“We needed a change, and the offer of this office came up and was too good to refuse. Being based where our product is has many advantages,” said John Spragg, the Australasian General Manager for Bellingham Marine. They are now located at Unit 10, Ferguson’s Boat Shed, Cnr Parriwi Road and The Spit Road Mosman NSW 2088; directly across the road from d’Alboras at the Spit and 35 meters from Smiths Boat Shed. Spragg states the new office will better suit the Company’s future needs.
As the world’s largest design/build construction company, Bellingham Marine produces Unifloat saltwater systems, Unideck freshwater systems and Unistack dry storage systems for marinas worldwide.
Public Relations Contact: Bellingham Marine, P.O. Box 8, Bellingham, WA 98227; ph. 360-676-2800, fax. 360-734-2417.
Regional Contact: Bellingham Marine Australia, Pier 35 Marina Complex, Suite 11a, 263-329 Lorimer Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3207, Australia; ph. 613-9646-6744, fax. 613-9646-6844.
Unifloat, Unideck and Unistack are registered trademarks of Bellingham Marine.
Southern California is home to Disneyland and Sleeping Beauty’s enchanted castle, so it is appropriate that the sun-soaked state is also home to a thoroughly enchanting new marina community called Seabridge. Seabridge is in Channel Islands Harbor, a two-mile long stretch of protected harbor located thirty miles north of Malibu on California’s scenic coastal Route 1.
Channel Islands Harbor is a newer and more affordable northern alternative to Southern California’s celebrated boating Mecca at Newport Beach. It is an excellent home port from which to access some of the best cruising Southern California has to offer. The harbor has seen its marinas and marine businesses expand steadily over the decades in rhythm with the phenomenal growth of Southern California since the end of WWII. Once a set of sleepy coastal agricultural communities, Port Hueneme, Ventura and Oxnard are now within the expanding sphere of metropolitan Los Angeles. Nearby Port Hueneme (pronounced Wy-nee-mee) is noteworthy as the home of the SeaBees of the US Navy.
Channel Islands Harbor has several established marinas and boatyards nearer to the harbor entrance in the southern end. The islands and canals of Seabridge, in the newer north section of the harbor, were carved out of 135 acres of raw land by DR Horton in 2006 and 2007. Its public marina facilities were completed and opened in July 2008. Market demand has been solid and slips were 50% leased in just a few months.
This part of California has unique boating attractions. The Channel Islands consist of eight islands along the coastline, five of which are marine parks. The northern set of islands nearest the harbor feature popular and exciting ecology parks that can be reached in about a half hour’s cruise from the harbor. To the north is the city of Santa Barbara and its coastal and beach communities arrayed along an unspoiled mountainous stretch of California many consider the most beautiful part of the state. Turning south, one can cruise to Catalina Island, Marina Del Rey, and of course, the vibrant boating scene at Newport Beach.
**FOR A COMPLETE COPY OF THE ARTICLE DOWNLOAD THE PDF**
MAGAZINE: Marina World
ISSUE: January/February 2009