2023 May June Marina World

DRYSTACK STORAGE
Notables elsewhere in
Italy include Marina Santa
Marinella’s Porto Castello, a
dry port for sailing boats in
the province of Rome, and
Deiva Marina Service, the
only drystack in Liguria. Deiva
caters for boats up to 10m
(33ft) and uses a hydraulic lift
platform, electric forklifts and
trolleys. It is active from June to
September and then winterises
boats. It has no wet berths.
Dry ports for France
There are several dry ports
but very few true drystacks
in southern France. They
strive to offer the ambience
of a wet marina. Jean Michel
Gaigné, representative of the French
and TransEurope marina industry
associations, cites the best examples
as Port Inland at Mandelieu La
Napoule, Portland at Hyères and Port
Navy Service at Port Saint Louis du
Rhône.
Other
examples
are mostly
in open
areas where
something
akin to
drystack is
Pascal Jourdan, Portland. offered in the
summer. They are close to maintenance
and refit facilities, and space for
wintering within first class marinas.
How do they differ from drystacks
in the UK and northern Europe? “We
started up in 1989 and we represent
the first European dry port,” says Erika
Drouard, director of Port Inland, which
has 800 berths for motor boats up to
Port Inland at Mandelieu La Napoule in France is seen as the first
European dry port and has 800 dry berths.
11m (36ft) and 5 tonnes. She believes
they have an edge because customers
can access their boats seven days a
week year round (except Christmas
and New Year) and have access to
maintenance, free parking, speciality
shops, a bar, restaurant and a huge
range of on-site industry professionals.
Customer trends show increased
storage demand for boats of 9m (29ft
6in) and above and recent frustrations
lie in the regional drought. “The inability
to wash their boats has annoyed
customers a lot,” she admits, “so much
so that some have even given up using
theirs.”
Further south, on the bay of Hyères,
Portland offers 500 dry berths and 50
wet berths and has been in operation
for 25 years. Pascal Jourdan, manager
of both dry and wet port, explains
the dry operation: “We have no roof
or sides for 75% of the racking. We
do not use apps. The staff record
customer requests via telephone
or when they arrive.” Customers
appreciate the reduced
boat maintenance,
excellent security,
comfortable waiting area,
the successful ‘parking
formula’ (various fees
for different usage),
management of boat
shares and summer
aperitifs.
Customer practices and
demands have changed in
recent years. “Boaters go
out less, but for the whole
day – from 10.00am to
Portland is a busy drystack
on the French bay of Hyères
with racks for 500 boats and
50 wet berths.
7.30pm – to make the most of
the opportunity. What hasn’t
changed is the strong demand
in August,” she says, and notes
the new demands as being
for categories the marina
cannot cater for – like sailboats
and catamarans. “There are
currently about 130 ongoing
requests for space and, when
offered at reasonable prices,
most customers also want
follow-up maintenance. All
appreciate the turnkey readyto-sail
option.”
Jourdan believes the
scarcity of drystacks in the
Mediterranean is less about
demand than feasibility.
“You need to have a lot of land for
car parking. On a rotational basis on
average you have to calculate two cars
per boat.”
While Portland is forced to turn away
catamarans, Port Navy Service in Port
Erika Drouard, Port Inland.
Saint Louis du Rhône is a very different
story. Nicknamed Cataland, it hosts sail
and motor boats up to 120 tonnes for
maintenance and mooring on a 22ha
(54.4 acre) site, which includes large
hangars and extensive outdoor space.
Considered the largest dry port in
Europe, it is also popular for winterising.
But although it guarantees fast delivery
and short waiting times, it is far more
a fantastic dry port than a traditional
drystack and in 2010 enriched its
offering by opening an elegant yacht
club for its members.
Plan first in Catalonia
Although detailed information is harder
to come by, Spain suffers a similar
dearth of drystacks. Javier Garcia
Camps, manager of the Yacht Harbour
Association in Catalonia (ACEPT)
says there are only three in Catalonia:
Marina Vela Barcelona; Marina
Badalona; and Port Forum.
Why only three? “The reason is very
simple for Catalonia,” he says. “When
a group, a company or a private entity
38 www.marinaworld.com – May/June 2023