To spark the imagination of those contemplating similar projects in their marinas, Robert Wilkes highlights ten of the best Bellingham Marine marina rebuilds.
Best Superyacht Marina:
Rybovich, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Rybovich’s transformation from shipyard to superyacht destination marina placed this already iconic facility in a class all of its own.
You won’t find a marina and shipyard more tailored to serving the needs of superyacht owners and crews than Rybovich, the world’s pre-eminent superyacht facility. The marina can accommodate yachts of 120m (400ft) with high freeboard, heavy duty docks; in-slip refueling; abundant power and the ability to service yachts right from the docks. Specializing in 10-star concierge service, crews enjoy hotel-like amenities and an on-site bistro social life. The shipyard can haul out most yachts and also has a 2,500- ton floating dry dock. A new 14 acre (5.6ha) work-site was recently added nearby and a channel was dredged to integrate the two sites. Read more about developer’s plans for Rybovich, best superyacht, destination marina.
Best Iconic Boat Show Venue:
Bahia Mar Yacht Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
Bahia Mar Yachting Center was rebuilt in the early 2000’s. The developer’s aim was to build the ultimate special event facility. Power and dock configuration were a top priority.
Bahia Mar Yacht Center is one the earliest and longest serving venues of the annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show – the largest boat show in the world – and the 2002 rebuild ensures that it will continue in that tradition. Masterfully designed, the marina functions as a world class superyacht center 11 months out of the year. The magic begins in October when the marina expands from 242 large yacht slips and side ties into a 1,000-boat gunwale-to-gunwale moorage for the iconic Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The rebuild transitioned the marina from fixed to floating docks and incorporated a one of- a-kind electrical system with custom-built distribution panels for the show. The system ensures adequate power for all the yachts on display. Learn more about the award winning marina at Bahia Mar Yachting Center.
For an owner thinking of building a marina or rebuilding an existing marina, the new Attenuator Planning Tool is a sensible way to kick off or accelerate a project.
By Robert Wilkes
The new Attenuator Planning Tool was developed by Bellingham Marine and SmithGroupJJR. It saves time and money; a lot of time and money. A pre-construction evaluation process would normally take weeks and run up a tidy number of engineering hours. Using the Attenuator Planning Tool takes about four or five minutes and is free. The tool answers key questions about wave attenuation in normal and extreme weather conditions. The resulting data is directly related to the cost and feasibility of the project.
While the underlying physics is complex, the interface is user friendly. Owners are guided through the process by a Bellingham Marine representative.
Technology Development
The system was a cooperative project by Bellingham Marine and SmithGroupJJR. Jack Cox has 40 years of experience in marina and harbor engineering and wrote a book on floating wave attenuators. He’s also one of the authors of “Planning and Design Guidelines for Small Craft Harbors,” the current standard for marina layout and design.
Margaret Boshek is also an accomplished and comprehensively trained coastal engineer with a talent for building computer-based analysis tools. She encoded the system and created the user-friendly interface for both the Attenuator Planning Tool and the Wind/Wave Analysis Program. The system allows the user to change the variables and test multiple design choices quickly. Once the required data is loaded in, the user can vary a number of factors and see the effects a few seconds later.
Embattled by rising maintenance costs, Alamitos Bay Marina initiated a program in 2005 to rebuild all 1,962 slips in seven different basins.
By Robert Wilkes
The timber docks dated from the 1960’s and were 20 years past their projected life span. No one at the City of Long Beach, California, imagined it would take the next 13 years to complete the project.
The operators of Alamitos Bay Marina, just south of Los Angeles in California, have undertaken a ‘journey’ to rebuild slips in seven different basins.
The marina is south of Los Angeles and enjoys a uniquely loyal customer base. There are tenants who have been there for decades whose children and grandchildren are also renting slips. Over time, neighboring tenants have formed tight communities.
The City’s marinas are operated by the Marine Bureau, part of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine. Three City-owned marinas total 3,337 slips: Alamitos Bay Marina, Long Beach Shoreline Marina and Rainbow Marina. Alamitos Bay is the largest marina in the U.S. The rebuild project started in 2005 and has been undertaken in phases. The final phase will be completed in mid-2018.
Reasons for the length of the project are size, environmental compliance and the timing of funding. Elvira Hallinan is the Marine Bureau Manager. “Most operators have a marina the size of one of our basins,” said Hallinan. “We had seven basins to rebuild. It wasn’t a project, it was a journey.” Delays caused by the Environmental Impact Review (EIR) were unanticipated. Contractors were ready to begin when the requirement for a full EIR delayed the start of construction. Continue Reading…
For versatility, it’s hard to beat concrete floating platforms.
By Robert Wilkes
Floating platforms provide foundations for stores, offices, yacht clubs, rowing club facilities, boat rental concessions, charter and cruise companies, customs offices, harbormaster offices, restaurants, bars, restrooms and houses. They serve as ferry and water taxi landings and create a platform for event space, rowing docks, swimming pools, helicopter landing pads, even floating golf greens, such as the 14th green at The Coeur d’Alene Resort in Idaho.
At Naples City Marina, three floating platforms support the dockmaster’s office, gazebo and restroom complex.
The performance and endurance of concrete floating platforms is outstanding. They can be built with almost any freeboard and can be square, round, curved, sloped, stepped, notched and decked in any way the owner specifies. They support building of every style and building material. Floating platforms are limited only by the imagination.
Many public and some private marinas invite the public to experience the waterfront. In a social-equality world, marina projects win public support by incorporating community activities and park areas and opening promenades and beaches to all. Alamitos Bay in Los Angeles, California, has done away with fences and security gates altogether.
Floating platforms help make marinas more accessible. Marina and park complexes, such as Marina Park at Newport Beach or The Yards in Washington, D.C., provide romantic event venues, schools and classrooms, and places for family gatherings. Continue Reading…
The 2017 has been an exciting year for new materials in dock construction.
By Robert Wilkes
Two new Fiberglass Reinforced Polymer (FRP) applications have emerged from years of R&D development and are on the market. In the fast-growing market of wood and aluminum docks, a handsome and rugged hybrid dock that combines the best of both materials was introduced.
The FRP thru-rod and glass nylon nut are recessed into the cover board at the waler. This photo shows some FRP thru-rods in place.
The durable, stable, reliable concrete floating dock is the world standard heavy-duty dock and that is not changing. Two design challenges remain: corrosion in metal parts and the eternal quest for the zero maintenance dock.
Stainless steel thru-rods, washers and nuts make up a significant portion of the metal in a concrete dock system. Thru-rods attach the walers to the side of the dock and, because the walers are layered and lapped, they make the connection between modules. The timbers flex with the movement of the dock and physical “hinges” are not needed.
During the first six months following installation, it is common for the wood waler to shrink. This can cause the tension between the nuts at the end of the thru-rods and the waler to become loose. It’s a simple task to restore the tension and can be done with a set of hand tools. Manufacturers recommend annual inspection of the steel rods to ensure the nuts are tight. Continue Reading…