Located in France’s largest commercial port Marseille, the new ferry terminal for Veolia’s IF FRIOUL EXPRESS (IFE) is nothing short of impressive. Designed and built to provide the best in modern security, the new ferry docks afford protected moorage and easy access for passengers. “Bellingham Marine’s design and construction of the new ferry docks at Old Port exceeded our expectations both in terms what it provides our customers and in terms of the amenities it provides our ferry operators,” said Fanny Butruille, Marketing and Operating Manager for IFE.
The goal of the IF FRIOUL EXPRESS replacement project was to provide ferry passengers with a safe, stable and durable floating platform from which to purchase tickets, wait for incoming ferries and board and depart vessels. Special attention was paid during the design process to ensure the docks promoted universal access. 900 mm freeboard, 4 meter wide walkways, handrails, single and double flow gangways, and quality lighting were incorporated into the design to allow passengers to move along the docks and onto the ferries with ease. Close attention was also paid to ensure the new docks were able to resist winds up to 182 km /h and were able to sustain heavy commercial use.
Sewage pumps for dark water as well as electrical and water pedestals were included to provide ferry operators with amenities needed to perform daily maintenance and to keep the ferries in working order. The new docks accommodate up to four 200-passenger ferry boats – each 25 meters long. “Facility design and construction activities were carefully scrutinized to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Bureau Veritas and to ensure the surrounding environment was respected and left with little to no impact,” said David Veyrat-Durebex, Director of Development for Bellingham Marine Europe.
Old Port is in the heart of Marseille – a bustling historical town, dating back to 600 AD, with numerous historical structures and tough building restrictions related to public operations. “This was a unique project with a unique set of parameters. There was an “old quay” curved wall along the site’s shoreline and fishing activity in the area that required pile driving to be phased,” said Veyrat-Durebex.
The IF FRIOUL EXPRESS provides year round service between IF, Frioul and Marseille Old Port for tourist and local residence.
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; www.bellingham-marine.com.
Regional Contact: Bellingham Marine Europe Ltd, Calle Josep Pla 45, Local 1, 08019, Barcelona, España Tel: 93 356 1229 Fax: 93 356 1355
Unifloat, Unideck and Unistack are registered trademarks of Bellingham Marine.
Today’s super-yachts and mega-yachts are driving the boating world, and they’re coming to marinas in droves. They’re also precipitating a growing crisis in the marina and boating industries. The growth in the size of boats is running headlong into the scarcity of places to park them, and neither shows any sign of abating.
The recreational boating industry is a reflection of the general economy, and worldwide economic progress is reflected in longer and wider boats. The move to bigger and better boats parallels the modern home, so that the 1950s dream house is a cramped museum piece today. The same holds true for today’s boats.
Many marinas have seen the trend to longer and wider as an opportunity to either remodel and/or reposition their slip mix to accommodate increased numbers of larger vessels. (For the story of one marina’s successful remodel, see “Proper planning pays big dividends—how to rebuild and redesign a marina,” pg. 26, May/June 2007, Marina Dock Age, )
Boats are being built at a faster rate than there are slips to moor them, and this is especially true with very large boats. In “A dash for the deep blue sea,” which appeared in the November 16, 2006 issue of “The Economist” magazine, this trend was put in these words:
Boat builders are floating on a tide of orders, with luxury super-yachts showing the biggest rises. Sales of these giants—some now stretched to 400 feet—are up 80% in the past six years…
Jill Bobrow, Editor-in-Chief of “ShowBoats International” magazine, said, “The lack of moorage is a concern, but it has not slowed the sales of super-yachts. We’re seeing an increase in new or remodeled marinas that can accommodate larger yachts. It’s happening all over the world, but particularly in the Caribbean.” Bobrow pointed to Yacht Haven Grand Marina in St. Thomas where super-yachts over 400 feet, such as Larry Ellison’s ‘Rising Sun’ or Paul Allen’s ‘Octopus,’ can now dock as good examples of the “new marinas.”
Moorage is especially difficult in the Mediterranean, where visitors must often find moorage before 2:00 pm or be forced to spend the night on their anchors. Bobrow told of a recent yacht purchase that characterized the slip shortage. “The super-yacht Hanse in Antibes on the Cote D’Azur in France, was purchased just for the moorage,” she said. “The buyer sold the boat right after he bought it.”
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MAGAZINE: Marina Dock Age
ISSUE: July/August 2007
Constructed from the ground up on Baltimore’s Chesapeake Bay, Port Covington Maritime Center is home to Maryland’s newest and most modern yacht service center. Owner Bob Brandon purchased the property in 2005 with the intention of building an environmentally friendly boatyard. Although, Brandon had a clear idea as to what the ideal service center would include, he called on the expertise of Bellingham Marine to help design and install the 28 slip marina, which would serve the center’s waterside needs. “Bellingham’s Unifloat® concrete floating docks were the perfect choice and fit the bill considering our challenging site conditions,” said Brandon. “If I’d installed a floating wood system, I doubt I’d have my rental business, and I’m certain we’d already be undergoing repairs and maintenance.”
Waterside facilities include 28 wet slips protected by a 12’ wide by 180’ long floating wave attenuator, which covers the entrance. Slips at the maritime center are primarily dedicated for use by vessels being serviced; however, the facility provides transient moorage and rents out vacant slips when available. Slips range in length from 40’ to 60’ and there’s ample room for side ties up to 250’ as there’s 30’ of water depth.
The docking system and pilings were designed to meet the needs of the basin utilizing 21” steel piles to account for loading demands. The marina also features a massive 20’ wide mainwalk out to A-Dock. The 20’ wide dock is designed to accommodate full service fuel facilities, which are planned to be installed in the near future.
Along with the architecturally pleasing 6,000 square foot office building, landside facilities include a 9,000 square foot repair building with 30 foot high doors accommodating vessels up to 55 feet in length. Also included is a paved and lighted outdoor boat storage area with year round water and electric. The haulouts will be handled with 35 ton, 75 ton and 150 ton travelifts installed on concrete runways. The facility also has a 20 ton forklift used for outdoor rack storage for boats up to 40 feet.
All construction of the 8 acre site and future operations at the facility were geared to be “green”. Sustainable construction, living roofs, functional landscaping and a water collection system were incorporated into the design of the facility. Waste water will be collected in sediment pits and pumped to an engineered wetland where the water will be treated naturally before being discharged. Brandon hopes this waste water collection system will soon be adopted by other marinas around the country.
Brandon’s facility was selected as the official service facility for the Volvo Ocean Race. This created a challenging building schedule for both the General Contractor (Corman Imbach) and Bellingham Marine as there was no flexibility in date of completion. “I was very satisfied with the coordination and efficiency both my selected contractors demonstrated in getting the job done right and on time,” said Brandon. The Baltimore stop over was a huge success bringing an estimated 40,000 people to the area to see the boats.
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.
Building a new marina in an empty basin takes great care and planning. However, rebuilding and redesigning an existing marina takes even more planning. Tenants need to be taken into account, and the ongoing business must be maintained with minimal interruption during the project. Done right, however, a marina can complete a renovation project, can protect its revenue stream during the rebuilding process, and can continue to provide quality services to its customers. The rebuild case For those owners operating an existing marina and looking to renovate it, at what point does it make sense to rebuild? Having worked with many marina operators going through the decision-making process, here are some common reasons to rebuild:
A disproportionate demand for slips: Marinas should take a look at their waiting lists to see if there is a high demand for large slips, and little or no demand for narrow or smaller slips. Today’s boats have gotten bigger, both in length and beam, and operators of marinas built 20 plus years ago are finding that their facilities just don’t meet the needs of today’s market.
• Positive economic conditions: Marina owners and operators can substantially reduce their overall project costs, including financing, by taking advantage of lower interest rates and favorable timing in the financial markets.
• End of useful life: An older marina using outdated structures may present a number of safety hazards, as well as look and feel more antiquated with each passing year. Utilities, especially electrical services, may be underpowered or out of compliance with codes. If this is true, it’s probably time to compare the costs of continuing to operate an outdated marina with the opportunity to increase revenues and asset values by investing in a new one.
• Lease agreements or permit influences: The decision to rebuild may be influenced by external influences, such as lease terms or permitting opportunities. For example, there are many situations where operators are preparing to renegotiate a long-term lease with a city. Presenting the municipality with a rebuilding plan can put the marina in a much better negotiating position and may better align the marina’s business with the city’s vision for the property. Additionally, opportunities for expansion that were once inhibited by permitting restrictions may now be possible. Or, with new restrictions on the horizon, it’s now or never.
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MAGAZINE: Marina World
ISSUE: May/June 2007
To answer that question, we held a round table discussion organized by The Triton, a newspaper for captains and crews, at the 7th Street Wine Company in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The event was sponsored by Bellingham Marine and held on April 4, 2007. Robert Wilkes leads the discussion and reports for Marina World. Hosting was Steve Ryder, Manager of Project Development for Bellingham Marine.
One of the fastest growing segments of the boating world is super yachts 30 meters and above. This is a world where moorage is difficult if not impossible to find in many places. New, larger marina slips are being constructed at a much slower pace than the number of super yachts being launched. This presents a challenge to coastal developers, marina operators, yacht captains, and the dock companies that build marinas.
What do the owners, captains and crew of super yachts want in a moorage? One marina builder, Bellingham Marine, wanted to know. Encouraged by the success of their marina at Port Forum, Barcelona, Spain, they sponsored another “forum” in Ft. Lauderdale. Under The Triton’s and Bellingham Marine’s invitation, eight captains, an engineer, a chef and a purser gathered for a lively group discussion. All were seasoned veterans who have sailed the world; all had a lot to say about the marinas they frequent.
Marina World (MW): We’re here today to get opinions about the marinas you use. We’re hoping the discussion will inform marina operators and developers. The question for the evening is: “What do you look for in a marina?”
Round Table (RT): Slips are not big enough for the boats that are being built right now. The sizes of the vessels are increasing, and it’s getting worse. So you end up spending a lot of time at anchor.
RT: I’m captain of a yacht just over 200 feet long, and fat. It’s hard to find a place to put it.
RT: In the Med it’s a problem to find big boat berthing. If you don’t book today, you haven’t a chance for summer. Nothing is easy in Europe, versus here in the U.S. And size means more people, not only more guests but more crew. They need services…taxis, airlines. It’s no secret, we are captains, but we are service providers number one.
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MAGAZINE: Marina World
ISSUE: May/June 2007