The homeowners of this custom boat dock in California incorporated an access panel in the deck of the dock for their lobster traps.
Over the past 20 years we’ve seen a major advancement in the marina industry from off the shelf dock systems to custom engineered designs that are suited for a specific site and its users. This shift has taken a little longer to trickle down to the residential market but is now gaining momentum. Homeowners are realizing that they don’t have to settle for a one size fits all dock system for their home. They can have a boat dock that caters to the specific needs of their location, their family and their guests.
Following a trend seen among large scale marina projects, homeowners are incorporating decorative concrete and hardwood or composite trim packages on their concrete floating docks to create an upscale and personalized look. These upgrades are gaining attention in the market but are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to customization of private docks.
One of the most unique projects currently under construction is for a homeowner in the Bahamas. For this project Bellingham Marine designed and fabricated a 54’ floating timber dock complete with utilities, boat lift, gazebo platform and gangway. Additional design details included a timber handrail system, decorative rafters and bracing components, and a custom roof structure that doubles as a rain collection system. The rain collection system stores and treats up to 60 gallons of water for use on the dock. The system can be operated by gravity feed or pump for greater pressure.
In 2011, Cabrillo Way Marina in California completed a comprehensive rebuild of their entire marina.
The topic of replacement cost is a subject I wrote on several years ago; however, I think it’s an important topic for marina owners and one worth revisiting. Whether you’ve recently completed a total rebuild of your marina or are beginning to realize that the life of your current docks is finite, taking a good look at the future replacement cost is an exercise worth doing. It makes good business sense and will help you better plan and prepare for the future of your marina.
The question for many marina owners is “what will it cost to replace our docks in ‘x’ number of years and how will we fund it?”
Although there are a number of variables that will affect the answer to this question, the heart of the question can be answered by calculating the time value of money and the future cost of a marina rebuild.
Here is a list of the variables that you’ll need in order to make a reasonable estimate.
The HDPE pile sleeve is a great option for marinas looking for products that are long lasting and maintenance free.
The quest to find longer lasting, lower maintenance building materials is endless, especially in the marina industry where salty seas, ice, extended exposure to sun, and relentless wave action are strong contenders in the battle of man versus nature. Constant exposure to the elements in the marine environment can attack even the strongest of materials.
A fairly recent advancement in the industry that boasts product longevity is the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pile sleeve, used to protect steel as well as timber pile. The sleeve is an alternative to traditional treatment methods and is proving to be a viable option for marinas looking for a pile that is longer lasting and requires less maintenance.
Bellingham Marine’s innovative telescoping pile design is well suited for concrete floating docks and floating wave attenuators.
Use of telescoping pile in floating concrete marina design was first conceived by Bellingham Marine in 2006 during the design of a 150 meter long floating wave attenuator for the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron at Kirribilli near Sydney, Australia.
Since its use at Kirribilli, Bellingham’s telescoping pile has been used on several other projects and is gaining popularity among high end marina owners that are looking for a mooring solution for their floating docks that combines the benefits of a traditional pile system with the clean visual look of a chain anchored dock system.
Cap Sante Boat Haven hired Bellingham Marine, world renowned floating dock expert, to design their floating platforms. The platforms are rented out as event space.
One of the business strategies of a successful marina operator is that they look for and find opportunities where others see nothing. By approaching the design and operation of their facility with an eye for solutions that capitalize on site-specific features and have long term financial viability they are able to identify opportunities that generate financial profit and wealth.
As many marinas would attest, fees from slip rentals alone are rarely enough to keep a marina afloat (no pun intended). The business typically needs an additional source(s) of revenue. The challenge for the owner or operator is to identify what those sources are.
In an effort to survive a tough economy and build a financially sustainable business marinas are getting creative. A marina in Washington State provides us with a good example of what one marina has done to help build their profitability.