Mooring Post
April/May 2023

– Delivering news to marina professionals –

ABU DHABI: Marina community on rare natural island
A major new mega project designed to meet the growing demand for waterfront properties has been announced by Emaar Properties founder and Americana chairman Mohamed Ali Alabbar.
Named Ramhan Island, and developed on a rare natural 140ha (346 acre) island east of Jubail, the $3.5 billion development will be undertaken by Alabbar’s privately owned Eagle Hills development company.
The new community will include 1,800 beach villas, the first of which should be delivered by 2027, 1,000 branded residences, a hotel, retail area and marina with at least 120 berths.

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AUSTRALIA: Marking a transformational decade
Paul Darrouzet marked the ten year anniversary of his acquisition of Abell Point Marina in March. Over the past decade, the tired run-down marina, which was in receivership, has been reinvented as Coral Sea Marina Resort and transformed into Queensland’s first 5 Gold Anchor Platinum Marina and a world-class destination.

PORTUGAL: Don’t miss IWMC 2023
Don’t forget to register for the 2023 ICOMIA World Marinas Conference (IWMC) and marina exhibition, to be held in Vilamoura, Algarve from 9th-11th October.
The event, which moves to a different country every two years, is a fist-time visitor to Portugal and will be hosted by the Portuguese Association of Ports and Marinas (APPR).
Go to www.worldmarinasconference.com for full information on how you can join the conference crowd in discussing ‘Big Challenges – Big Opportunities – Big Decisions.”

USA: Call for seminar proposals
The Association of Marina Industries (AMI) Conference & Expo has posted a Call for Proposals on its website and social media accounts. The deadline for submitting proposals for consideration is 1st June, 2023. The AMI Conference & Expo is scheduled for 30th January – 1st February, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The AMI team is looking for breakout and workshop topics relevant to the business of marinas and boatyards, from operations to management, for its all-industry audience of Certified Marina Managers (CMMs) and Certified Marina Operators (CMOs), as well as marina designers, engineers, sales professionals and staff. Topics will target entry-level staff to senior and executive management.
In 2024 the conference will provide dedicated tracks on Leadership Skills; Human Resources Management and Professional Development; Design and Engineering; and Marina and Boatyard Operations. Overall, the AMI Conference & Expo hosts approximately 25 sessions, including two keynote addresses and pre-conference workshops.
Visit the AMI Conference & Expo website marinaassociation.org/conferenceandexpo to submit your presentation.

BELGIUM:
Boating industry sets ambitious 2030 target on end-of-life boats
The boating industry in Europe, represented by European Boating Industry (EBI), has launched a roadmap for solving the roadblocks to end-of-life boat recycling. Based on a three-year process involving all public and private stakeholders, it sets ambitious targets for the period until 2030. The boating industry also commits to phasing out unsustainable recycling practices.

ALBANIA: Work progresses on new superyacht destination
Albania-based investment group Balfin has started work on Vlora Marina, an extensive project aimed at creating an elite maritime tourism destination.
The new marina, being built on an old and disused industrial port site, will have capacity for up to 438 yachts and megayachts and become a powerful revenue-generating engine for the local economy.
Vlora Marina is expected to be completed by 2025 at a cost of €45 million and is part of a far-reaching development project that includes residential housing, commercial and retail, hotels, parks, a promenade and additional public infrastructure. The total spend will reach around €350 million.
Balfin has a 35-year concession.

USA: Las Olas at full speed ahead
The City of Fort Lauderdale reports significant progress with the rebuild of Las Olas Marina, which is expected to serve as an extended part of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October.
“The redevelopment of Las Olas Marina will be a boon for our city as the yachting capital of the world. We will be able to welcome more yachts and larger yachts. More jobs will be created and millions of dollars will be poured back into our city. It’s going to be a destination for our neighbours and visitors to walk around, get a bite and admire all the beautiful views around us,” said Mayor Dean Trantalis.

The $70 million project is being built and paid for by Suntex Marinas and has a 24-month build time. Plans include: 7,000 feet (2,130m) of dockage; a three-storey marina services building with a casual restaurant, ship store, office space, gym, swimming pool and outdoor patio; a two-storey upscale waterfront restaurant with outdoor dining area; and a new pump station to improve the sanitary flow throughout Fort Lauderdale Beach for decades to come.
“This megayacht marina will be transformative for District 2 and the entire city. It has been a long time in the making and I am proud to have opposed every massive development proposal on this site in the past 20 years. This enabled us to have a beautifully landscaped marina with restaurants that will tie into the rest of the Las Olas corridor improvements,” said District 2 commissioner Steven Glassman.

Video here

GREECE: Tekal invests in Nafplion Marina project
Greek construction corporation Tekal, currently involved in the expansion of Marina Vouliagmenis to offer 60 berths for super/megayachts, is the concessionaire for a new marina to be built by the Peloponnese regional government as a PPP venture in Nafplion in the eastern Peloponnese.
Tekal, as a private partner, will hold the concession for up to 40 years and is involved in the construction, technical management and marketing of the facility.
Nafplion Marina will cater for boats of 8-12m in length and will have around 210 berths for long-term berth holders and visitors. The project was approved in parliament on 8th April and has a budget of €25 million.

Highlights from Marina World January/February 2023

Ismailia Yacht Marina, the new era of the Suez Canal
Ismailia Yacht Marina will be Egypt’s first green marina and is the latest in a series of initiatives contributing to the National Climate Strategy 2050..

Electric propulsion: a solution to pollution?
Electric propulsion is the future, but we need a clear understanding of how it will impact on the marina sector.

Joining forces in Slovenia
Marina Izola and Marina Koper, now under the brand MarinaUp, offer a central European mooring hub for nationals and visitors.

From the Marina World archives: superyacht facilities

Three decades of evolving design
Esteban Biondi: “The evolution of marina planning has come up a lot in recent conversations…and this article summarises stories and general reflections by several of my colleagues, each with ten to 33 years of experience working with ATM in marina planning, design and construction.”

Amaala’s free flow club design links land and sea
John Pagano: “Amaala is one of the flagship Saudi Vision 2030 projects and…we anticipate [it] will become an international hub for luxury yachting. As such, the yacht club required a world class design.”

Reshaping a French icon: Marina Baie des Anges
Ludovic Richard: “Baie des Anges is more than a marina. It is an emblematic site of the Cote d’Azur and also a marina whose concept is 50 years old – 50 years in which pleasure boating, boats and technologies have evolved.”

SWEDEN:
Three-year marina rebuild completes
Önnereds Båtlag (Önnereds Boat Club), a coastal refuge for city-dwelling boat owners in nearby Gothenburg, has finished an ambitious three-year renovation of its 435m (1,427ft) dock array.
SF Pontona Sweden, a fully owned subsidiary of SF Marina, sold and installed the four floating concrete pontoons used in the marina. The docks are moored using chain and concrete anchors and utilities, such as power and water, are routed through internal ducts in the pontoons and terminate in El-Björn Alfa-II pedestals.
The docks feature 210 galvanised steel Y-boom fingers of various lengths between 4 and 9.7m (14 and 32ft). Their narrow width allows for a greater number of boats to dock in a given space when compared to traditional aluminium or concrete fingers. Over 70% of recreational boats in Sweden are under 6m (20ft) in length, so by choosing this option the Club was able to maximise its capacity to 285 slips.
With Y-boom fingers, boat owners access their vessels from the bow or stern because the booms themselves are too narrow for safe passage. Walkable versions on the outer dock provide a more customary approach. Both versions have large plastic floats on the end to keep them in place.
Less than nine miles from Gothenburg, Önnereds Båtlag is open from mid-April until the end of October and offers a clubhouse, 26 boathouses and winter storage.

Coming soon…
The May/June 2023 issue of Marina World magazine features:
Drystack Storage
Operator Talk: Moving Smartly
(Marina managers on the ups and downs of introducing smart technology)

…and further ahead
July/August 2023:
Superyacht Facilities
Yards & Yard Machinery
Editorial deadline: 02 June
Advertising deadline: 21 June

To discuss editorial opportunities for these issues, contact:
Carol Fulford – carolfulford@marinaworld.co.uk
For details on print and digital advertising options, contact:
Julia Hallam (Europe, Middle East & Asia Pacific) – juliahallam@marinaworld.co.uk
Philippe Critot (The Americas) – pcritot@marinaworld.com

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