Preventative maintenance is an simple way to keep things running smoothly and to identify issues before they become a problem. In partnership with Bellingham Marine, Marin Yacht Club has undergone several upgrades to assure that the marina operates effortlessly both now and in the future.
Less than an hour outside of San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge rests the Marin Yacht Club. The private marina club includes 115 boat slips ranging from 30 – 80 lineal feet and sits on the banks of San Rafael Creek which feeds into the northern part of the San Francisco Bay. The Marin Yacht Club was formed in October of 1935 as a social and educational club, but its origins are as early as 1929 when the group was known as “The Yachting Annex of the Marin Golf and Country Club”. Although the club has a long history, its governance has been forward looking, and they have taken a proactive approach in their efforts to maintain the facilities. Rather than waiting for the dock’s system to extend past its useful life, the club has taken preventative maintenance precautions which have allowed the club to run efficiently by identifying issues before they negatively impact the club’s operations. The Marin Yacht Club has worked with Bellingham Marine for many years and has completed various repair and upgrade projects in the past. These projects include replacement of walers, rods and floats for both structural, safety and cosmetic reasons. The facility also benefits from a full time onsite member of staff that regularly performs maintenance.
The recent renovations at the California club were comprised of three main components: replacement of a main gangway landing area, replacing several multi-piece fingers, and upgrading to an improved waler system. The original multi-float gangway landing consisted of a group of floats attached by walers and was replaced with a match-cast float aimed to correct listing and uneven floats. The process of manufacturing a match-cast system begins with one float and then casting the secondary unit using the side of the adjacent float as a form. The method includes forming interlocking ‘shear keys’ so that modules fit together seamlessly. Rods along the top and bottom of the floats create a rigid foundation that mimics the feel of walking on a solid concrete foundation on land.
Lake Jennings in Lakeside, CA has just completed a complete replacement of their 25-year-old wooden docks with a state-of-the-art Bellingham Marine dock system.
The rebuild of the marina features 18 double slip concrete floating docks designed and built by Bellingham Marine. The docks are match-cast and built with wood walers. The project included a new 23’ x 23’ Match Cast Platform and storage building, an aluminum entry gate and gangway and kayak launch. In addition to the new dock system, the project also included a renovation of the adjacent boat launch ramp. The new construction includes updates to the infrastructure that maximize energy efficiency and sustainability through the application of a full solar panel system, replacement of fluorescent lighting with LED bulbs, and replacement of facility materials in construction with ecologically friendly material options.
The new marina system is resistant to both fire and rot while boasting a 50+ year lifespan with minimal maintenance due the improvements in materials used for the project. The docks are made of concrete shells filled with polystyrene and finished with wood walers. There is a total of thirty six slips that feature vinyl bumpers.
Bellingham Marine lead the redevelopment of The Long Beach Fire Department’s Fireboat Station 15 ensuring a safer port for the community.
On the coast of Southern California, the Port of Long Beach is known as the second busiest port in the United States and connects 217 seaports worldwide. The port is made up of ten piers, eighty berths, twenty-two shipping terminals as well as three large marinas. The Long Beach Fire Department is responsible for protecting the area using fireboats and has recently undergone a full redevelopment of Fire Station 15 which is situated on the main channel.
Bellingham Marine was tasked with supplying a stable, robust, and unsinkable floating platform to support the improved fireboat operations. The constraints of the fixed docks and building structures surrounding the dock limited the float width to 12’-6” and made dock stability one of the more challenging aspects of this project. The limited width meant that a full depth concrete floating structure could not provide adequate roll stability, even with extensive ballasting. Bellingham Marine developed an elevated deck option that provides the required stability and meets the freeboard needs of the fireboat. Dustin Saldivar, engineer, noted, “the integration of the walking surface with the fenders and bollards was particularly challenging. By creating a 3D model of the entire structure, we were able to iterate different options and we ultimately ended up with a nice clean finish.”
From start to finish, the effort to complete the dock required working alongside both engineering firms and contractors. Bellingham worked closely with the engineers at Jacobs, formerly known as CH2M Hill, to implement this design and incorporate all the necessary fendering and mooring accessories for serving the fireboats at the station. In addition to the fendered stanchions along the dock, the pile guides incorporate energy absorbing fenders to reduce peak loads on the pile system. The prime contractor served as the contractor while Bellingham Marine provided technical advisory throughout the process.
Whether you are considering a renovation or you are building a new marina from scratch, there is one thing we can all agree on: You can’t afford to not do it right the first time! That’s why we’ve made it our goal to equip owners with the tools they need to make the best decisions for their business and the operation of their marina.
Your marina is a big investment, it’s important to plan ahead for construction and make sure things are done right the first time.
Building on Water: The Ultimate Resource Guide is a fantastic and easy-to-use planning tool. The book will guide you through everything from the dock systems that are available to the best construction methods for getting your job done on time and on budget.
Here are 3 tips that every successful marina developer swears by…
Tip #1 – Know What Dock Fits Your Needs
Choosing a proper dock system for your site is one of the most crucial factors to a successful marina.
- Are you on a lake or the coast?
- What is your wave environment?
- What types of boaters would you like to welcome into your facility?
These are all important questions to answer, and Building on Water will help you learn which kind of dock will work best for your situation.
Bellingham Marine’s company strategy is fairly simple; provide each client with a solution that provides the best value for their specific project and criteria. In order to find a balance between price and performance, each project must be looked at through its own unique lens.
This innovative berthing solution for mid-sized bulk carries provided the client with a best value alternative to the original design concept.
The company relies heavily upon the expertise of its employees, its experience in the industry, and its network of outside professionals to provide each client with a best value option.
Innovation is embraced as a means to achieve “best value” rather than a goal in and of itself. It is this focus on value and ability to provide innovative solutions that allows Bellingham Marine to excel in its niche market and to be comfortable and successful in taking on unique, one-off projects.
In 2013, Bellingham Marine was approached by a major supplier of high quality construction aggregates. The company was looking for an innovative solution for mooring its Panamax bulk carriers at its new import terminal at the Port of Long Beach in California. The existing berth structures at the site were designed for barges and would not work for what the company needed. They needed a solution that would allow them to moor mid-sized bulk carries and support an efficient off-loading operation.