An evening full of celebration and festivities marked the opening of Apia’s new marina and floating restaurant – a first for Samoa. Catering to local residents and tourists alike the new marina on the Samoan island of Apia is a welcomed addition. Until now, deep water access and secure moorage around the island has been limited. Apia Marina, designed and built by Bellingham Marine New Zealand, features Bellingham Marine’s modern concrete floating dock system and affords deep water access and secure moorage.

Lack of mooring facilities around Samoa has limited local economic growth and has kept boaters from visiting the area. The marina and floating restaurant are an effort by the Samoan Port Authority (SPA) to encourage boating, boost tourism and generate alternative revenue.

Apia Marina is protected by a 40 meter floating wave attenuator and a 170 meter rock wall. The basin was dredged to a depth of 2.5 meters to provide deep water access for large vessels. The marina boasts 50 berths ranging in length from 10.5 to 30 meters – each equipped with power and water. The 30 meter berth was built with 200 amp – 3 phase power to meet the electrical requirements of larger vessels. A fueling station, showers, and customs are available at the Port facility.

“The new marina is a tremendous asset to Samoa and meets a great need,” said John Papesch, Project Manager for Bellingham Marine New Zealand. A second phase of the marina is planned which will extend the marina and add 30 more berths.

Referred to as the “treasured islands of the South Pacific”, Samoa is rich in culture and full of natural beauty. Waterfalls, rainforests, mountains, and miles of white sand beaches offer an experience like no other. Visiting yachts are required to contact SPA at least 2 days prior to arriving in Apia.

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. www.bellingham-marine.com

Regional Contact: Bellingham Marine New Zealand, 15 – 17 Springs Road, East Tamaki, PO Box 51053, Pakuranga, Auckland, New Zealand; ph. 64-9-273-5311 fax. 64-9-273-5312

Unifloat, Unideck and Unistack are registered trademarks of Bellingham Marine.