Bair Island Marina, in the heart of Redwood City, California, is a unique, man-made boating facility owned by Irvine Apartment Communities. This modern, 100-boat marina was designed and built by single-source contractor Bellingham Marine, in conjunction with Irvine and its consulting engineer. Located in the center of Silicon Valley between San Francisco and San Jose, Bair Island is a dredged basin that was breached to fill with water and then shored by a sheet-steel pile seawall.

Many luxurious, California-style apartments surround this first-class marina in a development known as The Villas at Bair Island. Boat slips range in size from 35′ to 45′, with no live-aboards allowed, and slips can be rented now.

Silicon Valley is the center of the growing high-technology industry. With innovative companies such as Hewlett Packard, Apple computer and Tandem Computers at its core, the area affords many entrepreneurial and business opportunities. There is also a pronounced sense of community marked by an emphasis on cultural and philanthropic activities, a commitment to education and a passion for the outdoors.

The Marina Ramp Rider from Marina Accessories was installed to accommodate those with difficulty walking on stairs or inclines. It is estimated to have saved the marina’s owner $35,000 to provide barrier-free access.

From Bellingham Marine, P.O. Box 8, Bellingham, WA 98227. Website: www.bellingham-marine.com.

South Australia has a new marina in Adelaide. It’s part of a multi-use residential and commercial development built by Baulderstone Hornibrook, one of the largest builder/developers in Australia. The company chose Bellingham Marine to supply and install its Unifloat concrete floating pontoon system for the 59-berth Holdfast Shores Marina.

Tony Caretti, Baulderstone’s manager for the project, said that the quality and reputation of Bellingham Marine and its pontoon systems were the primary reasons the company was chosen to build the marina and trenched fuel jetty. A special feature of the installation is the single berthing arrangement, which is considered the optimum in boat access because it allows each owner to have a finger pier along both sides of the boat.

Steel piles with HDPE sleeves were used to anchor the marina, and the docks feature service pedestals from Marine Technologies. Boaters and the general public can enjoy many restaurants and shops within the complex, thanks to a wide berth area and adjacent commercial boardwalk. This segment of the development also includes luxury apartments and penthouses, retail tenancies, visitors facilities and parking for over 700 vehicles.

From Bellingham Marine, P.O. Box 8, Bellingham, WA 98227. Website: www.bellingham-marine.com. Unifloat is a registered trademark of Bellingham Marine.

Gold Coast City Marina, a multi use marine industries estate located in Coomera just north of the Gold Coast, chose Bellingham Marine’s Unistack fully enclosed dry storage system for its 250 boat facility and Bellingham’s Unifloat system for the marina’s wet berths.

Jeff Leigh-Smith is the visionary developer of this world class marina. The dry storage facility provides storage for boats up to 10 metres (10 tonne). Completely under cover, this state-of-the-art boat storage facility includes a marine fork lift providing a 3.5m negative lift and 11.4m positive lift for quick launch and retrieval, a hose down facility, a phone service for launching your boat ahead of your arrival at the marina plus a complete valet service will be available. John Spragg, Bellingham’s General Manager for Australia said that Jeff chose the Unistack system because Bellingham is not in the steel building business.

Bellingham Marine is in the marina business, both wet and dry systems. Jeff Leigh-Smith said that dry storage eliminates the need for trailers, antifouling, replacement of covers and retains the high resale value of boats over a period of time and most importantly means less maintenance and convenient boating, Don’t tow it, Stow it.

Bellingham Marine is the world’s most comprehensive marina company.

Bellingham Marine Australia, based in Brisbane, has completed the construction of a new Unifloat ® marina for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. The Cruising Yacht Club is located in beautiful Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, Australia. The Club which was founded in 1945, is the sponsor of the world renowned Sydney to Hobart Yacht race.

The Club has one of the most active racing fleets in the world and considers its fleet and sailors to be amongst the best in the world. The marina is designed using Bellingham’s Unifloat ® concrete floating pontoon system. The system utilises pine walers, galvanised thru rods, concrete piling, an innovative plastic infill material, pvc fendering and aluminium alloy cleats. Services including electricity, with both three phase and single phase options and water are directed through raceways and junction boxes cast into the concrete pontoons. Service modules were furnished by the Australian manufacturer, Marine Technologies. Marine Technologies also provided three of their award winning fire extinguisher cabinets known as the “Fire Station”.

Planning for the new marina, which replaces an older fixed wood marina, began in 1988. Bellingham was chosen as the main contractor in October of last year with the challenge of the demolition of the old berths and building the new berths with as little disruption as possible to the Club’s busy summer racing season. The coordination of the project was handled by Rear Commodore of the Club, John Messenger and Bellingham’s Area Manager, Tom Sims. To their credit the project was completed on time and on budget with nothing but accolades from the Club members for the professionalism displayed in the planning and execution of the project. John Messenger said, “Bellingham was chosen because of their experience rebuilding older existing marinas as well as their leadership in the development of concrete pontoons systems. We firmly believe that we made the best choice with Bellingham Marine”. Tom Sims said, “It was a pleasure to work with a Club that was so well organised, with a vision of what their marina facility should be today and in the future.”

Bellingham Marine is the world’s most comprehensive marina company.

For further information contact Bellingham Marine Australia at (617) 3376 6955 or check our web site at www.bellingham-marine.com.au.

On Saturday, 30th January 1999, Sydney Grammar School christened their new state of the art rowing pontoon with a ‘row past’ and boat naming ceremony at the school’s rowing shed. Although the day was overcast and with some rain, the enthusiasm of the boys and visitors was not dampened.

The new concrete pontoon was designed by Bellingham Marine based on input from the coaches and rowers. The consensus is that the design is an overwhelming success. The extra wide gangway allows the rowers to safely carry their boats onto a wide slip resistant concrete pontoon that incorporates a smaller stepped down area at water level for launching of the rowing shells.

Due to the mass of the concrete pontoon and its unique substructure, it is extremely stable even in rough water. Tom Sims, Bellingham’s Area Manager for Sydney, said “This was a particularly fun project starting with the challenge of the innovative design and ending with the satisfaction of watching a new product perform for the boys involved in the Grammar Rowing Program”. Richard James, Rowing Master at Sydney Grammar, said “Bellingham has successfully taken a concept and turned it into reality. We at Grammar can unequivocally say that we have the finest rowing pontoon in Sydney.”

Bellingham Marine is the world’s most comprehensive marina company.

For further information contact Bellingham Marine Australia at (617) 3376 6955 or check our web site at www.bellingham-marine.com.au.