May June 2020 Marina World

Marina 

www.marinaworld.com 

World 

May/June 2020 

Issue 119 

Essential reading for marina and waterfront developers, planners and operators

SIZE 

DOESN’T 

MATTER 

EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES 

TO PONTOONS 

SF Marina is a world-renowned expert in the development of new or 

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W W W . S F M A R I N A . C O M



May/June 2020 Vol.20, No.5 

18 

CONTENTS 

World News 7 

Lindley Group: 90 Years 18 

Crisis Management: 

Feedback from Marina Groups 21 

Thoughts on the Day After: Oscar Siches 25 

Italy: Moving Forward 27 

21 

New Zealand: Open for Boating 34 

Intelligent Marina Systems: 

Technology in a Post-Pandemic World: Iaian Archibald 36 

Working Smarter Rather than Harder: Vance Young 41 

36 

When to Revamp your MMS: Chris Thomas 43 

Working from Home with Marina Master 44 

Using Technology to Boost Safety: Kresimir Zic 47 

Delivering to Marinas and Customers: Nick Gill 49 

Will Coronavirus Drive Digital Transformation? Idan Cohen 51 

Products, Services & People 53 

On the cover: In a confident signal 

that there is no let up in marina 

acquisitions for large marina 

groups in the USA, Safe Harbor 

Marinas purchased three additional 

properties in the first quarter 

of 2020. One of these, Mears 

Point Marina on Chesapeake 

Bay, Maryland, has approvals for 

development into a resort-style 

marina community. Read more p.15 

www.marinaworld.com - May/June 2020 3

BUILDING 

BLOCKS 

As our product range has evolved, it now has many applications. Together 

with our clients, we have the luxury of choosing the right pontoon, in the right 

materials, for the right job. By developing the heavy-duty end of our portfolio to 

always be a step stronger, we’ve also become experts in floating breakwaters, 

able to incorporate the strongest of building blocks when designing and 

engineering a marina that will withstand the test of time. Marinetek.net



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HEAD OFFICE MAILING ADDRESS & 

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Creative 

destruction 

Our world has changed. Every country continues to weave its own way 

through the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused such pain and grief, upturned 

our priorities, and run amok with our livelihoods and economies. 

Boating and the impact on boating facilities continues to vary wildly on a regional 

not just national basis, and policy change tends to be swift. As this issue of Marina 

World goes live, the bulk of marinas are either open for business or are expecting 

to open before the end of the month. There will, however, continue to be restrictions 

regarding social spaces that will impact on revenues and every marina’s social 

and destination appeal. None of us knows how matters will progress if serious 

subsequent outbreaks of the virus occur. 

As of early June, many marinas in the USA that were officially closed are 

cautiously opening up; marinas on the west coast of Canada that were never closed 

are preparing for a busy summer season; boating is back in England; Sweden, 

which never imposed a full lockdown, expects boating to resume as the summer 

progresses; and restrictions have been lifted in countries like Finland, Germany, 

Greece and Portugal*. In northern Italy where the virus hit hard and early, marinas 

are now open and, in New Zealand, which was swift to impose lockdown measures, 

opening up social spaces is ahead of the global curve. 

Fortunes are not, however, necessarily linked directly to the virus. In Croatia, 

for example, where COVID-19 had only minimal impact, the knock-on effect of 

a depressed charter market is likely to cause serious economic difficulty as it 

represents a very high percentage of boating activity. 

But are we looking at short term loss and long term gain? Some economists 

argue that a recession can make economies more productive in the long term. 

Although, sadly, some good businesses fail during the process, many of the most 

efficient survive and new companies are also formed with precise goals to meet 

new needs. The Austrian political economist Joseph Schumpeter called this ‘creative 

destruction’. 

I believe the marina industry is in a strong position when it comes to creativity. 

This virus is most probably here to haunt us and boating offers a bubble of social 

distancing – in the open air. Current boat owners will want to capitalise on their 

assets and spend more time afloat and at the marina. Charter may dip now but 

perhaps has a bigger future than ever before as a ‘safe’ and ‘unconstrained’ way to 

take a holiday. We should build on our boat club concepts and, when circumstances 

allow, work harder than ever to woo new boaters with ‘cost’ as a critical factor. If we 

market boating participation as ‘affordable’ as well as ‘safe’, people who may well of 

necessity be adopting a thriftier approach to their leisure spend could come aboard 

and become part of our outdoors-based community for life. 

We are absorbing change: hugs and kisses on hold; bumping elbows instead of 

shaking hands; signing off with ‘stay safe’ instead of ‘best regards’. And if we are 

creative with change we can turn the ‘new normal’ to our advantage, encouraging 

more people than ever before to enjoy being on and near the water. 

© 2020 Loud & Clear Publishing Ltd 

Views expressed by individual contributors in this issue 

are not necessarily those of Loud & Clear Publishing 

Ltd. Equally, the inclusion of advertisements in this 

magazine does not constitute endorsement of the 

companies, products and services concerned by Loud & 

Clear Publishing Ltd. The publisher reserves the right to 

refuse advertising. 

Carol Fulford 

Editor 

* International Council of Marine Industry Association (ICOMIA) Coronavirus Update 


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WORLD NEWS 

IGY wins contract to run SKD 

UK: Island Global Yachting (IGY Marinas) has been awarded a contract to 

operate, market and brand the 185-berth St Katharine Docks Marina (SKD 

Marina) in London, England. The facility is owned by property funds managed 

by Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms. 

IGY CEO Thomas Mukamal 

welcomes the boost to the IGY 

portfolio. “IGY is honoured to have 

been selected to manage and flag 

the St Katharine Docks Marina,” he 

said. “This is a thrilling opportunity 

for IGY to showcase our industryleading 

marina operations and global 

marketing platform for which IGY has 

become well known.” 

SKD is the only marina in central 

IBEX and COVID-19 

USA: Organisers of the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference 

(IBEX) are optimistic the show will open as planned on Tuesday 29th 

September 2020. 

The show organisers report that they 

are closely monitoring Florida’s ‘Three 

Phases of Re-Opening Guidelines’ and 

the state’s progress, as well as working 

with the Tampa Convention Center and 

Visit Tampa Bay to develop health and 

safety protocols to protect exhibitors, 

sponsors and visitors. 

“We are optimistic that by September 

the state of Florida will be open for 

large events to take place and that 

public confidence will have been 

restored and IBEX will open on 

schedule,” said IBEX show director 

Anne Dunbar. “We will continue to 

monitor announcements by local 

government officials and the guidelines 

Drystack plan at St Joe Marina 

USA: The St Joe Company plans to construct a dry boat storage facility at Port 

St Joe Marina in Port St Joe, Florida. The marina, which is owned by St Joe and 

sits alongside St Joseph’s Bay with quick access to the Gulf of Mexico and the 

Intracoastal Waterway, was damaged by Hurricane Michael in October 2018. 

Plans call for the new drystack to be 

approximately 63,200ft² (5,870m²) and 

have 252 dry boat slips. The largest will 

be designed to accommodate boats of 

up to 45ft (14m) in length. 

“As we were planning this project, it 

was important that we not only rebuild 

what was there previously, but create a 

space that the people of Port St Joe and 

the boating community could be proud 

of,” explained Patrick Murphy, senior vice 

president of operations for St Joe. “We 

are thrilled to be through the planning 

London and is located 40nm up the 

River Thames. It is adjacent to the 

historic Tower of London and close 

to many of the city’s most famous 

tourist attractions. The asset was 

recently renovated by Blackstone and 

has evolved into a thriving waterside 

community, featuring a mix of 

commercial, residential, retail, food and 

beverage amenities that surround the 

marina. 

of the CDC. During the past 30 IBEX 

shows we have weathered three new 

host cities, several hurricane threats, 

one great recession, and now together 

we will manage the coronavirus 

challenges.” 

“If, with an abundance of caution and 

complete focus on the health and safety 

of our exhibitors, sponsors and visitors, 

we are required to alter the format of 

IBEX, we will make an announcement 

accordingly. It is our hope that IBEX will 

spark much needed business for the 

marine industry and be the beginning 

of a strong recovery season for us all,” 

she added. 

www.ibexshow.com 

and permitting phase of this project and 

ready to kick off construction.” 

Planning and permitting is underway 

for additional phases of the marina with 

plans to include around 48 wet slips, 

a ship’s store and other amenities. 

“Boating is central to the lifestyle in Port 

St Joe for so many,” said Port St Joe 

mayor, Rex Buzzett. “The marina serves 

as such an important gathering spot 

for our residents and visitors. Getting it 

closer to opening is something that we 

have been looking forward to.” 

www.marinaworld.com - May/June 2020 7 

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WORLD NEWS 

Later dates for 

IWMC Dubai 

UAE: Due to the uncertainties and challenges posed by the COVID-19 

pandemic, the International Council of Marine Industries Association (ICOMIA) 

and P&O Marinas have agreed to postpone the next ICOMIA World Marinas 

Conference (IWMC) to October 2021. 

The 2021 event will have the highest 

levels of safety standards in place 

and will adopt the original (2020) 

main theme of “marinas empowering 

tourism and economies”. It will focus 

on planned topics such as regulatory 

frameworks and barriers, best 

investment practices, changing the 

public perception of a marina, new 

technology, as well as climate change 

and environmental sustainability. 

Considering the worldwide 

AMI Expo – 

Entries invited for 

2020 MEDA 

GLOBAL: PIANC’s Recreational Navigation Commission (Rec-Com) and 

ICOMIA’s International Marinas Group (IMG) invite owners, operators and 

designers to submit marina project entries for the 2020 Marina Excellence 

Design Jack Nichol Award (MEDA). 

The award, which is the most 

prestigious international accolade 

to recognise excellence in design of 

marinas and recreational navigation 

infrastructure, is administered by 

PIANC RecCom. 

Eligible marinas must have been 

built or rebuilt within the last 15 years 

implications posed by COVID-19 on 

human life, speakers and attendees will 

have the opportunity to broaden topics 

and discussions to include the impact 

the pandemic has had on the nautical 

sector. 

ICOMIA and P&O are currently 

working on the possibility of also 

hosting an online event at the end of 

this year. 

More information will be available in 

coming weeks. 

call for proposals 

USA: The Association of Marina Industries (AMI) is inviting suggestions for 

breakout and workshop topics relevant to the operations and management of 

marinas and yards for the next AMI Conference & Expo (formerly IMBC). 

The event is scheduled for 2nd-4th 

February 2021 in Daytona Beach, 

Florida. The deadline for proposals is 

1st July 2020. 

“The health and safety of our 

attendees, exhibitors, partners and 

team are top priority,” says AMI chair, 

Chris Petty. “With that in mind, we fully 

expect the AMI Conference & Expo 

to occur, despite current conditions 

related to the COVID-19 crisis. We are 

taking safety precautions for all AMI 

events and we continue to position 

ourselves to pivot as this unpredictable 

pandemic unfolds.” 

www.marinaassociation.org 

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two years. Functionality, aesthetics and 

environmental sustainability all play a 

part in the evaluation criteria. 

The submission deadline is 3rd 

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WORLD NEWS 

Southern 

adds three to 

portfolio 

USA: Southern Marina Holdings, LLC has 

purchased three premium Florida marina facilities 

from Aqua Marine Partners. The addition of Hi-Lift 

Marina in Aventura, Hidden Harbour in Pompano 

Beach and Palm Harbour in Cape Haze brings 

the growing Southern Marinas portfolio to ten 

properties. 

All three marinas have special 

attributes. Hi Lift has nearby access from 

the Baker’s Haulover Inlet and features 

full-service dry storage operations, a 

new boat showroom, boat club and 

Yacht brokerage. Hidden Harbour is the 

newest and most prestigious drystack in 

Pompano Beach and has fast and easy 

access to the Atlantic. It will soon have 

a vibrant, new neighbouring community 

of apartments, restaurants and retail, 

currently under development by Aqua 

Marina Partners CEO Andy Sturner. 

Palm Harbour is a boutique-style 

resort marina near Boca Grande Pass 

– home to the world’s best tarpon 

fishing. With a combination of drystack 

and wet slips, it can accommodate 

boats up to 65ft (20m). 

Andrew Gendron, principal and 

chief investment officer with Southern 

Marinas, said the company was excited 

to have secured the marinas. “Our 

overall goal is to continue to expand the 

Southern Marinas brand through the 

purchase of key locations. Our team 

is always on the lookout for new and 

exciting opportunities like this one from 

Aqua Marine.” 

While the marinas are currently open 

and running as normal, Southern’s 

management team will continue to 

monitor all government updates on the 

COVID-19 pandemic. The marinas will 

be implementing the protocols outlined 

by these agencies with the primary 

goal of providing a safe environment 

for boaters and team members at their 

locations. 

SF boosts factory facilities to 

meet increased demand 

GLOBAL: SF Marina has commenced operations at new manufacturing facilities in Malaysia and Thailand. This is in 

addition to expanding its production sites in Sweden, the USA and New Zealand. 

The addition of the Malaysia and 

Thailand facilities strengthens SF 

Marina’s commitment to the Asian 

region. Located in the Kuala Lumpur 

and Bangkok regions respectively, they 

are scaled to meet the current demand 

for floating concrete structures within 

the area. 

In Sweden, at the company’s 

Wallhamn manufacturing facility, SF 

added a sixth precast production 

bed and built a new concrete plant 

in 2019. This year, it acquired an 

adjacent building to accommodate the 

expanding demand for its products. 

These steps provide the means to 

deliver increasingly larger items such 

as 10m (33ft) wide x 3m (10ft) high 

breakwaters and a floating hotel 

structure measuring 22m (72ft) wide x 

63m (207ft) long. 

The factory expansion of the 

North American division, SF Marina 

USA, added a second precast 

production line for increased capacity. 

It also reconfigured its logistics to 

accommodate the delivery of larger 

structures via barge. Located in 

Norfolk, Virginia, it matches the 

delivery levels of SF Marina’s other 

primary plant in Dubai, UAE. 

In New Zealand, SF is constructing 

a second production facility to meet 

growing demand. This expands the 

company’s presence in the country 

by as much as 300%. The location 

is expected to begin operations this 

summer. 

“SF Marina has expanded its 

production capacity worldwide to 

keep pace with global demand,” said 

Michael Sigvardsson, SF Marina 

System CEO. “But that’s just half of 

the equation. We’re also growing our 

technology and working on exciting 

new products to help marinas weather 

the storms for the next 100 years.” 

SF Marina pioneered the floating 

concrete pontoon in the 1920s. It has 

additional production facilities in Egypt, 

Greece, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Turkey. 

10 

www.marinaworld.com - May/June 2020

WORLD NEWS 

Marinas21: 

a post-pandemic 

marker point? 

AUSTRALIA: The Marina Industries Association (MIA) is putting a lot of energy 

into ensuring its next conference and trade exhibition in 2021 will be an 

important milestone for the marina industry recovering from COVID-19. 

MIA president Andrew Chapman 

said with the dates, location and overall 

structure now set, the Marinas21 

Committee is working hard to ensure 

the conference and the exhibition 

agenda aligns with industry needs. 

“As we commence the long haul out 

of COVID-19 we will be providing a 

slightly different offering,” he noted. “The 

move to on-line communications is being 

accelerated and health and hygiene 

will remain an important issue. The 

dire tourism downturn is having a huge 

impact on some of our members and we 

need to strengthen our focus on tourism 

and our cooperation and coordination 

with the mainstream tourism industry.” 

The Marinas21 International 

Conference and Trade Exhibition will be 

held 24th-25th May 2021 at the Marriott 

on the Gold Coast. In 2019 there were 

350 participants from 11 countries in 

attendance. The timing for the event 

has again been set so as to follow on 

from the Sanctuary Cove International 

Boat Show. 

MIA Marinas21 Committee chairman, 

Mike Harvey, said it is important the 

planning process is aligned with the 

latest international, national and state 

forecasts and plans arising from the 

pandemic. “There are already many 

more variables in the planning of this 

event. We are heartened however by 

Australia and New Zealand’s progress 

in flattening the curve and the steps 

being laid out to get the marina 

industries back to full strength.” 

Mooring boost in Hebrides 

UK: Local and visiting leisure craft to Stornoway Harbour on the Isle of Lewis 

in the Outer Hebrides will be able to moor up at a new 76-berth marina in 2021. 

Inland and Coastal Marina Systems 

(ICMS) is installing its standard marina 

walkway and finger pontoons as part 

of Stornoway Port Authority’s 2017 

masterplan. The GRP mini-mesh 

decked pontoons will provide muchneeded 

additional marina berths, all 

with excellent anti-slip properties. 

“Being in the Hebrides has its 

logistical issues when it comes to 

installation but we always find a 

solution,” explains ICMS project 

manager Brian Curley. “Assembling the 

pontoons offsite really helps time-wise 

and reduces the amount of specialist 

machinery needed in situ.” 

“This exciting project will also 

incorporate a new slipway and boat 

hoist, enabling the 

marina to offer boatyard 

services to visitors 

and port users,” he 

continues. “We are 

delighted to be involved 

in such a prominent 

project in Scotland, 

which will be enjoyed 

by locals, sailors from 

abroad and the wider 

community long into the 

future.” 


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Made in Italy

WORLD NEWS 

Lake marina 

ready for first 

Photo: Asia Pacific Superyachts Indonesia 

season 

ITALY: As Italy begins to contemplate life after COVID- 

19, Walcon Marine’s latest project in the country will 

be a magnet for visitors. 

The new marina is located in a 

stunning location at Castelletto Ticino 

to the south of Lake Maggiore, one of 

the largest and most beautiful of the 

famous Italian lakes in the north of the 

country. It has been built as part of the 

development of a contemporary, stylish 

new lakeside headquarters complex 

designed by Piuarch for Techbau, a 

major Italian construction and civil 

engineering company, and sits directly 

in front of the building. 

Walcon’s Italian partner Walcon 

Marine Italia (operating as the 

Sistema Walcon brand) was 

responsible for the supply of the 

marina, which has been engineered 

by Walcon to 

make full use 

of the lines 

of an existing 

curving 

breakwater 

that protects 

the location from swell and wash. The 

mooring facilities comprise a 190m 

(620ft) walkway that runs along the 

inside of the breakwater and provides 

stern-to mooring for around 40 boats 

up to 12m (39ft) in length, and a 

second straight 68m (223ft) walkway 

for stern-to mooring on both sides for 

a similar number of boats. This pier 

projects out into the harbour. 

Poised for visitors 

when lockdown eases 

BALI: Benoa Marina, the first ‘international standard’ marina in Indonesia, 

opened in January. The facility was built by Pelindo Property Investments 

(PPI Marina), a subsidiary of government harbour company Pelindo. 

The marina has been built using Antares 

aluminium pontoons (a Walcon Marine 

Italia variant of Walcon’s System 2000 

range), polyethylene floats and Novowood 

WPC decking in an attractive copper-brown 

colour. Access to each walkway is via two 

10m x 2m (33ft x 7ft) access bridges with 

aluminium handrails. 

The marina is managed by CM Nautica 

and is open to the general public. 

“The new marina has space for 3 x 90m 

[10 x 295ft] vessels in alongside positions 

and non-potable water can be supplied,” 

explained Thomas Taatjes of Asia Pacific 

Superyachts in Bali. “Shore power is via 

genset rental and we (APS) have a genset 

we can use for our clients and also water 

treatment facilities to make the dock water 

potable,” he added. 

“The floating pontoons are top quality 

and easily accessed by ramps, 

making provisioning and 

spare part deliveries simple 

and convenient. The lines 

are secured using the pilings 

which are spaced at 10m [33ft] 

and have a diameter of 90cm 

[35in], so straps and shackles 

are required. Transport can 

be arranged from a variety of 

sources,” he continued. 

Connected to the airport by 

a flyover, it is a fast pick up and 

drop off at the boat for guests 

and the perfect starting point for 

cruising once Indonesia is open 

to arrivals. On down-time, all 

the hotspots of Bali are within 

reach and guests and crew will 

enjoy everything on offer inside 

and outside the marina. 


WORLD NEWS 

New breakwater 

at Seattle marina 

USA: Elliott Bay Marina in Seattle, 

Washington – the largest private 

marina on the west coast of the 

USA – has replaced its 1,000ft 

(305m) long breakwater. Canadian 

company International Marine 

Floatation Systems (IMFS) 

designed and built the new 

structure. 

Ordered to replace a concrete POD 

type system with a timber wave fence 

underwater structure, the new floating 

concrete breakwater will require no 

maintenance below the waterline. It 

incorporates existing 38ft (12m) finger 

slips on one side and accommodates 

superyachts of up to 300ft (90m) on 

the outer edge. 

Built by IMFS in the company’s Delta 

yard in British Columbia, the attenuator 

has seven structural sections. Each 

has been designed to maximise depth 

but also follow the ground contour 

condition of the site as it slopes from 

shoreline to deeper water. To achieve 

this, design depths vary from 6-10ft 

(2-3m). The sections are connected 

with IMFS rubber block connection 

pockets which allow for the rubber 

blocks and 2.5in (6.3cm) swage cable 

to be replaced without interrupting 

electrical and water cables. 

IMFS worked with a team from 

Amo Construction, who removed 

the old system and installed the new 

breakwater on 17 existing mooring 

piles. Concrete fingers were removed 

and reconnected. There was little 

room for error as all components had 

to fit back precisely. 

Upgrades maintain 

quality at Sunrise 

USA: Significant enhancements have been completed by Westrec Marinas at 

Sunrise Harbor Marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The marina is located on the 

Intracoastal Waterway in the heart of the city’s bustling yachting community. 

Work undertaken comprised 

dredging the marina basin 

to a depth of 11ft (3.3m) to 

give access to larger boats 

with deeper drafts throughout 

the entire water space; 

substantially remodelling the 

fitness centre and Casbah 

Spa; upgrading the marina 

office; installing a new security 

system, which operates all 

doors and elevators, and 

controls garage access; and 

enhancing Wi-Fi so that it 

reaches the entire marina as a 

streamable high-speed service. 

“Sunrise Harbor enjoys a sterling 

reputation as a prestigious yachting 

facility,” says marina manager Brad St 

Coeur CMM. “Of course, earning and 

maintaining a good reputation require 

constant analysis and action to exceed 

expectations. The Sunrise Harbor team is 

pleased to announce these considerable 

Cottonwood Creek 

adds D Dock 

USA: A new D Dock at Cottonwood Creek Marina on Lake Louisville just north 

of Dallas Fort Worth has been completed by Meeco Sullivan. 

It is the seventh expansion in 18 

years that the company has handled at 

this marina for the Miller family, which 

also owns and operates two other 

facilities in Texas: Anchor Bay Marina 

and Collin Park Marina. 

Cottonwood Creek’s relationship with 

Meeco Sullivan began in 2002 when it 

designed, built and installed a 152- 

slip galvanised steel dock system. It 

has subsequently installed six further 

docks in various sizes with super 

span roofing, encapsulated foam and 

aggregate decking, a service/fuel dock 

with ship’s store and a 600ft (183m) 

wave attenuator. The newest expansion 

on D Dock included adding twelve 32ft 

(10m) covered slips. 

improvements to the most critical 

aspects of operating a premier marina.” 

Care was also taken with a green 

approach. “As a Clean Marina 

designated by the State of Florida, we 

ensure that our work while upgrading 

Sunrise Harbor has met the obligations 

we have toward ensuring that 

environmental responsibility is integral 

to our marina operation,” he adds. 

14 


WORLD NEWS 

Safe Harbor adds three 

USA: Safe Harbor Marinas boosted its portfolio with the purchase of three 

additional marinas via Colliers International in the first quarter of the year. It 

now has nearly 100 facilities. 

First to join the network was Sunset 

Bay Marina (above), a full-service 

marina near the city of Boston, 

Massachusetts. The 2 acre (0.8ha) 

family-owned property on Boston’s 

desirable South Shore includes 161 wet 

slips, a 250-seat restaurant and event 

facility, on-site service and repair and 

winter storage. 

“The Folsoms purchased the marina 

a little over ten years ago and rebuilt 

the property to bring it up to modern 

standards,” said Colliers International 

managing director Andrew Cantor. 

“They created a wonderful asset with 

significant cash flow that was very 

desirable to investors and marina 

companies as potential purchasers. At 

the same time, Safe Harbor is in growth 

mode and this acquisition helps them 

expand their portfolio in 

the region.” 

The second purchase 

covered two marinas: 

Mears Point and 

Great Oak Landing on 

Chesapeake Bay near 

Annapolis, Maryland. 

Mears Point Marina has 

540 wet slips and two 

restaurants and sits 

within a 42-acre (17ha) 

site, which includes 

permission to build 211 

multifamily units and a 

commercial retail/office building. 

“Mears Point Marina represents 

a truly unique opportunity,” Cantor 

emphasised. “It’s very rare to find a 

property with $1 million of in-place 

net operating income annually that 

has approvals and utilities in place to 

develop what would be the area’s first 

resort-style marina community.” 

Great Oak Landing (below) has 

nearly 74 acres (30ha), 360 wet slips, a 

28-room lodge and two restaurants. 

The Colliers team marketed the two 

properties separately. Interest was 

expressed by a variety of prospective 

buyers and offers were received from 

11 groups. 

Safe Harbor now owns seven 

marinas on Chesapeake Bay. 

Sharpening 

regional 

focus 

MIDDLE EAST & EUROPE: Italian 

company Ingemar has signed two 

new exclusive licence agreements 

to further develop business 

opportunities in the Middle East. 

Khimji Ramdas LLC (KR) will now 

manufacture and market Ingemar 

products in Oman. Ingemar will supply 

special components and technical 

assistance for production. When the 

factory site is prepared and a local team 

is finalised, the first reinforced concrete 

pontoons, measuring 35 x 6m (115 x 

20ft) will be manufactured for a fishing 

fleet facility in the port of Duqum. 

The agreement with KR LLC closely 

follows a contract signed with Overseas 

AST of Dubai, one of the most important 

industrial groups in the Emirates. 

Reinforced concrete modules for the 

new Marina Bay in Dubai Harbour are 

already being cast. Megayachts up to 

60m (197ft) long will be moored directly 

to the maxi floating pontoons and even 

bigger yachts up to 120m (390ft) will use 

special fingers and anchor with buoys 

and a mooring blocks system. 

Although there is significant focus 

for the company on increasing market 

presence in the Middle East, Ingemar 

continues, as usual, to complete 

projects in the Mediterranean and 

Caribbean. 

Recent installations in Italy include 

Marina di Carrara, Porto Cala del 

Forte and Cala Balbiano on the island 

of Sardinia; floating pontoon systems 

have been supplied for Skala Sikia, 

Vougliagmeni and Marina Zea in 

Greece; and second and third phases 

have been completed for Lustica Bay 

Marina in Montenegro. 

Despite uncertainties in various 

markets, the Ingemar Group enjoyed 

a turnover of over €10 million in 2019. 

This represented a slight growth on 

2018’s figures. An important share 

of investment was devoted to R&D 

activities, to the study and design of 

new floating products and to the search 

for materials and innovative technical 

solutions for their assembly, storage 

and handling. 


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WORLD NEWS 

SF rebuilds neglected 

pier marina 

USA: The Marina at MacMillan Pier in Provincetown, Massachusetts has 

been revamped with a new system supplied by SF Marina USA. It had been 

unprotected from the elements for years and was beyond repair. 

The project called for nine SF400 

Series heavily reinforced floating 

concrete breakwaters to protect the 

inner marina. These are specially 

designed to absorb and distribute 

stress during storms. Installed by lead 

contractor ACK Marine & General 

Contracting, the 590ft (180m) system is 

held in place with 18 steel piles. 

Nine SF1030 Series 3m (10ft) wide 

concrete pontoons of various sizes 

were used to rebuild the 249ft (76m) 

north and 351ft (107m) south docks. 

Provincetown reused its timber fingers 

Reconfiguring a 

popular town quay 

UK: Walcon Marine has completed a comprehensive reconfiguration of the 

mooring facilities at the popular and picturesque town quay in Lymington, 

Hampshire. 

The quay serves both leisure boaters 

and fishermen, and Lymington Harbour 

Commissioners had concluded that 

an upgrade was required to meet the 

demand for more visitor walk-ashore 

berths. 

The project took place between 

November 2019 and February 2020 

and involved a series of smaller jobs as 

various existing moorings were moved 

and replaced and new ones added. 

Topping the list was the task to more 

than double the number of walk-ashore 

that attach to the docks’ embedded 

stainless steel T-tracks. Conduits 

and pipes for electricity and water 

are internal and make for a clean 

appearance and low maintenance. The 

completed structure supports vessels 

up to 46ft (14m) at around 50 slips. 

Located on the tip of Cape Cod, 

the natural deepwater harbour of 

Provincetown is where the Mayflower 

first set anchor in 1620. MacMillan 

Pier supports a mix of recreational and 

commercial traffic, including a ferry 

terminal and whale-watching operations. 

berths from 19 to 46 while at the 

same time continuing to offer a choice 

between visitor walk-ashore berths, 

with power and water, and lower cost 

river moorings. 

All pontoon infrastructure was 

replaced with Walcon System 21 

pontoons to match the new walkashore 

facilities. The pontoons for the 

fishing fleet have been fitted out to 

a commercial standard with rubber 

D-fenders, GRP mesh decking and 

internal pile guides. 

Crossroads 


opens for 

business 

MALDIVES: The Crossroads 

Yacht Marina, located a 15 minute 

fast boat ride from capital city 

Malé, has now opened. The 

facility, outlined in Marina World 

November/December 2018, forms 

part of an integrated leisure and 

lifestyle hub and is the first of its 

kind in the country. 

Catering for 30 vessels of 10 

to 60m (33 to 197ft), it has fullservice 

back-up, crew facilities 

and concierge offerings. Onsite 

superyacht agency Asia Pacific 

Superyachts Maldives (APS) 

provides all paperwork, provisioning, 

services and itineraries needed for 

superyachts to enjoy their stay and 

maximise cruising potential. 

As of the end of June, lockdown 

restrictions are expected to ease 

and commercial and private flights 

will be allowed. A further boost to 

tourism potential was confirmed in 

April when fees to enter the Maldives 

were substantially reduced, making 

it a viable stopover for all yachts 

crossing the Indian Ocean. 


NEWS FOCUS: LINDLEY GROUP 

90 years for Grupo Lindley 

From paper importers to internationally renowned marine equipment suppliers, the Lindley group of companies (Grupo 

Lindley) has climbed high. The company celebrated its 90th anniversary in April. 

The company’s origins date back to 

1930, when Rudolf Ahlers and Antonio 

Lindley – with £400 in their pockets – 

established Ahlers Lindley in Lisbon, 

Portugal as an English paper importer 

and distributor. Despite Ahlers’ death in 

1933, the company grew successfully 

over the next two decades and acquired 

Tuella Tin Mines in the north of Portugal. 

The company developed several 

other mining interests in the pre-war 

years in support of the allied war effort, 

by supplying raw materials from neutral 

Portugal, particularly tin and tungsten. 

After the Second World War, trading 

activity again diversified to include 

machinery, metals and chemical raw 

materials. In 1956, Ahlers Lindley 

began supplying harbour equipment; 

it supplied two steam cranes to the 

Portuguese naval base, Arsenal do 

Alfeite – one of which still exists today. 

During the 1960s, the mines were 

closed or sold off and the business 

returned to concentrating on importing 

high quality paper, along with 

machinery and metals, chemical raw 

materials and plastics. 

In 1966, the second generation 

Above: Lindley employees at group 

headquarters in Cascais. Right: Marina da 

Gloria in Rio de Janeiro was installed with 

a new Lindley pontoon system in time for 

the 2016 Olympic Games. 

Lindleys took over management from 

Lindley’s widow and a period of rapid 

expansion followed, resulting in the 

building and purchase of premises in 

Cacém and Porto. In 1981, the group 

purchased its current headquarters, 

Edifício Mical, in Cascais. The site, 

established in 1951, had previously 

been a large mining and crushing plant 

belonging to Mical, Mecanica Industrial 

de Cascais. The addition of Mical to 

the group pushed the total number of 

employees to more than 200. 

In response to the recession of the 

early 1980s, the group reorganised 

and divided into several companies 

that allowed them to specialise in their 

respective markets. By the 1990s the 

group comprised: Almovi, a supplier 

of mechanical handling equipment 

and hydraulic platforms; Almec, 

supplying industrial compressed air 

and sandblasting equipment; Alchema, 

supplying industrial chemicals and 

plastics; Florestal, focused on forestry 

and wood processing equipment; Alma, 

providing platform and scaffolding 

hire; and Lindley, supplying floating 

equipment for marinas and harbours. 

This period, as the third Lindley 

generation joined the business, also 

saw growth. Firstly in the mechanical 

handling area through Almovi, which 

distributed major brands such as Grove 

and Demag cranes, Simon platforms 

and Marine Travelift. Secondly, through 

Lindley, with its own brands in marinas 

and marine aids to navigation. 

From 2000 onwards, the business 

began to consolidate, largely in 

the marine business area. Almovi 

strengthened its position as a supplier 

of harbour and industrial handling 

equipment, while expanding its 

18 


NEWS FOCUS: LINDLEY GROUP 

maintenance and service facilities. 

Lindley developed its own designs 

and products for marinas, while Mical 

manufactured for both companies. 

In 2004, the company took its first 

steps into foreign trade by establishing 

Almarin, in Barcelona, to distribute 

marine navigation aids in Spain. Seven 

years later, as the financial crisis hit 

southern Europe, Almarin and Lindley 

pivoted to start operations in South 

America, where Almarin won a contract 

to supply and install navigation buoys 

for the Colombian Navy. 

Meanwhile Lindley, after supplying 

its first marina contracts in Brazil and 

taking on further significant contracts, 

established a subsidiary in Rio de 

Janeiro in 2015: Lindley BR. This led to 

a major contract to reorganise, supply 

and install Marina da Gloria in Rio for 

the Olympic Games in 2016. At the 

same time, the group invested in Salt 

Technologies, a start-up specialised 

in marine structure calculations and 

high-resolution digital content. Salt 

Lindley specialises in the installation 

of gangways and pier installations for 

mooring various types of vessel. This 

facility was built in Tavira on the 

Algarve coast, Portugal. 

Technologies subsequently developed 

‘Nephos’, an advanced online platform 

for calculating jack-up offshore 

structures. 

Today, the Lindley group owners 

are supported by a team of over 50 

professionals, among them industryleading 

experts. 

Providing independent and bespoke services to clients worldwide 

Masterplanning 

 

 

 

Investment appraisal 

Tender and project management 

Environmental and legislative advice 

 

www.marinaprojects.com 

132x182_Marina World_19_Final.indd 1 07/02/2019 16:11 


MARINA 

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NOVEMBER 2020 

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world. With around 70 exhibitors, it’s the world’s largest trade 

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CRISIS MANAGEMENT 

Owners were still able to access their boats 

at Marina Palms in Aventura, Florida, 

despite the general coronavirus ‘shut 

down’. 

Group feedback: 

lockdown and beyond 

Managing marinas as the coronavirus threat increased called for new 

initiatives and special measures. Although core action in terms of hygiene 

and social distancing was universal, marina groups devised their own specific 

action plans. 

US Marina Group: 

Jim Bronstien 

Lockdown: Our marinas in Florida 

were ‘shut down’ for a period of time 

but, in reality, they remained open as 

boats were still accessible by owners, 

crew and vendors. Fuel operations were 

also restricted but only for a few weeks. 

Our marina in Panama was technically 

shut down as well. Boat movements on 

the water were restricted and are just 

opening back up [14 th May]. 

Panama had a stronger stay at 

home order that limited men to go out 

for essentials like food on Monday, 

Wednesday and Friday and women on 

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and 

no one out on Sunday. We reduced our 

staff to 50% pay and work. 

Opening: Boating activities have 

increased as one of the few opportunities 

for leisure activities. Our boat club 

business grew in activity levels the day 

boating was again allowed. There was 

lots of pent up demand to boat and get 

out of the house. Boating also got a lot of 

unintended press – mostly good, some 

not as good, but it gave an increased 

Croatia has experienced a lower impact 

from COVID-19 than many other European 

countries. Customers are using their boats 

at D-Marin Borik with sensible 

measures in place. 

awareness of how you can socially 

distance yourself and be safe. 

D-Marin network: 

Dean Smith 

Lockdown: The restrictions imposed 

by the different governments affecting 

our marinas were very similar and 

social distancing and hygiene standards 

were imposed in each facility. The 

marinas remained open for enquiries 

and administration but were closed to 

customers visiting and using their boats. 

Our management approach was 

common across the countries in that 

the health and safety of the staff and 

customers was our highest priority. The 

teams worked split shifts and all of the 

safe systems of work were reviewed. 

For those clients who were far away 

from their vessels, we made sure that 

they could request service providers 

who could look after their boat in their 

absence. 

Opening: As soon as the lockdown 

rules were eased boat owners 

immediately started to arrive to spend 

some time on their boats, undertaking 

maintenance or simply sailing. 

Everyone is aware how important it is 

to be responsible and cautious in order 

to stay safe. New social distancing and 

hygiene plans were put in place and the 

customers were happy to follow them 

given that it allowed them to get back 

on the water. 

F3 Marina: Dani Mill 

Lockdown: The marina we manage 

in Panama City, Panama has been 

closed since the government put 

severe restrictions on their citizens [as 

at 26 th May]. The marinas we manage 

in Florida were open and the effects 

on our customers and staff were more 

immediate. We worked as an entire 

company to ensure our staff were safe 

and comfortable providing our worldclass 

service to our customers. 

Our Great Lakes area marinas did 

not allow customers in the marina office 



during the beginning of the pandemic 

and did transactions via phone, email 

or window service. These marinas were 

able to open on time, with restrictions, 

due to being located in areas where 

marinas were considered an essential 

business. 

Opening: With the exception of our 

boater population that is at a higher 

risk of contracting COVID-19, many 

boaters used their boats more as they 

had time off of work and chose their 

boat as their ‘shelter in place’ location. 

The predominant customer mood was 

accepting and appreciative of the steps 

our team took to allow them to safely 

use their boat and facility. 

BR Marinas: 

Gabriela Lobato Marins 

Lockdown: We have marinas in 

five different cities in Brazil and local 

governments acted differently. All, 

however, prohibited any kind of tourism 

so charter companies have been 

unable to work since 16 th March. Our 

administrative staff have been working 

from home since this date and all 

employees over the age of 60 were also 

sent home. 

We were open in Rio, Buzios and 

Agra dos Reis until 25 th May but the 

mayor of Agra dos Reis declared a 15- 

day lockdown until 8 th June. This affects 

the drystack; clients with wet slips can 

still use their boats. 

We started lots of WhatsApp, 

Instagram, Facebook and email 

campaigns and also offered free 

Restrictions in place in Panama reduced 

operations at US Marina Group’s 

Buenaventura Marina. 

education (ten lessons from a boating 

licence course), tips on what to watch 

while at home and a fundraiser called 

Good Wind where we raised 112,00 

reals enabling us to buy 32 tons of food 

to help those in need in surrounding 

communities. 

Opening: Our clients are still 

using their boats but use masks for 

themselves and their crew and don’t 

bring guests aboard etc. We’ve seen a 

decrease of up to 55% in boat use at 

our marinas and do not know when or if 

we will have a 2020 Rio Boat Show. 

C&N Marinas: 

Management team 

Lockdown: As soon as the first case of 

COVID-19 was reported on the island 

of Malta on 7 th March, Grand Harbour 

Marina suspended all social events and 

switched staff onto a shift work base 

Employees at Marina da Gloria in Brazil 

are following safe working practices. 

pattern to comply with health authority 

requirements. 

Likewise, within a few days following 

the outbreak of the pandemic in 

Turkey, all the commercial areas in 

Cesme Marine were closed to adhere 

to government guidelines. We quickly 

initiated a skeleton workforce within 

the marina to ensure the safety and 

security of our berth holders’ boats. All 

our employees who could work from 

home started to work from home, some 

continue to do so [as at 21 st May]. 

Grenada, Carriacou and Petite 

Martinique did an amazing job in 

containing the spread of the disease. 

From the start, Port Louis Marina fully 

supported the health protocol and 

government regulations to ensure 

the safety of employees, customers 

and community. Port Louis Marina 

was a key partner in successfully 

implementing the yacht entry protocol. 

22 



F3 Marina fully expects its Florida 

facilities, such as Halifax Harbor Marina 

in Daytona Beach, to enjoy a 

good summer season. 

Opening: Grand Harbour Marina 

managed to stay open 24/7 throughout, 

with berthing masters available around 

the clock carrying out regular dock 

walks. The marina also took the initiative 

to create a virtual crew programme 

specifically tailored to the crew not able 

to leave their vessels or with limited 

movement around the marina. Virtual 

yoga and personal training classes 

are still being provided as well as chat 

forums to allow crew to socialise virtually 

and stay active and healthy. 

As at 21 st May travel and cruise 

restrictions have not been removed in 

large cities such as Istanbul and Izmir 

where quarantine is valid. There has 

been an increasing demand from boat 

owners to spend curfews on board, but 

this is not yet possible as quarantine 

practice has not been lifted in large 

cities. We have customers who spend 

time on their boats depending on the 

marina. The mood is currently cautious 

considering the prohibitions. However, 

the demand will increase when the 

quarantine ban is lifted. 

Port Louis Marina is now open and 

the safety of Grenada and its people 

remains our top priority. We continue to 

ensure best practice and measures are 

continuously assessed. We are actively 

taking bookings for the hurricane 

season. 

What’s to come as the threat of 

COVID-19 reduces? 

“Marinas should still prosper as an 

‘escape’ from the house. People will 

make shorter trips on boats so as 

to stay closer to home without fear 

of being caught away in a foreign 

country. There will be more boat use 

this summer as people want to make 

up for lost leisure time, and increased 

cleaning of boats. When fall and winter 

come, we will probably be somewhat 

back to ‘normal’ for marina business 

unless economic struggles cause 

marina rates and slip demand to drop.” 

Jim Bronstein 

“If we have learned something, it’s 

that, as a business, we have to be 

D-Marin is responding swiftly to change and operating with caution 

at all of its marinas including its Croatian ‘flagship’ D-Marin Mandalina. 

agile and responsive. We can’t predict 

everything but we can train our teams 

to be ready for anything. It might be 

that some things are simply impossible 

to predict. We are yet to see the true 

scope of the economic consequences. 

If our customers will use their boats 

less frequently or whether international 

travel will restart in the same way. Until 

there is a vaccine, D-Marin will be 

ready to adapt and help our customers 

as much as we possibly can.” Dean 

Smith 

“There may be a slowdown of 

transient business as boaters get 

comfortable with going to new locations 

with possible increased positive cases. 

We expect our marinas to continue to 

be popular summer hangouts in the 

Great Lakes area and for our Florida 

marinas to be great places to visit and 

enjoy.” Dani Mill 

“What we know is that when this is all 

over everybody will run to their boats 

and sail, see the sea and breathe. 

And we will see an opportunity to 

attract new customers to our small 

boating market who will be able to 

enjoy our vast and beautiful coastline. 

We are preparing a campaign to 

promote brokerage, charter and local 

businesses. It is time to join forces.” 

Gabriela Lobato Marins 

“Once the travel ban eases, we are 

certain the industry will flourish in full 

force to compensate for time lost out 

on the water. The yachting community, 

as a whole, has come together as a 

strong entity during these times from all 

industry perspectives. This, in turn, will 

have a positive impact on the yachting 

industry.” C&N Marinas 


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The day after 

How is the marina industry going to handle going back to business after this 

scary, almost science-fiction COVID-19 medical and social experience? Oscar 

Siches shares his thoughts 

Most of us live in countries that 

have already started to ease strong 

confinement measures, and an 

educated guess that many people 

will be able to use their boats with 

minimal restrictions by mid-June is 

not at all daring. Most governments 

forget about the singularities of marine 

recreational activities and place the 

whole group of users under “maritime” 

or “transport” or, at best, “fishing”. This 

confirms the need for us to create 

a strong relationship with the state 

administration. If we inform them it will 

help ensure the continuity of our sport 

without big hiccups. 

Many associations big and small are 

issuing guidelines for yacht harbour 

behaviour on and after the re-opening 

of facilities. Invariably, 80% of the 

papers enumerate procedures for 

personal cleaning, social distancing, 

mask wearing, glove availability, i.e. 

information that everybody has listened 

to over the past weeks, when TV and 

social media saturated us to exhaustion 

with such messages. There’s no merit 

in repeating all of this information. 

Some organisations went a step 

further and created a protocol for the 

use of the facilities. They organised 

way-in and way-out paths, time slots for 

bathroom and shower use, circulation on 

piers and pontoons and right of way in 

gangways; procedures that are easy to 

understand and follow. Booking offices 

helped by sending out crew/passenger 

lists and ETAs ahead of schedule, and 

outlining procedures for check-in and 

check-out for charter boats, all of which 

helped to reduce the risk of catching the 

disease. And one very important thing 

has not changed. Once you embark on a 

boat and cast off, the oceans are yours, 

and the limits are the ones you set 

between the boat and the universe. 

There is, however, another very 

important thing, which I feel is missing 

in all the ‘guidance’: the human element. 

The people who have received an extra 

blow by losing family or friends, losing 

their jobs, their income, the stability 

they’ve gained after years of doing their 

best in life. People like this are also 

part of the marina industry. They are 

self-employed mechanics, sail repair 

craftsmen, electricians, metal workers, 

chefs and waiters in marina restaurants. 

With the recent relaxation of isolation 

rules and partial opening of many 

marinas and yacht harbours, the 

guidelines for user behaviour developed 

by various associations in many 

countries and especially those put 

forward by the International Council of 

Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) 

are being put into practice. But there 

is scant attention given to the small 

service companies trying to keep their 

employees but facing very low demand 

as users are encouraged to go directly 

to their boats, and when coming back, 

to move boat-to-car nonstop. We should 

not view them as new pariahs and lock 

them away in an emotional safe where 

everything unpleasant or inconvenient 

is stored until it fades away. They are 

part of the industry. They are less lucky 

than us (of course we are suffering 

too) but they should not be forgotten or 

abandoned. 

The nautical industry in general and 

the yacht harbour/marina industry 

in particular share something very 

specific: we are bound by the sea, its 

freedom and its dangers. A marine 

engine technician will share tacitly with 

a dockhand or a yacht owner more 

feeling of belonging to things nautical 

than a vacuum-cleaner assembler will 

share with a home owner, or a factory 

car wheel fitter to a car dealer. 

That’s why I cannot understand that 

we are leaving people of our own to 

be left on their own during and after 

these extremely demanding times. 

Such behaviour does not belong to 

the nautical spirit. Of course, a human 

being’s instinctive reaction is to save 

him/herself first, followed by taking care 

of closest members (family). Thereafter, 

The Port of Palma, especially during the 

popular Palma Boat Show, has long been a 

vibrant meeting place throughout the year 

for boats and visitors enjoying a quality 

waterfront experience. 


Woolverstone Marina, Ipswich 

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our priorities go to the social groups we 

belong to: nationality, job, associations 

and affinities. 

And this is where I have the 

impression that the marina industry 

is not reacting as the closely bonded 

guild it should be. For some years 

we have said that the marina industry 

needs more communication, more 

cooperation and coordination to be able 

to lobby with more chance of success 

and to build a database enabling us 

to study trends, boat mooring/storing 

spaces and seasonal occupation. 

Some progress has been done on 

the matter, mainly with the help of the 

Marina Industries Association (MIA) 

of Australia and the ICOMIA Marinas 

Group. But it seems that the industry 

has not appreciated the impact of 

this year’s pandemic. We are not 

speaking about shifting bookings and 

occupation or price variation. While 

the confinement is in place, a marina’s 

day to day is a future situation to be 

guessed, a sudden shock to be dealt 

with as soon as boat users start to go 

boating again. This boating will not be 

as it was before: it will be gradual, slow 

and very demanding on management 

decisions as to how to regulate toilet 

and shower use etc. There will be 

no more packed restaurants at the 

weekend, not even a busy bar to 

comment on the catch of the day, the 

weather, the neighbour’s new boat or 

the latest electronic gadget. 

Marinas as social communities, 

a concept that has been fought for 

for many years, will disappear for 

some time. The notion of “grouping 

is dangerous” will prevail. For how 

long? At least as long as the world’s 

governments do not consider countries 

free of the virus threat, free air travel is 

allowed again, and what is much more 

important, people do not feel afraid of 

being exposed to the virus. For that 

matter, media news has not helped at 

all by adopting a strong catastrophic 

tone. The skipper will always want 

to go boating, but many family and 

friends will consider that it is too soon 

to attempt to do it. And with crippled 

services at the marina, the fun will be 

considerably less. 

We are saturated with the 

message of the numbers of people 

sick, of deaths, and of hygiene and 

social distancing, which is part of 

governmental protocols to relax 

confinement rules, yet everybody pays 

attention and is aware of it. What hurts 

me is not seeing a single message 

reminding people that boating is a 

sport that automatically fulfils the rules 

of distancing (if you are less than two 

metres from a person on another boat 

you’d better call the insurance: you 

are in trouble), that is usually enjoyed 

with family or friends, that a boat is 

very easily sanitised. I also miss the 

organising help for all those in the 

marina community who are going 

through hard times. Raising money 

via charities is valid but solidarity is 

a horizontal concept that generates 

mutual respect. Here are some 

thoughts: 

• If boat owners are not able to buy fuel 

– invite them on your boat 

• Give restaurants extra terrace place 

at no charge to match their capacity 

while fulfilling social distancing 

• Small companies are the ones facing 

the worst financial trouble: rent and 

wages. They will have to downsize to 

try to survive. Self-employed single 

person services are the next. If the 

marina bar or restaurant is operating 

at a fraction of capacity, they could 

offer cheap meals to marina workers, 

own and external. 

• Service companies and individuals 

can organise small group events: 

training on simple subjects like 

fishing, engine and outboard 

maintenance, cooking onboard, 

occupations that the users value and 

are simple, and keep the companies 

As never seen before? Port of Palma in the 

middle of the day during the coronavirus 

lockdown belonged exclusively to its yachts. 

and service people in contact with the 

client. 

By doing things like this, various 

opportunities will come up for 

vulnerable groups and, although it 

may not translate into immediate 

job increase, it will help people 

psychologically by making them feel 

less abandoned, and still part of the 

marina community. The one value for 

the users will be health safety, and they 

will agree to change their habits and 

respect new ones. 

Of course the ideas and examples 

given here are not from the coretraditional 

procedures we knew and 

followed up to January 2020, but the 

priority is, at least for the next five to 

ten years, to make the users as well 

as the whole industry feel comfortable. 

Everybody in the industry knows that 

without environmentally controlled 

waters, there is no industry. Neither is 

any industry without people, and this 

is now the weak link. The way forward 

is something to be done by all parties, 

if we want to succeed. This awful 

situation has marked us indelibly. Let’s 

hope the lesson is learned and a bright 

future lies ahead of us. 

Oscar Siches runs Marina Matters, a 

consultancy based in Mallorca, Spain. 

E: oscar@siches.com 


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The year of ‘If’ in Italy 

As Italians, our aim is to have a happy country, far from coronavirus and its 

stresses, that is open for boaters to explore 8,000km (5,000mi) of stunning 

coastline. Will our dreams come true? It’s all about ‘if’. Donatella Zucca reports 

If the curve of the epidemic makes 

it possible; if no serious mistakes are 

made; if good luck prevails, Italy will 

continue to offer up its coastline, its 

marinas and moorings in the heart of 

the Mediterranean. 

To drive the reopening, we need 

to breathe extra life into the nautical 

economy to supplement the helping 

hand it’s already received from ordinary 

people, entrepreneurs, and big names 

in luxury goods and in the megayacht 

sector where Italy is a world leader 

and where there are strong links with 

tourist ports. These harbours never 

completely closed, even during time 

of total lockdown, as the government 

recognised the need to protect the port 

heritage, ensure continuity of fishing 

as part of the food supply chain and 

support the role of the maritime police 

in the pandemic emergency. 

Irrespective of this, the country has 

moved with great caution in gradually 

reopening tourist ports – to prevent the 

dream from becoming a nightmare. 

Local customers have returned to Marina 

di Punta Ala in Tuscany and a good 

summer season is expected. 

Imposing rules 

The RINA Naval Register stepped up to 

the task by devising the Biosafety Trust 

Certification; the first management 

system certification aimed at the 

prevention and mitigation of spread 

of infections in public places. On 21 st 

May RINA hosted a webinar “The 

Marina di Genova in Liguria is starting to 

open services to customers. 

new normal after COVID-19: how 

the yachting sector can get ready?” 

to discuss the future impact on the 

industry and the challenges facing 

professionals. 

Stakeholders included regional 

authorities, associations, port networks 

and marinas but the playing field was far 

from level. Regions are subject to limits 

set out by Prime Ministerial Decree, 

which allow for businesses to diversify 

from the rules in order to specifically 

balance economics and health. For 

example, there is virtually no coronavirus 

impact in Umbria, Sardinia, Basilicata 

and Calabria. In Sicily, Abruzzo and 

Molise fewer than ten cases have been 

reported. Softer rules are thus being 

applied although governors of Sicily and, 

in particular, Sardinia are thinking about 

asking for a document that confirms 

negative virus symptoms for people 

coming from Lombardy and other areas 

in the north where there is/has been a 

higher infection rate. The government 

doesn’t, however, favour the request. 

“Contagion differs from region to 

region,” confirms Alfredo Malcarne, 

president of Assonautica Italiana. As 

of 3 rd June, there have been different 

rules for different territories. “The 

problem only affects some areas of Italy 

[and restrictions would have different 

results]. Here in Puglia, for example, 

lockdown would mean dying of hunger 

more than of COVID.” 

Since March, Assonautica Italiana’s 

free of charge legal department 

has responded to thousands of 

emails and provided useful help and 

suggestions. Furthermore, as 

Antonio Bufalari, member of 

Assonautica Italiana Technical 

Scientific Committee and Legal 

Counsel of the Marinedi Group, 

explains: “With the standards 

of the prime minister as a 

baseline, trade associations 

have acted on their own 

initiative to tailor appropriate 

action to port activities.” 

Matteo Italo Ratti, president 

of the Marine Consortium of 

Tuscany and CEO and director 

of Marina de Medici, adds: 

“The risk is to fall into areas 

of contradiction, as happened 

in Campania. The problem of 

opening and closing is linked 

to the overlapping of multiple 

activities.” 



The impact of coronavirus in Sicily has been minimal but facilities such as Base Nautica 

Flavio Gioia has followed cautious practices. 

Roberto Perocchio, president of 

Assomarinas, clarifies the protocol: 

“A tourist port is an interface between 

the land and the boat. A boat is an 

island and contact opportunities are 

minimal especially if used by one single 

family.” But boats are closely watched. 

“There are many patrols at sea by 

the Capitanerie di Porto, Carabinieri, 

Guardia di Finanze especially in Naples 

where the regional rules have been very 

severe out of fear that the population 

density in the Gulf could act as a 

detonator. All marinas report maximum 

attention from the maritime authorities 

and highly aware customers.” 

In Campania, city mayors, the 

regional Task Force, ASL and health 

companies are preparing a safety plan 

for the Amalfi coast, which has been 

barely touched by the virus. Over 2,100 

swabs had been taken as this article 

was prepared (end of May). 

On 19 th May Confindustria Nautica 

confirmed that the Italian Government 

intended to reopen all borders between 

Italy and other European countries on 

3 rd June. All movements are to be limited 

by state regulations or relate to specific 

territories provided they adequately 

meet the level of epidemiological risk 

and are in line with the restrictions of EU 

legislation and international obligations. 

There will be no mandatory 14 day 

quarantine period. 

Guidelines for marinas 

The Ministry of Infrastructure and 

Transport (MIT) has decreed that all 

tourist ports must display information 

signs in Italian and English outlining 

the precautions that must be taken on 

site, e.g. use of personal protective 

equipment when in common areas 

and complying with a 1m (3ft) social 

spacing rule. 

Marinas must install sanitiser 

dispensers on every pier, limit boat 

movements and ban gatherings on the 

quays. The ability for any boat to move 

between different regions or countries 

is conditioned by national, regional and 

union regulations of the movement of 

people. As the marina is seen as an 

‘economic activity’, in the event of a 

serious lack of respect for standards, 

activity can be suspended if the rules 

are violated. 

Boat owners must follow the same 

rules on a boat as they do at home. 

Any symptoms of fever, respiratory 

infection etc. must be reported to the 

regional health authorities. The same 

rules apply for rental boats, which must 

be sanitised internally and externally 

(living spaces) after every use, even 

if only for a few hours. The boat must 

have supplies of sanitising products 

and have information signs in multiple 

languages outlining hygiene measures. 

If a boat is chartered with a crew, the 

skipper must provide everyone with 

appropriate protective provisions and 

ensure crew quarters are periodically 

sanitised. The crew must always wear 

protective gear when mooring up, 

leaving a berth, bunkering and during 

towing phases with marine vehicles. 

Everyone must have regular tests for 

COVID-19 and temperatures must be 

taken daily. Guests must respect social 

distancing. 

Where we are now 

Italy has over 740 marinas and mooring 

areas, which are generally of good 

quality. All have basic anti-COVID rules, 

often improved by their own initiatives. 

With the exception of Piedmont and 

Lombardy, where the majority of Italian 

megayacht owners live, maxi yachts 

are scattered around the Italian coast 

– especially in the south and on the 

islands where there is little or no sign of 

the virus. 

Liguria was among the first to 

impose restrictive measures and is now 

reopening in a regulated manner. It also 

has a very special goodwill initiative 

called “And it will be a good wind!” This 

was developed at Marina degli Aregai 

to give intensive care and therapy 

personnel working in the COVID-19 

emergency a time-off experience on 

board a boat. 

Marina di Loano (Savona) is, 

meanwhile, following a rigorous 

safety protocol and Giorgio Casareto, 

director of Marina di Varazze speaks 

of attention to detail while also looking 

forward to a summer season of 

Marina di Rimini, open to berth holders, 

is located in Emilia Romagna, the third 

highest region in Italy to be challenged by 

COVID-19 (after Lombardy and Piedmont 

respectively). 

30 


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unprecedented length. “We’ve activated 

every measure to guarantee safety and 

assistance to boat owners, visitors and 

workers,” he says. “We have access 

protocols to the marina – a regulation 

aimed at limiting gatherings in common 

areas – and a daily sanitisation plan. 

We are working with our franchisees 

to evaluate the best way for bars and 

restaurants to give good service despite 

the restrictions. As the picture becomes 

clearer, we will look at the feasibility of 

our entertainment initiatives.” 

In Tuscany, Marina Cala de Medici 

made a unique stand. “We were the 

first to produce the ‘Banchina Sicura’ 

(safe dock),” explains CEO and director 

Matteo Italo Ratti. The dock area is 

around 5% of the mooring space, 

is secured by a gate and is used as 

a transit holding area. “When boats 

arrive it’s a problem as when mooring 

up those on board have contact with 

the marina staff,” he says. “At the quay 

we have trained, fully equipped and 

protected personnel and nurses for 

health procedures for those coming 

from other regions or from overseas. 

Once all is checked, the boat can 

progress to its berth.” The Tuscan 

Operators at Marina di Varazze in Liguria have implemented a full range of sanitising 

measures and social distancing initiatives and are thinking through potential longer term 

ways to open more social spaces. 

Marine Consortium has extended the 

Banchina Sicura for charter at its ports 

(2,500 berths of 5 – 100m/16 – 330ft). 

The aim to keep Tuscany safe 

throughout is to be admired especially 

as its safe location is a lure to boaters, 

and marinas - such as Marina di Punta 

Ala - are surrounded by valuable 

natural assets. “Reservations exceed 

expectations and suggest a greater 

summer turn-out than in previous years,” 

says Marco Corti, director of Marina 

di Punta Ala. “In the first partial restart 

weekends, our Tuscan customers 

arrived, and now we are ready to receive 

boaters from other regions,” he adds. 

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Glass half full for NZ 

marina operators 

Yachting and maritime pastimes have a history of thriving in times of hardship. 

Many of New Zealand’s yacht clubs and sailing classes came out of the 

depression and post-WW2 years. They were founded in the days where there 

were fewer travel and lifestyle opportunities and, for this same reason, the 

marine and marina industries in New Zealand could be part of the country’s 

economic recovery today. 

On the eve of the move to the relative 

freedom of Level 2 [12 th May], and even 

after seven weeks of strict lockdown, 

there is a lot of reason for optimism for 

the marine and marina industries, say 

operators of the country’s marinas at 

a meeting of the New Zealand Marina 

Operators Association (NZMOA) 

Executive. 

“Right now we are focused on 

measures to eliminate COVID, to get 

out of lockdown as quickly as possible,” 

says Andrew Welsh, general manager 

at Wellington’s Chaffers Marina. “We all 

need to play the game to get out of it 

quickly.” 

Assuming that New Zealand’s 

lockdown is successful, what will the 

‘new normal’ look like for the marina 

industry and those it supports, including 

its customers, commercial tenants, 

marine suppliers, marina contractors 

and its staff? 

Andrew Wilkes is owner-operator 

of the stainless steel engineering firm 

Dixon Manufacturing. He has noticed 

that while no marina related projects 

have been cancelled (some have been 

postponed) there is a pulling back on 

other projects that has put strain on 

small-medium sized businesses like 

his. This includes some cancelled 

boat builds and the cancellation of the 

annual Hutchwilco Boat Show in May. 

Wilkes says it’s too early to tell 

what the industry will look like, but he 

expects we will have a clearer picture in 

the next two months. 

Generally, however, Wilkes – even 

as a business owner – sees reason to 

be positive. For one thing, many New 

Zealanders who cannot travel overseas 

will have more opportunity to use their 

boats, and with that they will need 

to maintain, upgrade 

and provision them, 

spending money with 

New Zealand businesses 

in the process. The 

reduced price of fuel is 

helpful to those who own 

powerboats too. 

This is also the mindset 

of Tom Warren, director 

of Heron Construction, 

which specialises in 

building marinas all 

around the country. 

Left: Port Opua, Bay of Islands Marina, is 

located in a stunning natural environment 

where boating is a very popular pastime. 

Below: Picton, one of the Marlborough 

Sounds Marinas, is a busy boating hub. 

Warren also sits on the board of New 

Zealand Marine. 

“People will still enjoy getting out on 

the ocean, it is part of the New Zealand 

psyche. I believe the marine sector will 

be vibrant,” he notes. 

Two months ago, many of New 

Zealand’s marinas had redevelopment 

or expansion projects planned or 

underway, to accommodate more 

boats, commercial buildings, and to 

improve environmental outcomes. 

While Warren foresees slow down 

in some waterfront infrastructure 

projects - the Marlborough region, for 

example, is now rethinking some of its 

programmes - he confirms there is a 

long term shortage of marina berths in 

the country and demand remains high. 

Marina consultant Phil Wardale 

is on the cusp of starting two new 

waterfront projects with support from the 

government’s Provincial Growth Fund. 

He concedes there are unknowns. “We 

are now going into one of the biggest 

recessions the world has seen. We know 

it’s there but we won’t feel it for a little 

while,” he observes. “There are people 

who were doing well who now don’t have 

businesses. As an industry, we need to 

ensure that we choose to support New 

Zealand businesses and New Zealand 

people however we can, and that our 

projects are designed to do this.” 

Chris Galbraith is general manager 

of Far North Holdings and chair of 

NZMOA. From his position in the Bay 

of Islands, he believes that despite 

stresses in the economy, the industry 

is fortunate to have a passionate group 

of New Zealanders who love boating. 

“Even in a depression or recession, we 

can get out on our boats,” he says, “and 

spend money on them.” 

34 



Accommodating nearly 2,000 boats, 

Westhaven Marina in central Auckland is a 

focal point of the capital. 

By nature, boating is also the ideal 

pastime for isolating from a virus. You 

can isolate with your ‘bubble’ on your 

own vessel, and with blessing to go 

ahead in early 2021, the 36 th America’s 

Cup will be another boost. 

Galbraith asserts that the marina 

industry is in a position to support other 

maritime industries and it should do 

so. “There will be challenges but we 

are here to keep going and to keep the 

dream alive,” he concludes. 

UPDATE – 2 nd June 

A survey of the New Zealand marina 

industry, analysed as this issue of 

Marina World was being finalised, 

shows the industry emerged from 

lockdown in a strong, confident 

position. 

Members of the NZMOA were 

asked to indicate how their metrics or 

perceptions had changed as a result 

of COVID-19. 

75% of respondents say their 

confidence in the industry for the 

next six months has improved, and 

81% believe that as a result of the 

pandemic, marina projects, including 

extensions, refurbishments and 

improvements, will continue as planned. 

68% of these believe that there will be 

more projects planned as a result of 

lockdown, possibly as part of economic 

stimulus packages from government 

and councils. 19% believe marina 

projects will slow down as a result of 

the pandemic. 

Generally, operations report that use 

of their boat ramp and marina facilities 

has increased: 50% report use of 

marina facilities is up, and 44% report 

use of boat ramp facilities is up. 25% 

report a decrease in use of marina 

facilities. The survey was completed 

at the end of May when weather 

conditions were favourable for boating. 

Most operations report that 

customers are continuing to pay their 

invoices as usual. 

MARTINI MARINAS 

PONTILI GALLEGGIANTI / FLOATING PONTOONS 


INTELLIGENT MARINA SYSTEMS 

Marina technology in 

a post-pandemic world 

In the midst of a global pandemic, technology promises to be the glue that 

holds us all together. The marina industry – historically lagging behind other 

industries in this area – must adapt to the ‘new normal’ and take advantage of 

the slew of products on offer. Iaian Archibald, co-founder and CEO of Swell 

Advantage Ltd, looks at the options. 

As from May, we started to see some 

jurisdictions around the world flirt with 

re-opening parts of society, but we 

don’t really know how this will play out 

in the coming months and years. The 

good news is that access to boating 

and the opening of marinas, at least on 

a limited basis, has been considered 

an essential service in some regions – 

and for most of those where it hasn’t, 

boating will be one of the first activities 

to be allowed. 

Regardless of the level of restrictions 

in your area, we’re all struggling 

with how to adapt personally and 

professionally to this new reality. 

Increasingly, we’re relying on 

technology. Individuals, organisations 

and whole industries are getting a crash 

course on technologies that they had 

been avoiding, or were not interested in 

previously. It’s been surprising how well 

and quickly we’re all adapting to digital 

tools and new ways of doing things. 

Austin Bleier, CEO of San Diegobased 

marina hardware manufacturer 

MarineSync, neatly sums up the current 

situation: “I think this pandemic has 

been a reality check for practically 

everyone. I think it’s safe to say that 

all businesses will forever change how 

they service their client accounts and 

conduct day-to-day operations. It’s hard 

to imagine taking this seriously, until it 

actually happened.” 

The marina industry has been a 

technology laggard compared to a lot of 

industries. There are a number of valid 

reasons for this, and a few maybe not 

so valid, but the real question is, how 

do we move forward? 

Mike Melillo, co-founder and CEO 

of the company behind brands like 

Marinas.com and Dockwa, believes 

“technology will play an important role 

in empowering marina operators to 

simultaneously provide great customer 

service, limit face-to-face interaction 

with and among boaters, and keep both 

themselves and their time protected. 

When marinas open back up, 

not only will there be new socialdistancing 

policies to implement and 

become comfortable with, there will 

be a backlog of tasks (launching 

boats, work orders, etc.) to work 

through. The best tech will keep 

boaters and marina employees 

delightfully distant, and save marina 

operators time as they focus their 

energy on the more physical 

aspects of their business.” 

Digital tools 

For organisations in any industry 

there are three types of digital tools 

replacing the physical office. Internal 

workflow and communication 

tools, document management and 

video conferencing. For day-to-day 

collaboration Slack has become 

the default tool replacing internal 

emails and in-person conversations. 

Google Drive with Google Docs 

has become a popular tool for 

organising, storing and collaborating 

on documents. Our marina software 

company Swell Advantage has been 

using Slack and Google Drive/Docs 

since they were founded. It’s now hard 

to imagine not using them. 

For external sales demos and internal 

meetings, Zoom has become popular. 

Other options include Google Meet and 

Microsoft Teams. Loom is a great way 

to create personalised sales videos 

and some salespeople are using apps 

like FaceTime to give virtual tours of 

high-ticket items like boats. These tools 

are generally supported by product/ 

project management tools (generic or 

industry specific), customer relationship 

management (CRM) software and/or 

enterprise software systems like the 

marina management software many of 

us are used to. 

Modern software tools are usually 

developed to do one set of tasks and 

connect with other systems that handle 

other tasks. We’ve seen some legacy 

software systems for marinas start to 

develop partnerships and APIs (how 

digital systems exchange information 

and coordinate tasks). Dockmaster, one 

of the highest rated legacy systems 

on the market, has partnered with 

drystack software Boat Cloud to handle 

drystack management and we’ve 

seen others connect to products like 

TaskRabbit. At Swell, we’ve partnered 

with Square POS. We decided not to 

build our own point of sale (POS), or 

white-label a generic POS with limited 

functionality. More importantly, the 

36 



partnership enables our customers to 

take advantage of Square’s advanced 

security features, reporting, payanywhere 

handheld systems, online 

payments, retail software, hospitality 

software and HR features. 

A problem with a lot of the systems 

used throughout the industry is they 

are older systems, which follow the 

ineffectual ‘one solution for all tasks’ 

paradigm. They tend to be closed 

systems hosted on-site, with access 

only available in the office and have a 

limited ability to exchange information 

with outside systems like accounting 

software. Some established players like 

Scribble are completely redeveloping 

their technology to provide modern 

functionality (Marina Go). And newer 

companies like ours and Molo are 

entering the market with cloud native 

solutions built around application 

programming interfaces (APIs). 

Physical contact 

Marina and boat club customer service 

has traditionally been high touch. 

Both managers and older generations 

of boaters are accustomed to filling 

out paper applications in the office, 

dropping off a cheque and sealing the 

deal with a handshake. These face-toface 

interactions provided opportunities 

to build relationships, make boaters feel 

well cared for and expand the marina’s 

brand. A well-run marina is defined by 

its cohesive boater community and staff 

who know the boater’s boat and how 

they use it. 

The problem many in the industry 

are now facing is how to manage 

facilities and boaters when “high 

touch” has taken on a less positive 

meaning? Marina customer service 

can generally be put into three baskets: 

transactions – mostly the exchange 

of money and documents; services 

– like boat maintenance or an onsite 

deli; and community – which includes 

events, races and general day-to-day 

interactions. 

Transactional customer service 

is probably top of mind for most 

marinas right now. Stopping into 

the office with a paper cheque 

is no longer encouraged, nor is 

putting a cheque in the mail. Onsite 

POS systems that do not have a 

tap option are now obsolete as 

they are a key vector for disease 

transmission and should be one of 

the first technologies any business 

replaces. Most modern marina 

management systems should have 

the ability for boaters to pay online 

directly in the system with a boater 

facing tool or through e-mailed 

invoices. Accounting software 

systems like Xero and Quickbooks 

often have invoicing with online 

payment options if you don’t want 

to commit to a full management 

system. E-transfers are also an 

easy option available to most 

people. 

Much of the resistance to alternative 

payment methods comes from older 

operators and boaters but we might 

all be surprised by how far older 

generations have come using online 

systems these past few months. Let’s 

face it, it’s a pain to learn new things 

and trust processes that are different 

from the ones we grew up with, 

especially when it comes to money. 

Document management, 

including signing berthing 

agreements and collecting things 

like insurance papers, is a lot easier 

these days. Some systems like 

Swell have document management 

with e-signatures built into their 

products. Alternatively, there are 

a number of digital signature 

providers such as DocuSign, and 

then there’s the even easier PDF. 

PDFs now have a signature feature 

that enables a person to digitally 

sign the document, or they can 

print, sign, scan and send the 

document back. Recently, transient 

boater platforms, like Snag-A-Slip 

and Dockwa here in North America, 

have emerged to handle these 

tasks for transient boaters with the 

extra benefit of having numerous 

marinas for boaters to choose from. 

Marina services are tough because 

it depends on the nature of the service. 

Boat maintenance and refit are pretty 

straightforward. Invoicing and service 

requests probably won’t change that 

much. Things like restaurants and 

retail will open when, and how, local 

governments dictate. Drystack specific 

systems like Boat Cloud and Speedy 

Dock are focused on online scheduling 

tools for launch and haul-out. 

Community spirit 

Managing and maintaining a 

community is going to be a challenge 

for a lot of marinas and clubs. 

Activating and using social media 

has become more important, as are 

digital newsletters. At the very least, 


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keeping the organisation’s website 

up-to-date on if, how and what 

services are still available and 

when or how boaters can access 

their boats along with regular 

email send-outs, are ways to 

keep everyone informed. Tools 

like Canva can help you create 

beautiful content for social media 

and mass communications (it’s also 

really fun!). Hosting Zoom happy 

hours, creating fun competitions for 

boaters to do from their own boats 

with leaderboards posted on your 

website, and low touch, socially 

distant “adventures” for kids 

around the marina are all options. 

Creative marina managers will 

find ways to leverage social media 

and other technologies to keep 

their communities engaged and 

interacting with each other. 

All of these customer service 

components rely on good 

communication. Email and phone 

calls are a regular part of most 

operations and support most activities. 

A CRM is a software tool designed to 

help manage customer relationships. 

The software acts as a kind of phone 

book recording customer details, notes 

and usually allows you to send emails 

from within the system. Some marina 

management software systems like 

Swell have a built in CRM specifically 

designed to serve boaters offering 

features like group e-mailing to 

specific groups of boaters, automated 

communications to support accounts 

receivable and booking slips, and 

even includes text messaging. CRMs 

generally meld operational information 

with customer support tools designed 

to streamline customer service and can 

assist with social distancing. 

The new kid on the block for a lot 

of organisations will be using text 

(SMS) messaging to communicate with 

boaters. The pandemic will probably 

accelerate the use of texting by 

businesses. It’s a great way to know 

when your food order is ready for 

pick-up or that the pump out has been 

sanitised and is ready for the next boat. 

For some of us who didn’t grow up 

with texting, it can feel like an invasive 

and cold way to communicate. But, 

especially for those under 40, texting is 

a preferred method of communication. 

There are a number of industry nonspecific 

group texting services available 

and we’re increasingly seeing drystack 

systems use automated texting to 

coordinate launch and haul-outs. 

Marina hardware has been 

steadily improving with a focus on 

customer self-service, monitoring and 

wireless meter reading. A lot of these 

improvements can inadvertently help 

operators in a post-pandemic world. 

Companies like MarineSync have 

developed pedestals with various 

sensors and online meter reading 

enables services like power and water 

to be turned on and off remotely. 

These innovations can limit staff’s 

need to directly interact with transient 

boaters. Self-serve fuel pumps have 

been gaining popularity for a few years. 

Given expected new regulations and 

insurance policy clauses, marinas will 

probably have to disinfect these kinds 

of self-serve tools on a regular basis, 

as well as track when the task was 

completed. 

There have also been a lot of 

improvements with remote marina 

monitoring through video systems and 

sensors that allow people to remotely 

monitor boats. A direct video or image 

capture feed to the marina’s website 

can give boaters’ peace of mind and 

reduce unnecessary trips to the marina 

if desired. 

Deciding on what technologies to 

use to help your organisation in this 

new post-pandemic reality is going 

to depend on your service offering, 

your staff, new local regulations, any 

adjustments to your insurance policy 

and your boaters. The good and 

bad news is that you have a lot of 

options to find just the right fit for your 

organisation. 

Bleier, from MarineSync, thinks the 

pandemic is going to lead operators 

towards “new ways of accessing data 

remotely. New ways of accepting 

payments. New ways of communicating 

with clients. New ways of interacting. 

The new technologies and software 

we’re leveraging and embracing during 

the pandemic, will likely be adopted 

(in some capacity) into business 

architecture once this all calms down.” 

One thing the experts agree on is 

we will see waves of the coronavirus in 

the coming months and years. Through 

all of this, people and organisations 

are getting a crash course on using 

technology – from ordering groceries 

online, to grandparents giving parents a 

break by distracting the kids on Zoom. 

Many people, who wouldn’t think of 

using digital services a few months ago, 

are coming out of the pandemic with 

a new comfort level when it comes to 

using technology. It will be interesting 

to see if and how the boating industry 

adapts to meet this new comfort 

level and boaters’ new expectations 

around service delivery supported 

by technology. If we as an industry 

play it right, boating might even see a 

resurgence as a safe, socially distant 

activity. 

Iaian Archibald is the co-founder and 

CEO of Swell Advantage Ltd. Swell 

builds modern management software 

for marinas, boat clubs and mixed-use 

waterfronts. www.swelladvantage.com 


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Working smarter 

rather than harder 

by Vance Young 

Reflecting on my youth, I can still hear the words of my father telling me to 

always work smarter rather than harder. Being the son of an engineer, it was 

quite common to hear such catchphrases and tips offering advice as to how to 

streamline the activities of one’s life. As a young child, of course, this went in 

one ear and out the other for all that was currently on my mind was the desire 

to play. As time continued and I focused on my own career path, it became 

quite clear that all those years of helpful advice really did stick as I focused on 

a life journey of producing technology to allow people to work smarter rather 

than harder. 

There has always been a natural 

evolution with the use of technology 

to enhance daily activities. Think 

of how far we have come from the 

creation of the wheel to today’s 

use of computers and phones to 

perform our day-to-day tasks. This 

is particularly relevant with regard 

to marina operations. With so many 

matters needing attention within a 

marina, operators are constantly 

looking for better ways to manage 

smarter rather than harder. As 

difficult as this may be under normal 

conditions, the year of the COVID- 

19 pandemic has complicated 

businesses exponentially. 

New catchphrases and words 

such as “social distancing” and 

“contactless” have been introduced 

to our daily lives. While the 

pandemic situation is quite new to 

our generation and the long-term 

effects are unknown, one thing 

is quite clear: working smarter 

is no longer a luxury and is now 

a requirement for businesses to 

prosper. 

So, what does this mean to 

the marina industry? In the most 

simplistic view, it means that the 

technological automation process 

will be accelerated beyond its 

current natural curve. There has 

always been a natural evolution of 

marinas adapting to new technology 

and processes advancing their 

“smarter” operations. This evolution 

has been consistent and steady. Now, 

with the age of “social distancing” and 

“contactless”, this trend will drastically 

accelerate. 

One of my core beliefs is that when 

difficult situations arise, we should use 

them as opportunities to excel. This 

is really just a twist on the old phrase, 

“when life gives you lemons, make 

lemonade”. However, it is a very real 

concept understood and applied by 

innovators and good leaders. This 

is the reason why the adaptation 

of technology and automation will 

accelerate the use of technology within 

marinas and allow operators to work 

smarter. In a time of difficult situations, 

such as the COVID-19 pandemic, 

innovators will stand and shine. 

The big question now is what this 

innovation will look like. For the most 

part, it should reflect and expand on 

the innovation already available today. 

The most obvious is the use of cloud 

technology. The social distancing 

concept has caused a record number 

of people, including marina staff, to 

work from remote locations. The use of 

cloud technology simplifies this much 

more than the use of traditional clientserver 

or back-office technologies. 

Cloud systems are designed from the 

core to allow users to be anywhere at 

any time. 

Other areas of innovation may 

include the expansion of “contactless” 

technology. For as long as I can 

remember, society has been used 

to receiving bills in the mail which 

are then paid by a mailed in cheque. 

This includes a lot of touching, a lot 

of steps and a considerable amount 

of time to complete. So, what is the 

smarter way? Innovation provides 

a way to send out bills by email or 

text thus allowing customers to pay 

instantly using electronic means. Not 

only does this drastically decrease the 

time it takes to fulfil a bill payment, but 

also reduces the physical contact and 

touching of objects such as envelopes 

and cheques. 

Other areas of innovation allowing 

marinas to work smarter and honour 

social distancing will increase the 

means of self-service activities. There 

is a lot of potential in this area and it will 

be interesting to see how the marina 

self-service ideas roll out. There are 

many departments within today’s 

marina - everything from rental space 

management to the ship store, fuel 

dock and service yard – that stand to 

benefit from self-service. 

While the level of technology 

continues to advance and evolve, the 

underlying reason and purpose remains 

the same and continues to be passed 

on from generation to generation. Life 

continues to present obstacles, and 

society continues to rise above by 

working smarter rather than harder. 

Vance Young is director of technology 

at Scribble Software, Inc., based in 

Mechanicsville, Virginia, USA. 

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The test of time - 

when to revamp your MMS 

or install a new system 

by Chris Thomas 

Computer software systems, e.g. marina and boatyard management systems 

(MMS), like any business asset, need maintenance to deliver optimum 

functionality. Internal and external change can impact the operation of a 

business, and these changes should be reflected in your management 

systems to ensure your business can grow and develop in tune with the needs 

of the end-user. 

What drives a need to change your 

system? 

One important driver of change is 

managing risks to the business. 

Unfortunately, in today’s business 

environment there is an array of 

bad actors and criminals with everincreasing 

skill sets to penetrate your 

business and systems to obtain data. 

Couple this with the need to open 

system access to staff, customers 

and the public; and with more 

sensitive information available in your 

databases - e.g. payments, credit card 

and personal bank details - regular 

updates and maintenance are critical. 

This creates an ever-increasing need 

to ensure your computer systems 

are updated with the latest Microsoft 

system software, security controls 

and patches. Your MMS vendor must 

provide new releases to support such 

updates. 

Over time, all software develops to 

be able to ‘provide more functionality’, 

requiring more computing power 

to maintain system performance. 

Eventually, such upgrades will mean 

you need faster computers. This, 

in turn, will mean updated system 

software which your existing MMS may 

not support. 

There are many contributing 

factors that could become reasons for 

reviewing your current MMS software. 

One of these is ongoing MMS problems 

and the continual need for costly 

support. 

Consumer behaviour has changed 

and, as staff and customers are 

becoming more familiar with technology, 

they have higher expectations of 

business anywhere, ‘do it now’ and 

‘do it here’. Your business will need to 

provide more responsive services to 

your customers. MMS software vendors 

should be providing continual updates 

to meet such changes. 

Increased regulatory compliance can 

require improvements in your MMS 

system. Recently we have all suffered 

a massive life and business change 

with COVID-19 forcing new business 

practices and new compliance issues. 

Internet access is becoming more 

extensive, and more boaties have 

access from their boats and are looking 

for reservation and payment options 

remotely. 

A good MMS system will have the 

capacity to meet and support changes 

in your business. 

But perhaps the most important 

factor for change is complacency: ‘if it 

ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. Complacency 

can result in inefficient operations that 

could be better served by a better MMS 

solution and vendor. Good practice is 

to be constantly looking for changes 

to improve operations and customer 

service, working with your MMS vendor 

on ideas and reviewing new features 

in the vendor release to see if they can 

help improve your business. 

Regular review and understanding 

of the full features and capabilities 

of your MMS and comparing it to a 

quality MMS solution is good business 

practice. Examples of a quality MMS 

solution are: 

• Removing the need for manual 

pricing and calculations by staff 

• Ability to audit and log vessel arrivals 

(or parts used in the boatyard etc.) 

and have complete confidence that 

all revenue is captured and passed 

through to your Profit & Loss and 

Balance Sheet 

Could you be getting better 

information, increased staff productivity 

and enhanced customer services with a 

different MMS system vendor? 

Chris Thomas is general manager of 

Pacsoft International. Pacsoft has been 

providing innovative marina-specific 

software solutions for over 22 years 

www.pacsoftmms.com. 



Riding a new industry wave: 

managing from home with 

Marina Master 

Marina Master’s intelligent systems, designed specifically for marinas, are 

changing the way they are operated. The company’s cloud based platforms 

and agile development processes are helping marinas to stay ahead of the 

game. 

Changing tides 

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic 

has forced many marina operators 

to manage properties from home. 

Luckily, some countries and regions 

are already recovering as this issue 

of Marina World 

is being finalised. 

Marinas are already 

welcoming new and 

existing boaters 

while implementing 

all necessary 

social distancing 

precautions. 

Necessary changes 

have had a positive 

effect as well, 

as businesses 

have honed their 

operations by 

making use of 

advanced digital 

solutions. 

Boaters around 

the world have embraced a new reality 

by utilising mobile apps. They are eager 

to use personalised and automated 

solutions that enable them to monitor, 

dock on their own and review their 

statements on the go. Marinas are 

also aware that swift and regular 

communication between staff and 

customers significantly improves long 

term customer relationships. 

Marina Master systems enable 

owners, managers and staff members 

to manage a marina from home. 

Boaters can use myMarina mobile 

app to communicate with the marina, 

book a berth, pay invoices and review 

statements anywhere and anytime. 

“Visiting a marina shouldn’t be just an 

urgent duty to find a berth, fill up fuel 

and water tanks, but an unforgettable 

holiday experience,” says Marina 

Master CEO Vesna Pavlovic. 

A leap forward for all 

Marina owners and managers take 

advantage of having complete control 

and management capabilities in their 

home office. The personalised Marina 

Master interface can be adapted and 

customised for every marina, shipyard, 

boatyard and dry storage facility, 

enabling the user to inspect marina 

property in real time, manage berth 

occupancy, reservations, invoicing 

and agreements on a mobile app. 

By automating and streamlining 

the processes marinas increase 

productivity and income. 

Marina staff benefit from having a 

complete real time overview of customer 

data, reservations, notes, alarms and 

task management. All communication 

via app, email or text message is done 

on a single platform and is saved on a 

customer’s CRM tab. Enquiries, quotes, 

invoicing and contract signature are 

processed swiftly with a few taps on 

a smart device. Marina surveillance 

and dock walks are done automatically 

– either by CCTV or by using dock 

sensors. Customers can check in and 

plug in to shore power on their own in a 

Marina Master smart marina. 

As these time-consuming tasks 

are now automated and controlled 

remotely, marina staff can finally tend 

to their main objective: taking care of 

customers by supplying customised 

services and products. This is of the 

utmost importance in order to gain loyal 

and valuable customers. 

As a result, boaters have 

improved boating experience 

through the peace of mind of 

knowing that their expectations 

will be met. They are free and 

flexible in ordering services 

from the comfort of their boat 

or home. 

It’s all ‘app-ening’ in 

marinas 

Soldiers Point Marina in 

New South Wales was the 

first marina in Australia to 

implement Marina Master and 

take advantage of remote 

facility management. This has 

paid dividends in the current 

climate. “The Marina Master 

solution enabled our key office 

staff to work from home, keeping them 

safe during this difficult time while 

still ensuring the marina is running as 

normal. The software not only improves 

the day to day operations but is saving 

us thousands of dollars a year in 

operational costs,” says Soldiers Point 

marina manager Darrell Barnett CMM. 

Communicating and managing marina 

services remotely not only helps the 

owners but also the marina customers. 

“The Marina Master platform has 

driven the professional perception our 

customers have of our business through 

the innovative use of technology. This 

has been absolutely central to our ability 

to operate the marina remotely and 

without interruption during the current 

COVID-19 pandemic. Everything from 

responding to berth enquiries to billing 

runs and back-end financial reporting 

we’ve been able to facilitate from 

44 



home which has been terrific for the 

health and freedom of our staff whilst 

staying engaged with our existing and 

prospective customers,” says Scott 

Marshall, general manager, Breakwater 

Marina, Queensland. 

Moments of truth on a typical day in 

most marinas managed remotely start 

when new or existing customers visit. 

Marina staff essentially respond a few 

days before the customer is expected 

to arrive, adopting all necessary new 

social distancing measures. An auto 

email is sent to the customer with a 

myMarina registration link. The customer 

can view the berth on the marina map 

and once docked, just clicks on the 

check-in button. A meter is automatically 

assigned to the berth and notification is 

sent to marina staff to advise that the 

customer has docked and checked-in. 

This allows staff to click on the berth 

(web or app) to view a live feed of the 

camera that covers the specific berth 

to check that the customer has docked 

in the correct place. Staff then call the 

customer to welcome him and advise 

on where he can pick up his preprogrammed 

access fob. This can be 

located in a secure lock box near the 

gate of the jetty or potentially on the 

pedestal next to the berth. The customer 

can always check information about 

available services in the myMarina 

app. Delivery orders for restaurant or 

chandlery items can be placed and 

automatically invoiced to account. 

World class service provider Gold 

Coast City Marina & Shipyard (GCCM) 

has also automated the majority of 

its manual operational processes via 

Marina Master. “The Marina Master 

team know their business well which 

helps with timely updates and system 

developments that we can efficiently roll 

out to benefit the customer experience,” 

says general manager Luke McCaul. 

Marina Master has also made a 

breakthrough on the other side of the 

Pacific Ocean – in North America. 

Ocean Havens, a group of marinas 

in the New England area, has taken 

charge of implementing the latest state 

of the art modules to manage marinas 

remotely. The marina group is forwardthinking 

and its main objective was to 

automate reservations management, 

eliminate dependence upon individuals 

and to provide all functionalities on 

mobile devices. “We wanted that the 

Out on the water: the Marina Master team 

has 28 years of experience in developing 

marina management software and shares a 

love of the open sea. 

system could be as “future proof” and 

flexible as possible and the Marina 

Master program has exceeded in all our 

expectations,” says regional manager 

Kevin Lussier CMM. 

It’s also all ‘app-ening’ in Europe 

where Marina Master is helping to 

boost marina management intelligent 

solutions at D-Marin Portonovi Marina, 

Montenegro. “We implemented Marina 

Master [just a short] while ago but 

already see its huge advantages. The 

reliability and Smart specifications are 

making remote controlling very simple. 

Everything is just a click away and very 

easy to access. This software gives us 

an opportunity to interact with customers 

through CRM, and to refine internal 

communications,’’ says manager Nikola 

Banovic, CMM. 

Consulting approach 

Marina Master’s agile support 

and development team is guided 

by professionalism and expert 

knowledge. Benefiting from 28 years 

of experience in providing advanced 

marina management software solutions 

worldwide, the team sees consulting 

as an important part of implementation 

and support. “We always listen to each 

customer’s need and utilise requests 

to create a custom-tailored solution,” 

Pavlovic confirms. Consulting on best 

practices in marinas worldwide is also 

undertaken via the Marina Master 

Academy, which is currently conducting 

a free webinar series on ‘How to 

Manage a Marina from Home’. 

“Every experience with our customer 

is a goldmine for our strategy,” says 

Marina Master president and owner, 

Tone Britovsek. 

www.marina-master.com 


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the most common safety threats in 

the boat such as water intrusion, fire 

and damaged batteries. All sensors 

are directly connected to the marina, 

so whenever an incident occurs, the 

marina and the owner are immediately 

notified via voice call, SMS, email and 

mobile app. Each sensor is powered by 

an internal battery and is completely 

autonomous; it directly connects to 

the Internet without any central unit on 

the boat. The legal framework is well 

defined so that using the system does 

not affect the marina liability in any way. 

Using technology to 

boost safety 

by Kresimir Zic 

Most safety-related incidents regarding boats in marinas can be prevented 

(except for natural disasters of course). These incidents can result from 

simple and well-understood physical phenomena such as galvanic currents, 

corrosion, fatigue of materials and many others, which in a highly complex 

structure like a modern boat may lead to a catastrophic event if not handled 

properly. In some cases, those incidents may also come from a deliberate 

human act like vandalism and theft. Although the liability of the marina is 

usually very well defined, we all know how difficult it is to handle an angry 

customer who expects to find his boat in the same state in which it was left. 

In this article we will present a few 

different techniques which have proven 

successful in improving boat safety in a 

marina. 

Daily dock walk: most marinas 

perform a periodic check of the 

berths and boats in the marina. With 

all the technology available today, 

our approach was to develop a 

mobile application to capture all the 

information about the boats during 

these dock walks. Whenever anything 

relevant is observed, the dockhand 

logs it in the mobile app using images 

and a description of the event. After 

the information has been verified 

by the dockmaster, the customer is 

immediately notified via email, or even 

better via the mobile app for the boat 

owners, of course with attached images 

and a detailed description of the event. 

Smart boat: whereas the daily dock 

walk gives us valuable information 

from the outside of the boat, the most 

important safety threats come 

from inside the boat. It might be 

a corroded valve or damaged 

seal; the bilge might be full 

of stale water and mould for 

months before the owner 

comes. Or even worse; the 

batteries can overheat with 

every charging, which will 

eventually lead to a fire in the 

marina. All those incidents can 

be easily prevented using the 

smart Sense4Boat Internetof-Things 

sensors. The smart 

Sense4Boat sensors detect 

Advanced video surveillance with 

image processing and recognition is 

a technology with a lot of potential 

in the marina industry. Traditional 

video surveillance systems rely on 

the human eye and deliver very 

limited results. Nowadays with the 

development of artificial intelligence 

and machine learning, computers are 

able to interpret the information from 

the provided context. Having intelligent 

cameras able to detect safety threats 

while simultaneously streaming video 

content to the satisfied boat owners will 

become an essential component of the 

marina service. 

The marina industry is predominantly 

a very competitive market and it has 

become very difficult to retain existing 

customers and attract new ones. 

Although individual marinas will always 

have different business strategies, 

focusing on the safety of the boat is 

a proven winning strategy for many 

marinas. We have been successfully 

applying this concept in Marina Punat 

in Croatia and in many other marinas 

over the past few years with great 

results. 

Kresimir Zic helped develop the Marina 

Cloud software solution; a management 

system designed by marina managers. 

www.marinacloud.net 


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Software serves customers and companies 

by Nick Gill 

To be successful, marina management software must deliver for both the 

marina and its customers. Marina professionals know what they need 

to run operations - berth allocation and occupancy, reservations, asset 

management, maintenance scheduling, invoicing and payment, plus 

accessible reporting. Control over processes and access to information 

that delivers smooth and stress-free site management. 

What do customers want? 

It is clear that while boat owners want 

what they’ve always wanted - more 

time afloat - they’re also demanding 

transparency, flexibility and control. 

They’re used to internet shopping and 

managing their financial transactions 

online and expect the same seamless 

service from their marina. 

This is good news. 

Customer portals 

and other selfservice 

access points 

give customers the 

flexibility they desire 

without an impact on 

staffing. Mike Braidley, 

director of Castle 

Marinas says: “Having a portal means 

those customers who don’t want to talk 

to us don’t need to, freeing us to spend 

more time with the customers who do.” 

Reduce the churn 

Research shows that over 80% of 

customers expect a reply to an email 

within an hour, and a third expect an 

answer in 15 minutes. These are tall 

asks for most busy marina offices, 

so educating customers to self-serve 

online has to be a sensible move, 

indeed vital with current and future 

COVID-19 restrictions on marina 

operations and staffing. 

A portal that gives customers direct 

access to their account information, 

such as financial transactions, contact 

details, marketing choices and 

reservations removes many of the dayto-day 

phone calls and emails. 

Faster payment, fewer debtors 

Technology is not a barrier for most 

customers. Marinas using Harbour 

Assist transacted a third more online 

payments in the first three months of 

2020 compared to 2019. In April 2020 

the value jumped by 14% compared to 

the previous year. 

A lot of customer contact revolves 

around money – querying invoices and 

chasing payment. Giving customers 

online access to view and drill 

down into transactions provides the 

transparency they desire and gives 

control (even if illusory) over how 

and when to pay. 

Cut barriers to action with a ‘pay 

now’ button with a link through to 

a secure payment gateway and 

vaulted card facility. The experience 

at South West Lakes 

Trust bears this out: 

“With the portal, 

more customers are 

naturally switching 

to payment in full,” 

comments director 

James Platts. “This 

means we get 

income earlier in the year and fewer 

contract drop-outs. It is easier to keep 

on top of potential debtors.” 

Quality communications 

Reduce the churn of daily activity 

with self-service, and marinas can 

spend more time building quality 

relationships with customers. Who 

wants to chase debt when you can be 

having conversations that build deeper 

relationships with customers? 

Integrated CRM enables managers 

to send personalised emails, HTML 

newsletters, letters or SMS to targeted 

groups of customers. “During the 

coronavirus shut down, it’s been vital to 

communicate regularly with customers,” 

says Alison Wakelin at Emsworth Yacht 

Harbour. “Using smart lists to select 

customers in the boatyard or marina 

and to separate contracted and casual 

customers for tailored messages is 

invaluable.” 

A Microsoft survey showed that 

over three-quarters of people expect 

all customer-facing staff to know their 

service history, making complete 

customer records a priority. Alongside 

free-text notes fields and storing 

outgoing correspondence, a quality 

marina management system will track 

email ‘opens’ and automatically file 

email responses to provide a complete 

picture of the customer relationship. 

What is the future for marina 

IT? 

Recent events have changed marina 

operations, whether for a limited period 

of home working or an extended shutdown. 

These experiences will influence 

planning, investment and staffing 

decisions. 

Many operators are considering how 

to reduce face-to-face interactions 

with customers and suppliers, and 

even between team members, how 

to effectively administer the marina 

remotely and to deploy staff from home. 

Marinas are complex environments 

and will always need hands-on 

intervention to keep them safe and 

enjoyable places to work and visit. 

However, technology can play a more 

active part, for example in remote 

monitoring and control of electricity 

and water supply. Meter readings 

automatically fed into the marina 

management system to automate 

billing, or pre-pay systems controlled 

by the boat owner. Smart guardinage 

systems with onboard sensors sending 

push notifications to the marina 

office and boat owner if battery levels 

drop, bilge pumps activate, or cabin 

temperatures increase. 

This is about allowing customers into 

part of the marina management system. 

To blur the line between the customer 

and the marina by using the technology 

to deliver the transparency, flexibility 

and control that both parties need. 

Nick Gill is the co-founder and 

commercial director of marina software 

company Harbour Assist. 

www.harbourassist.com 


Digital transformation 

during the global crisis 

by Idan Cohen 

Let’s start with a quick question: is COVID-19 the catalyst in driving the 

biggest digital transformation in marine history? 

Most marinas are now facing the 

same needs and challenges and are 

asking themselves the tough questions: 

how do we continue to operate, provide 

exceptional customer experience, 

generate revenue and enable our 

marina to operate during and after the 

current global crisis? 

The new environment which 

materialised out of the COVID-19 

pandemic generates a new set 

of needs. As of the beginning of 

May 2020, recreational boating 

activity is still kept on suspension, 

being perceived by the majority 

of the regulating institutions as 

non-essential travel. As such, it 

is not expected to be among the 

first sectors to be restored to full 

operational capacity. Moreover, 

the new reality creates new 

challenges for the gates of entry 

to the countries. As one of the 

measures to contain the spread 

of the pandemic is to monitor the 

entrances to the country and trace the 

route of potential infectors, the need 

that may arise in reopening the borders 

will be thorough documentation of the 

travellers’ history, health conditions and 

plans at the destination. 

Marinas that are currently servicing 

residents and visitors in lock-down 

are faced with a new reality. The 

communication and interaction with 

them have changed significantly, as 

have the number of necessary facilities 

and essential services. 

As Martinho Fortunato, CEO of 

Marlagos Marina and vice chairman 

of the Portuguese Marina Association, 

puts it, “We have to keep the operations 

going. We have close to 90% occupancy 

right now and have changed the way we 

are working. The relationship between 

the marina, the clients and how the 

information is spread is changing. We 

need to inform residents with updates 

every day. In the future, we will have 

platforms where at all times residents 

will have all the information. We are 

working to get there.” 


The technology and solutions that 

seemed like a futuristic endeavour 

that would take years to design and 

implement are now essential to cope 

with the existing crisis and with the day 

after. 

International travel will involve 

extensive reporting and testing 

protocols, requiring both the points of 

origin and of destination to communicate 

and coordinate information with each 

other. Passengers may even need to 

go through instant testing procedures 

at the gateways, just like the events of 

9/11 created entire new protocols for 

international travel security. National 

governments from their side would like 

to know, above any doubt, that anyone 

they are letting in will not provoke 

another infection outbreak which, as 

was witnessed, can send entire cities 

into lockdowns. Thus, they will impose 

strict regulations and inspections on 

any traffic entering their borders, by all 

means - air, land and sea. Any gateway 

which does not comply with the strict 

requirements may not be approved for 

operation or reopening. The pandemic 

forces every country to close or restrict 

access to its borders and define 

regulations that reflect the unique habits, 

limitations and cultures of its citizens. 

Marinas that wish to operate will 

be required to carefully monitor the 

recreational boating traffic that passes 

through and will have to comply with 

numerous standards of information 

sharing, visitor monitoring, data 

collection and coordination with multiple 

fellow destinations of origin. If the 

industry aspires to be among the sectors 

that are trusted to operate, it must prove 

that it possesses the capacity to monitor 

itself. As governments are not rushing 

to release sectors that are not seen as 

essential, in the fear of a second wave 

of outbreak, the recreational boating 

industry will have to prove that the 

balance between the health concerns 

and the economic implications of the 

lockdown will be tipped in the right 

direction through risk mitigation. 

The outdated practices in the 

recreational boating sector, along 

with the expanding needs discussed 

here, create both a challenge and an 

opportunity. The wide array of estimated 

requirements can serve as a crucial 

catalyzer for the entire industry 

to evolve and go through longoverdue 

processes. Recently the 

concern of public health in many 

places is starting to give way to the 

concern for the economic future of 

the countries. Governments start 

to feel the pain of the continuous 

lockdown and the paralysis of 

economies. In many countries, the 

curve of the pandemic is flattening 

and governments must start 

concentrating on ways to rescue 

collapsing sectors while also going 

long distances to survive a sharp 

recession. 

This current state of emergency can 

lead to necessary reforms, killing two 

birds with one stone. The modernisation 

process will both address government 

limitations on international travel and 

optimise the way boating and marinas 

are managed and supervised. 

When the world is weathering a 

significant economic blow and facing 

a severe recession, optimisation of 

industries and resources is not only 

recommended, it is essential. This 

can be done only through innovation, 

collaboration and communication. Our 

industry must work together to return 

to operate quickly in a safe, healthy, 

economical and secure way. 

Let’s start now. 

Idan Cohen is chairman of the Marine 

Innovation Association, a full member 

at ICOMIA, and CEO of Pick a Pier, 

an innovative technology company 

that is creating a global standard 

for service-oriented and sustainable 

recreational maritime travel. 

www.pickapier.com 


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PRODUCTS, SERVICES & PEOPLE 

Mooring pontoons 

the smooth way 

The DualDocker mooring system was developed to make mooring up in a 

marina berth an easier and infinitely more stable experience for boat owners 

who felt this part of boating to be particularly challenging. The concept has 

since been further engineered as a heavy duty mooring system capable 

of keeping floating homes, floating pontoons and any other water-based 

structures secure. 

In principle, DualDocker is an 

alternative solution to traditional 

methods such as chains and piles. Its 

main strength is its ability to absorb the 

forces that impact on a floating pontoon 

- unlike a pile, for example, which 

has virtually no damping capacity. 

DualDocker completely avoids the build 

up of kinetic energy caused by wind, 

waves or current, and any wake energy 

from the docking of ships and yachts. 

It is a highly damped mooring solution 

without play. 

Manufactured in Austria using top 

quality materials and available to ship 

worldwide, the system is extremely 

environmentally friendly as nothing is 

secured to the seabed or drags across 

the seafloor. 

New heavy-duty systems can be 

used to secure aluminium, steel and 

concrete pontoons and gangways 

in a manner that is safe, has no 

visual impact and requires very little 

A DualDocker pontoon mooring solution 

installed in Corsica boosts the number 

of recreational berths. 

maintenance. It can be used to solve 

problems in challenging shaped sites or 

where sea levels significantly vary. 

Arrangements ideal for floating 

pontoons include the TriDocker and 

the V-Setup. TriDocker incorporates a 

docking arm at each end of the pontoon 

and one in the centre along either the 

length of a pier (for alongside mooring) 

or at the quay wall end of a stern-to 

mooring. 

The V-Setup replaces each of the 

arms with a V-shaped docking arm. 

This arrangement can also be installed 

on piles or on concrete mounts on the 

quay wall. 

In tandem with Swedish company 

Seaflex, DualDocker has also 

developed the 90m (295ft) floating 

pontoon concept (left). This moors a 

90m aluminium pontoon comprising six 

15 x 3m (49 x 10ft) sections. The result 

accommodates up to 30 boats of up to 

15m (49ft) in length and is moored by 

DualDocker at ‘landside’ and Seaflex 

‘seaside’. The system absorbs up to 

500kN, and pontoon movement is just 

0.05m (2in) in normal conditions and up 

to 0.25m (10in) in a heavy storm. 

Pontoon mooring installations to date 

range from heavy 5,000 ton floating 

structures in the UAE and a floating pier 

for heavy tug boats in Tangier, Morocco 

(12 DualDocker arms) to medium 

and smaller sized floating pontoons 

in marinas around the world, and 

numerous recreational pontoons and 

large, heavy floating homes worldwide. 

In addition to the significant benefits 

of high and instant damping capacity 

and the lack of mechanical parts 

requiring maintenance (no hydraulics, 

oil, gas or pneumatics), DualDocker is 

available in a choice of materials that 

offer great durability. The anodised 

aluminium alloy version is fully resistant 

to salt water and UV rays. 

www.dualdocker.com 



Wobble-free 

boarding with 

new design 

kayak launch 

Certified for fair 

and traceable 

transactions 

Dutch company Seijsener has become the first 

manufacturing company in Europe to be granted a type 

examination certificate by the German National Metrology 

Institute (PTB) for its shore power cabinets. 

This means that any 

user plugging in to obtain 

power will benefit from a fair, 

transparent and traceable 

transaction. 

“We are quite pleased and 

very proud to be Eichrecht 

certified,” says Seijsener 

director Bas Durieux. “This is 

an important step to further 

strengthen our position in 

the German market for shore 

power facilities.” 

“Currently, following 

an awarded tender, the 

Seijsener-Involtum consortium 

is installing more than 120 

shore power facilities along 

the canals and rivers in 

North Rhine Westphalia. 

The cabinets are the first 

in Europe to comply with 

German calibration law. This 

underlines our dedication and 

drive to serve markets across 

Europe while respecting local 

regulations,” he 

continues. 

Seijsener will 

now be able to 

supply shore 

power cabinets 

throughout Europe 

that will give 

users complete 

confidence that 

they are paying 

the correct 

amount for their 

energy and, 

if desired, the 

technology can 

be applied to car 

charging stations 

etc. 

www.seijsener.nl 

Many paddlers find the act of getting into and out of a 

kayak nerve-racking, especially with onlookers. Even the 

most stable solo or tandem boat will wobble and slip. 

Golden Boat Lifts has 

taken this concern into 

account with a completely 

redesigned and innovative 

kayak launch, which can 

safely and easily launch and 

recover the craft in under 

90 seconds, even from high 

docks and seawalls and 

areas with tidal fluctuation. 

Using the Golden Kayak 

Launch couldn’t be easier. 

The user slides the kayak 

or canoe onto the twin 

bunks and lowers it into 

the water using the crank. 

Paddlers descend the stair 

tread ladder and enter the 

boat, using the grab rail on 

the opposite side to steady 

themselves. The launch’s 

stable platform minimises the 

awkward movement common 

with boarding. Boaters then 

slide their vessels out into the 

open water. Upon return, the 

steps are simply reversed. 

In a change from previous 

models, the new launch 

is now made from fullywelded 

square marine 

grade aluminium tubing 

and receiver pockets for 

maximum rigidity and 

strength. Nylatron rollers and 

a stainless steel brake winch 

and cable have been added 

to ensure moving parts will 

operate smoothly for years 

to come with very little 

maintenance. 

Craft up to 249lb (113kg) 

can be supported, and two 

models are offered with fiveand 

seven-step ladders. 

www.goldenboatlifts.com 

54 


MIA offers online education 

courses during pandemic 

The Marina Industries Association (MIA) has ramped up its online 

learning for the marina industries amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The 

MIA’s online offering has increased from two to six types of online 

programmes and the association expects to deliver a minimum of 17 

online educational activities. 


MIA president Andrew Chapman 

said momentum for online learning was 

already growing before the COVID-19 

crisis. “Twelve months ago we launched 

the Club Marina Extreme Weather 

Preparedness course online. While 

initial take-up was slow, there has been 

a 60% increase in course enrolments 

from nine countries this year.” 

In July, the MIA will conduct 

its first ever online Intermediate 

Marina Management (IMM) course. 

Traditionally face-to-face and conducted 

over 4.5 days, the online IMM will take 

place over a period of four weeks. 

MIA’s industry education officer, 

Vijaya Selvaraj, said studying online 

has practical advantages not 

just during COVID-19. “Shorter, 

more intensive and self-directed online 

learning gives our members greater 

flexibility to choose when, where 

and how they study. Members can 

participate from anywhere in the world 

and experts can be brought in via 

recorded interviews or live webinars.” 

“MIA’s Extreme Weather Course is 

self-paced and the materials can be 

accessed 24 hours a day, seven days 

a week – and participants are given 

30 days to complete the course,” she 

added. “We are also rolling out a course 

focused on marina boat fire prevention, 

which will be a blended online course.” 

MIA CEO, Colin Bransgrove, said: 

“Face to face learning will always be a 

core part of MIA’s education offering 

in normal times. The use of online 

learning, however, is suited to the MIA 

membership that is scattered across 

many countries from the Middle East to 

New Zealand. With 300 plus members 

across such a vast area of the globe, it 

is inevitable online learning will become 

an increasingly important component of 

MIA activity to support the sustainable 

growth of the marina industries.” 

www.marinas.net.au/training/coursetimetable 

28 metres 

65 tons 

no crane 

www.roodberg.com 

The Original 



Reach and Rescue 

poles saving lives 

in marinas 

UK marina managers are seeing the benefit of having a 

lightweight Reach and Rescue pole to hand to ensure 

safety. MDL Marinas has supplied every marina manager 

at each of its 20 marinas across the UK and Europe with a 

pole, and Bangor Marina, part of the Quay Marinas group, 

has recently added one to its emergency equipment 

inventory. 

The telescopic rescue pole 

is a multi-award winning, 

compact, lightweight design 

that can be extended to 

20m (66ft) within seconds, 

saving valuable time in an 

urgent rescue situation. 

Its simple, quick-release 

clasps with a range of 

interchangeable water rescue 

attachments ensure the pole 

can be operated efficiently, 

accurately and with minimal 

training. 

The team at MDL’s 

Shamrock Quay marina in 

Southampton was the first 

to recognise the need for a 

swift and accurate method 

to recover any person in the 

water without needing to get 

into the water themselves. 

The pole was called into 

action almost immediately – 

three lives have been saved 

at the marina since it was 

installed. 

“We have used the 

equipment on three 

occasions to successfully 

recover persons who 

have accidentally fallen 

in the water,” said marina 

supervisor Barry Radband. 

Elsewhere, marina 

manager Kevin Baird and his 

team at Bangor Marina have 

also positioned a Reach and 

Rescue pole inside a water 

rescue system, dubbed the 

‘Emergency Point’, which 

is available to fishermen 

working on the busy pier. 

“Fishermen do fall in the 

marina,” Baird said and, 

while typical water safety 

equipment such as life rings 

are already in place on the 

pier, “a life ring is no use if 

you fall between the boat and 

the quay.” 

To date, the long-reach 

Reach and Rescue pole 

has prevented the deaths of 

more than 50 people during 

potentially life-threatening 

situations, including rescuing 

people from man overboard 

situations. 

www.reachandrescue.com 

Barton Marine 

launches ‘Quick 

Cleat’ range 

UK marine equipment manufacturer Barton Marine has 

introduced a range of Quick Cleat mooring solutions – an 

alternative to tying knots to secure items on pontoons 

and around marinas by simply twisting open a locking 

mechanism, dropping in a line and releasing. 

With a low profile and 

unobtrusive design, Quick 

Cleat is ideal for mounting 

to pontoon decks, providing 

a fast secure mooring point 

with a considerably lower 

trip risk in comparison to 

traditional open cleats. It is 

particularly useful for those 

looking to secure vessels 

that are in frequent use, or 

on short-term moorings such 

as fuel pontoons or visitor 

berths. Lines are held tight in 

one direction while being fully 

adjustable in the other and 

totally secure. 

Quick Cleats can also be 

used for hanging or storing 

fenders, securing tenders, 

SUPs, kayaks or other 

watercraft, without any knot 

tying knowledge. 

The range includes: 

• Quick Cleat 60040: a 316 

marine grade stainless 

steel version, which 

securely holds lines 

from 6-10mm (0.3-0.4in) 

and loads up to 540kg 

(1,190lbs). 

• Quick Cleat 60030: 

a versatile, tough 

construction of heavy duty 

nylon Zytel from DuPont, 

which holds lines from 

6-10mm (0.3-0.4in) and 

loads up to 70kg (154lbs). 

• Quick Cleat 60020: a 

smaller version constructed 

of DuPont’s heavy duty 

nylon Zytel, which holds 

lines up to 6mm (0.3in) and 

loads up to 30kg (66lbs). 

www.bartonmarine.com 

56 



Sanitising on 

the docks 

Italian pedestal manufacturer Plus 

International is offering a wide range 

of floor-standing hygiene dispensers 

for marinas. 

The product launch came in time to 

meet new regulations for sanitiser to 

Hydrohoist launches 

larger storage locker 

be made available on marina pontoons 

in Italy (see article p. 29) and the 

likelihood that similar rulings may be 

introduced in other countries. 

Most models are customisable with 

marina logo and come in a choice of 

colour, design and material. Larger 

dispensers offer space for hand 

sanitiser, gloves, face masks and a 

waste bin. The smallest free-standing 

model (right) is a functional but stylish 

hand sanitiser pole which takes up little 

space and is ideal for marinas looking to 

provide a solution alongside each berth. 

Other options include a wheeled unit 

that can be moved between busy areas 

and a tabletop version with room for 

hand sanitiser and gloves. 

US-based HydroHoist Boat Lifts has released a new solution for dockside 

storage – the 78-inch (198cm) Rectangular HydroLocker. 

The HydroLocker series now offers 

two designs built to withstand harsh 

marine environments and manufactured 

using tough, UV-stabilised polyethylene, 

which is more resistant to cracking 

and longer lasting than glass fibre. The 

rotomoulded HydroLockers are impactresistant 

and virtually maintenancefree, 

accepting standard padlocks to 

securely store items inside. 

The new Rectangular version boasts 

25ft³ (7,800cm³) of storage capacity. 

The tongue and groove lid resists water 

penetration and the ribbed bottom of 

the locker provides better structural 

support, increases airflow and doesn’t 

trap water between the locker and dock, 

thus reducing wood rot and mould. It 

has a removable tray to accommodate 

smaller items or fishing rods. The unit 

can also be purchased with optional 

accessories like the Gas Shock Assist 

and Off Dock Mounting Bracket kits. 

The 50-inch Triangular version offers 

14ft³ (396,000cm³) of storage capacity, 

accommodating a water riser and hose 

storage. It integrates with a HyPower 

EnergyMate power supply for an allin-one 

water and power organisational 

tool. 

“We are proud to produce the most 

practical, durable and well-thoughtout 

products on the market,” said 

Mick Webber, HydroHoist CEO. “Our 

Triangular HydroLockers have been a 

huge success over the years, however 

we have seen increased demand for 

polyethylene dock lockers in additional 

sizes. The material is very popular 

due to the product being virtually 

maintenance free and they don’t get a 

chalk film or crack like fiberglass dock 

lockers. The new 78-inch Rectangular 

HydroLocker should be a 

necessary purchase for any 

boat owner.” 

www.boatlift.com 

Products are available 

via Marina Planet, which 

represents a network of 

companies manufacturing 

marina- and yard-specific 

goods. 

www.marinaplanet.it 



Index to Advertisers 

ASAR/GCM Safe 

Harbour Drystacks, USA 33 

Bellingham Marine, USA 7, 9 &11 

Bluewater Marine & Dock 

Specialities, USA 24 

Capria, Argentina 38 

Conolift by Kropf 

Industrial, Canada 28 

Dual Docker, Austria 48 

Dura Composites, UK 28 

Eaton Marina Power & 

Lighting, USA 24 

Flovac, Spain 32 

GH Cranes & Components, 

Spain 38 

Gigieffe, Italy 16 

Golden Manufacturing, USA 59 

HydroHoist, USA 42 

Ingemar, Italy 12 

Inland & Coastal Marinas, 

Ireland 16 

Lindley, Portugal 52 

Livart Marine, China 50 

Lumberock Premium 

Decking, USA 50 

MYP at IBEX, USA 31 

Marex, Croatia 38 

Maricer, UK 26 

Marina Cloud, Croatia 42 

Marina Master by IRM, Slovenia 52 

Marina Projects, UK 19 

MarinaGo by Scribble 

Software, USA 50 

Marinetek, Finland 4 

Martini Alfredo, Italy 35 

Metstrade 2020, Netherlands 20 

Pacsoft, New Zealand 48 

Pick a Pier, Israel 46 

Rolec Services, UK 6 

Ronautica, Spain 40 

Roodberg - a brand of Frisian 

Industries, Netherlands 55 

SF Marina System, Sweden 2 

Seaflex, Sweden 8 

Sunwalk Superior 

Surfaces, USA 46 

Swedeship Sublift, Sweden 40 

TIVA Building Products, 

Canada 48 

Twinwood by Soprefa, Portugal 32 

Walcon Marine, UK 26 

Wiggins Lift Co, USA 60 

Jean-Pierre 

Carminati 

Jean-Pierre Carminati, director of 

Poralu Marine, passed away on 6th 

May at the age of 63 following a long 

battle with illness. 

Together with his brother Philippe, 

Jean-Pierre developed Poralu’s 

‘pontoons’ division in the 1980s and 

over 30 years of entrepreneurial 

initiatives and adventures followed. 

Léa Carminati, his niece, joined 

the company a few years ago and, 

alongside company president Laurent 

Gasiglia, strives to carry on his legacy 

within Poralu Marine. 

Jean-Pierre was also committed to 

helping his community and served as 

mayor of Nantua in 2008. 

His loss leaves a great void and 

all 150 Poralu employees feel deep 

sadness. 

Our sincere sympathy goes out to the 

Carminati family. 

New 

CEO at 

MIA 

Suzanne Davies (below right) is to 

become CEO of the Australia-based 

Marina Industries Association (MIA) 

on 1st October. She takes over from 

Colin Bransgrove who has headed 

up the association for 13 years. 

MIA chairman Andrew Chapman 

(below left) said he and the MIA 

board were delighted to welcome her. 

“Suzanne has all the attributes we 

could wish for in a CEO. Additionally, 

she has an intimate understanding of 

the MIA and the needs of our members 

that comes with being an active MIA 

member and MIA director since 2012.” 

Davies’s most recent position was 

as CEO of d’Albora Marinas and 

previously as general manager of Royal 

Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Sydney 

for 12 years. Prior to that she held a 

range of senior positions, particularly 

in sales and marketing in the hotel 

accommodation sector. She is a current 

director of Australian Sailing. 

Dura wins second 

Queen’s Award 

Composite materials firm Dura Composites has scooped a second Queen’s 

Award for Enterprise, this time in the Innovation category, for its pioneering 

rapid-deployment train station platform solution known as Dura Platform. 

The Queen’s Awards are a royal 

seal of approval for the UK’s most 

outstanding businesses and Dura’s 

2020 award follows the Queen’s Award 

for Enterprise in International Trade, 

which was presented to the company 

in 2017. 

Dura Platform - a height-adjustable 

composite train station platform that 

reduces gaps between train and 

platform edge to enhance passenger 

safety, is rapidly installed and therefore 

reduces passenger disruption. 

www.duracomposites.com 

58 


Golden® has more than 40 years experience 

in manufacturing a comprehensive range of 

boat lifts and floating dock systems. Golden 

manufactures boat lifts and floating docks 

for individual boat owners, marinas and 

municipalities around the globe. We have 

installed over 75,000 boat lifts and 

floating dock systems in 146 countries. 

®

WIGGINS 

MARINA 

BULL 

www.wigginslift.com 

wigginslift@wigginslift.com 

+1 (805) 485-7821

May June 2020 Marina World

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