The Town of Palm Beach marina, now with enhanced superyacht berthing, opened last year after a major rebuild. Image: Jacober Creative – courtesy of Town of Palm Beach Marina
The Town of Palm Beach Marina, the only public marina located on the 18-mile (29km) long barrier island between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, reopened to the public in November 2021 after a $40 million rebuild. Completed on time and under budget, it provides a significant upgrade to the marina facilities in Palm Beach County, Florida, and its first year of operation has been a huge success.
Development of the master plan, which began in January 2017, was approved by the Town Council on 10th April 2018. And, as South Florida is experiencing increasing demand for larger slips, the approval of the project design addressed the growing need to expand the marina to allow access for larger vessels, including superyachts.
Murray Logan Construction was chosen as the general contractor for the project and Bellingham Marine was contracted to undertake the marina portion of the extensive renovation. Working together with the Town’s consulting engineer, Baird, the scope of work included total replacement and redesign of the existing marina, and installation of a hurricane-rated Unifloat concrete floating dock system which was put through its paces with minimal ensuing damage by Hurricane Ian. Steel pipe piling with HDPE sleeves, installation of ADA compliant aluminium gangways and waterside utilities were included.
The marina now comprises 84 slips, ranging from 60 to 294ft (18 to 90m) divided between three docks: the Brazilian, Australian and Peruvian. An additional 250ft (76m) structure, the Royal Palm Dock, was included in the project to accommodate superyachts through the use of side ties. Before the renovation, the marina was only able to accommodate one 200ft (61m) yacht, but with the completion of the project it has increased this capacity tenfold.
DANA POINT, CA – August 4, 2022, Bellingham Marine, the world’s leading dock builder, pulls the first pile from the existing C Dock in the West Cove, signaling the long-awaited start of construction on the new marina in Dana Point Harbor. Over the next five years, the marina will be rebuilt in fifteen phases plus an additional two phases in the outer basin.
Joe Ueberroth and his partners, Scott Burnham and Bryon Ward are joined by Supervisor Lisa Bartlett and Mayor Joe Muller along with County, City and OC Parks staff for the pulling of the first pile, commencing the start of the marina’s construction.
The aspiration to revitalize Dana Point Harbor has been in the works for over two decades. However, it has been through Supervisor Lisa Barrett’s vision and commitment to a Private Public Partnership that has made the revitalization a reality over her eight-year term. “Our beloved harbor has served our community well for over fifty years. As we embark on the harbor revitalization, I am excited for all the improvements that are coming that will enhance the experience for all the citizens of greater Orange County as well as for visitors to our harbor from near and far,” stated Supervisor Bartlett.
“As a partnership, we have been committed to having Dana Point Harbor set a new standard for marinas on the West Coast”, said Bryon Ward, President of Burnham Ward Properties and Partner in DPHP. “We immediately embraced Bellingham Marine’s concept of a non-ferrous dock system not only to enhance longevity, but to also reduce the number of pilings in the harbor. This method aligns with the partnerships’ goal to create a more environmentally conscious Harbor, as it also eliminates the need for treated lumber.”
“The new dock system will be enhanced in almost every aspect,” said Joe Ueberroth, the founder of Bellwether Financial Group (Partner in DPHP) and the owner of Bellingham Marine. “The new design addresses both ADA accessibility and public access, the guest services will set a new standard for the West Coast, and the electrical and pump-out systems will meet the needs of boaters for generations to come.”
Bellingham Marine conducted a pre-construction meeting with County and City officials and staff on Thursday describing phasing plans, building BMPs, and construction logistics. “The Bellingham Team will be a fixture in the harbor for the next five years,” said Eric Noegel, General Manager of Bellingham’s Southwest division, “and working for a client that is truly dedicated to the development of a marina that protects the environment while having the longevity to serve the community through its entire leasehold has been inspirational to our R&D, manufacturing, and installation teams.”
Joe Ueberroth is joined by fellow Bellingham team members after the pulling of the first pile.
DPHP has spent millions of dollars and countless hours behind the scenes over the last four years to get to this point where construction is visible in the harbor. “It is difficult for most people to imagine the heavy lifting that takes place during the years prior to commencing construction. We now enter a fun period where the installation teams go to work and the community can witness the transformation of the marina in its 15 phases while we continue to operate as the largest marina on the West Coast,” stated Ueberroth.
About Bellingham Marine
Bellingham Marine is the world’s leading turn-key design-build marina construction company. The company specializes in design, floating docks, platforms, and wave attenuation systems for marinas worldwide. Visit www.bellingham-marine.com for more information.
About Bellwether Financial Group
Bellwether Financial Group is an investment company focused on dynamic companies and iconic properties. Bellwether was founded by Joseph Ueberroth in 1997 with the purpose of investing capital with proven management teams and then working together to build successful companies. For more information, visit www.bellwetherfinancialgroup.com.
About DPHP
Dana Point Harbor Partners, LLC (DPHP), a collaboration created to operate and redevelop Dana Point Harbor in a P-3 partnership with the County of Orange, is made up of three “best in class” real estate development firms, each specializing in a unique product type. Burnham Ward Properties is responsible for stewarding the harbor’s Commercial Core activities featuring the retail, restaurants, offices and other landside buildings, as well as all parkscape areas. Bellwether Financial Group guides the marina operations including the boat slips, boater facilities, dry boat storage, day-boat parking, guest slips, and launch ramp areas. R.D. Olson Development leads the hotel redevelopment of the harbor and currently operates the Dana Point Marina Inn.
The partnership is developing a master plan that connects the harbor’s landside and waterside to become a singular cohesive waterfront experience. United by a love of the water and dedicated to preserving Dana Point Harbor’s historical significance, the partnership is applying all areas of respective expertise to ensure every element of the harbor will be thoughtfully designed, redeveloped and managed to be reimagined into a world-class destination with historic roots and local charm.
Tucked away deep within the Port of Los Angeles lies the Wilmington Waterfront. Previously inaccessible to the public, this very industrial area serving the Port’s activities was underutilized. As part of the Port of Los Angeles’ $71 million project to develop the historic Wilmington waterfront, Bellingham Marine supplied the new transient dock, a prominent feature linking the water to the land. Bellingham designed and manufactured a durable, state-of-the-art 120-foot long concrete floating dock, and acted as a consultant on-site during installation.
The privately-owned Bayshore Apartments and Newport Marina are located in lower Newport Bay adjacent to iconic Pacific Coast Highway. At the beginning of this year, Bellingham Marine began the project to replace the entire marina, and within just three and a half months, the new marina construction was substantially complete.
The owners of this marina wanted to replace this aging marina as quickly as possible, increase the slip count where possible, and build a marina that would last well into the foreseeable future. This new state-of-the art concrete Unifloat marina includes a total of a total of 50 slips ranging from 22 to 62 feet long, with FRP (fiber reinforced polymer) thru-rods, rounded finger ends, and a composite decking overlay which provides a nautical look with the structural benefits of concrete Unifloat underneath.
Conveniently located between the oft-visited Napa Valley and the small town of Winters, CA, Markley Cove Marina is nestled into the southern shore of Lake Berryessa, considered by locals to be California’s “best kept secret”. Originally built in 1959, the family-owned Markley Cove Resort offers year-round recreation, with various types of boat rentals for visitors, as well as tenant slips for houseboats and smaller fishing boats.