Ayia Nappa, Cyprus – 7 August 2020 – The long-held vision of Cypriot Gerry Caramondani, in partnership with Naguib Sawiris, a prominent investor from Egypt, has become a reality with the opening of a 600 slip marina, drystack and the arrival of the first boats in February 2020. Ayia Nappa Marina is approximately 45-minutes east of Larnaca International Airport and 70 minutes from Limassol. The marina is located near the Mediterranean resort town Ayia Nappa, a world-famous holiday destination known for its beaches on the southeast coast of Cyprus.
The marina, built by Bellingham Marine, features full-service finger berthing that provides greater access and ease of mooring for boats up to 30m as well as full-service berthing options for boats up to 65m. “This iconic marina will become the standard that other marinas in the Mediterranean aspire to meet,” says John Spragg, Bellingham Marine’s President of Australasia and the Middle East, “Once boaters use the finger mooring system, they will demand it elsewhere.”
Editor’s Note: Marina Dock Age magazine talked with Joe Ueberroth, owner and CEO of Bellingham Marine. Ueberroth’s investment firm Bellwether is also part owner of Dana Point Harbor Partners, the partnership that is redeveloping Dana Point Harbor in California. In the late 1990s, Ueberroth’s marina management company, BellPort Group, partnered with Nishida Tekko, the owner of Bellingham Marine, to develop and operate marinas in Japan. In 2006, Ueberroth bought Bellingham, through a public company that he was operating at that time. In 2009, his company Bellwether, bought all the Bellingham assets and privatized the company. Ueberroth has an extensive background in investments in a wide range of industries and businesses – from internet companies to hotels, greenhouses and riverboats. As an owner and entrepreneur, he has repeatedly learned, sometimes the hard way, that fundamentals in business do matter. His successes and failures have influenced his business strategy as a dock builder, marine contractor and marina developer. We talked with him about development trends for marinas, aggregation of the industry, the waterfront lifestyle and what all that means for his marina businesses.
Q: How would you describe your experience working internationally and how does that compare to U.S markets?
Ueberroth: The place I’ve had the most international experience is Japan, and in Japan, I quickly realized that there was so much lost in translation. I don’t speak Japanese. I didn’t understand their business environment and what’s important to them. Having great Japanese partners made all the difference.
Most often, the first thing we want to talk about in the U.S. is price. When you meet with a client about a project in Japan, they will say yes to your price for they want to focus on all aspects of quality. When I came to understand from my local partners that price was to be re-negotiated after all other aspects were completed, it removed the frustration from the negotiations.
My experience in Japan influenced how we have expanded Bellingham’s business internationally. We have a couple of plants that we own internationally, but they are all in English speaking countries. In countries where we don’t speak the language, we won’t understand their business. In places, like Korea, China, Japan, Dubai and Spain, we have a local partner.
A new hot spot for tourists, boaters and local residents opened on Lake Macquarie. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held April 18th, marking the completion of phase 1 and the opening of the marina.
Johnson Property Group and key supporters celebrate grand opening of Trinity Point Marina. A luxury boating facility design and built by renowned dock builder Bellingham Marine.
Trinity Point, NSW, Australia – 17 May 2019 – April 18th was a significant milestone for Johnson Property Group and Managing Director, Keith Johnson. Mr. Johnson first began planning Trinity Point in 1999. His vision – a luxury resort destination/residential lakeside development. The development would place Lake Macquarie on the map as favorite spot for locals and travelers alike.
“It’s been a long and challenging journey but worth it,” shared Johnson. “The opening of the marina is a big step forward in the $388 million overall project.”
Former Lake Macquarie Mayor and Local MP, Greg Piper attended the grand opening. Piper echoed the crowds’ comments, “I have to say, everything out here is first class.”
For those seeking best in class marina facilities, look no further than Trinity Point. The marina is a showcase of modern marina construction and environmental responsibility. It also exemplifies the live /play lifestyle younger generations find appealing.
Johnson hired, international marina builder, Bellingham Marine to help with detail design and construction. “It was critical we did the marina right,” said Johnson. “It was a major key to what we aimed to achieve. It had to be something special.”
Learn the secrets to replace your docks on a tight budget without sacrificing quality or style.
Take a tip from Santa Barbara Harbor. Enlist Bellingham early in your marina construction process and get the marina you want with your limited funds.
For Santa Barbara Harbor rebuilding 500 of their slips without imposing large rate increases seemed impossible. Set to find a way, the Harbor enlisted the help of top marina builder, Bellingham Marine. Together the two set out to achieve the impossible.
With an open mind and a willingness to invest time in the process, you too can rebuild your tired marina without breaking your budget.
Follow these 3 marina renovation tips and discover how.
1. DON’T HOLD BACK ON THE PLANNING PHASE
The tighter the budget the more valuable the planning phase. Get a good understanding of the big picture. Then, sit down with your marina builder and begin to construct a plan that will take you from point A to point B.
Planning Phase Focus
The planning phase should include more than design and material choice. Identify and define these key items:
- Business goals
- Market demand
- Site conditions (including limitations)
- Sticking points (what are you not willing to compromise on)
- Budgetary constraints
- Funding sources
This important step will give you the lens you need to make critical decisions going forward. Everything should point back to your business goals and market demand.
Your site’s conditions – water depth, wave environment, boundaries, entrance channels and your sticking points will guide you toward what’s possible.
Armed with the above information and your ideas on dock type and amenities, your marina builder will be able to identify your options.
Your options package should include:
- A range of approaches including phased construction options
- Permitting requirements and possible workarounds
- Possible system trade-offs
- Optional features and amenities (upgrades and downgrades)
- Future add-ons
A marina builder worth their weight in gold will know what trade-offs can occur within your project. The goal? A solution that is a best fit for your business, your budget and your customers.
Whether you are an investor, developer, owner, operator or just someone interested in the industry, this is one marina development FAQ you won’t want to miss. The pros at Bellingham Marine (and a few of the company’s trusted engineers) tackle owners’ top 12 challenging site questions.
A design/build, single source approach to marina development is often the best way to keep project costs down and meet tight deadlines.
Topics Covered
- Extending existing docks
- Mitigating wave from boat traffic
- Building for high density
- Building and operating in freezing temperatures
- Building in tropical, high-salinity environments
- Rebuilding on a tight budget
- Placement and design, launch docks for human-powered craft
- Options for meeting grating requirements and bans on treated wood
- Building for mixed-use
- Dock that will ground out at low tide
- Dealing with debris on rivers
- Extending pile height
If you don’t find the answers to your question, contact us. Every site is unique and comes with its own questions. We love to talk about marina design and would love the opportunity to talk with you about any questions you have.