Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine February 2017

— Continued from previous page
The combined programs of restaurant signature dish
and souvenirs resulted in multiple benefits including
fishermen’s income from a sustainable fishery, additional
income directed to the women in the household,
and a higher volume and steadiness of catch of the
Improving guest experience. The docks of Jupiter
Yacht Club marina in Florida are adjacent to a protected
mangrove wetland that provides additional
privacy and an authentic natural setting for boaters
at the dock
invasive fish, resulting in reduction of the population
of lionfish on the reef.
• RODNEY BAY MARINA, ST. LUCIA
There are examples that also demonstrate that vision,
passion and ingenuity get results. A marina does not
have to be built in a certain way and you don’t need a
large foundation to develop a plan as the only ways to get
results, if you have the right people in the right place.
Rodney Bay is a well-known marina in the Eastern
Caribbean. Formerly recognized as a major regional
facility for sailboats, it has been redeveloped to include
megayacht facilities as well. Rodney Bay Marina has
partnered with St. Lucia’s Ministry of Agriculture to
offer local farmers direct access to marina guests at
the weekly Farmers Market at Rodney Bay. This was
an initiative of the marina management, who identified
the opportunity through their local informal communication
channels, and obtained the agreement from the
government and facility ownership.
Vendors travel from some of the poorest parts of the
country to sell their goods, which include fresh fruits
and vegetables, juices, coconut oil, cocoa, herbs and
spices, and more. Not only does this encourage marina
clients to purchase direct from the farmers, but it has
also encouraged residents around the facility to visit
the marina for their weekly fruit and vegetable shopping.
Other businesses inside the marina benefit from
the extra foot traffic through the facility.
Last Thoughts
I think that the social sustainability of yachting destinations
is relevant to the Caribbean, even if I started
developing these thoughts in the last century studying
cruise destinations for Patagonia! Over the years, I
have applied this way of thinking to marina projects
throughout Latin America, in the Middle East and
China and there are always values to be uncovered.
Environmental sustainability principles apply to
marina developers building on mangroves as well as to
cruisers’ bilge discharges. Everyone involved in a
yachting destination should contribute to improve
water quality and the environment in general.
Sustainable marina design is desirable — necessary
at best — but clearly an insufficient condition. The
most important step towards social sustainability,
however, is not how you build a marina, even if I think
that the design approach can make a difference. The
key to achieving any success towards social sustainability
is the dialogue with the local community, having
clear objectives, and being thorough, patient and
resourceful in the implementation. In some cases, this
is a work of foundations supported by economic groups
and real estate developers. However, as shown by the
example of Rodney Bay Marina (and which I am sure
also exists in many other places), the ideas of a couple
of senior marina staff can make a huge difference.
Informally organized cruisers or megayacht crews,
who have already achieved successes with philanthropic
endeavors in destination communities, can
also play a role. Ultimately, personal commitment and
passion are the drivers and bottom-up opportunities
are all around you.
The bottom line is that genuine community involvement
and environmental protection lead to the most
authentic Caribbean marina experience — and therein
lies real sustainability, including economic success.
Esteban L. Biondi is Associate Principal at Applied
Technology & Management, an engineering and environmental
consulting company with a group specialized
in comprehensive consulting services for marina projects.
He has directed over 100 studies for marinas in
Latin America, the Caribbean, US, Middle East and
China. He has written papers and articles about social
sustainability and guest experience, environmental
design, and climate change adaptation applied to marinas.
He can be reached at: ebiondi@appliedtm.com
FEBRUARY 2017 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 23