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.
One homeowner on the island of Via Lido recently decided to upgrade his private dock from a wood fixed-pier system to a newly reconfigured concrete dock system. Bellingham Marine was contracted by the owner to lead and manage the project from start to finish, utilizing a design/build approach.
Newport Harbor is one of the largest recreational harbors on the west coast and known as the Jewel of Newport Beach. The semi-artificial harbor was formed in the early 1900s after the Newport Bay estuary was dredged. Shortly after, seven man-made islands were built and what was once a harbor that supported a range of marine-related industries from boat and shipbuilding to commercial fishing is now used almost entirely for recreational purposes such as boating, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding.
Newport Harbor is home to nearly 9,000 boats, and its shores are lined with private homes and about 900 of which have private docks. As the recreational market in Newport Harbor continues to grow, many of its homeowners are choosing to invest in upgrades. Continue Reading…
Bellingham Marine Announces Australasia Transition Plan.
John Spragg (left), Bellingham Marine President of Australasia and the Middle East, has announced his retirement effective July 1, 2021. Bruce Birtwistle (right), General Manager of New Zealand, has been chosen as his successor.
Newport Beach, CA, USA – 17 March 2021 – After 25 years of exemplary service, John Spragg, Bellingham Marine President of Australasia and the Middle East, has announced his retirement effective July 1, 2021. Following his retirement, he will continue to serve as a Director of the company. Bruce Birtwistle has been chosen as John’s successor. Bruce has worked directly for John over the last decade as the General Manager of New Zealand.
After a devastating hurricane made landfall over Texas in 2017, the University of Texas, Marine Science Institute underwent a total renovation and modernization to rebuild what was destroyed and better serve its students and research efforts. The Institute’s leadership had a vision of a new marina that was modern, uniform, innovative, and would provide greater protection against increasingly severe natural disasters in the Gulf of Mexico and Bellingham Marine’s team provided an approach to the project with a site-specific plan.
University of Texas, Marine Science Institute (UTMSI)
For two weeks at the end of August 2017 Hurricane Harvey, a massive category 4 hurricane, made landfall in Texas three times in six days. As the storm made its way to shore from Gulf of Mexico, the University of Texas, Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) was caught directly in its devastating path. UTMSI, located in Port Aransas, Texas, was founded in 1941 with a mission to expand and advance knowledge of coastal and blue-water ocean areas through research, education, and outreach programs. Its main campus is situated on over seventy acres of beach-front property, purposefully positioned in the mouth of the Aransas Channel next to the Gulf of Mexico. UTMSI has a five-acre marina basin which provides access for their research vessels to both the Gulf of Mexico and bay systems. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey UTMSI suffered considerable damage to its costal infrastructure and damaged the tidal basin on which the institute relies heavily for its research.
Although much of the property was affected by the storm, the majority of the damage occurred to the existing seawall and timber fixed docks systems. After the damage was assessed UTMSI set out to both repair and replace sections of the marina’s infrastructure and rebuild the entirety of the harbor’s marina. The university’s management determined that a total renovation and modernization of the harbor was necessary to better serve its students and research efforts. UTMSI began the process to find a partner to take on this project and became acquainted with Bellingham Marine though a renovation project that was ongoing in the City of Port Aransas Marina just a half mile away. University representatives were impressed with the product, delivery, and construction provided by Bellingham at the nearby project and initially engaged BMI to provide consultation, a review of the marina’s layout and to assist with coordination between the landside and waterside infrastructure while collaborating with the design engineer. However, it was quickly determined that Bellingham was the most qualified firm to lead the project and was contracted to lead both the design and rebuild of all waterside facilities.
Pier 44 Marina has completed an extensive reconstruction resulting in a more accessible and aesthetically pleasing experience for their slip holders and the surrounding community.
Pier 44 Marina in Marina Del Rey, CA.
Pier 44 Marina is just walking distance from Burton Chase Park and close by to LAX airport and Venice Beach in Marina Del Rey, CA. In addition to the renovation of the waterside marina, the property underwent a redevelopment of their landside attractions. Situated on the MDR Boardwalk, Pier 44 marina now offers a multitude of services and shops, including a retailer for boat parts, supplies and accessories. Locals can also enjoy waterfront shopping and dining as the new retail center features an outdoor plaza and patio seating. The property has an onsite yacht club and additional boater service offices.
Bellingham Marine spearheaded the waterside renovation which included a total replacement and redesign of the existing marina. The original layout consisted of 232 slips, while the redesigned marina now totals 141 slips, five end ties along with dinghy docks and transient slips. The updated marina features a land-side dry stack for boat storage along with a brand new jib crane. The marina’s upgrades include several amenities for boaters such a pump out station, boater restrooms with showers and laundry, 24-hour marina-controlled access gate and Wi-Fi.