INDUSTRY NEWS

Hamble Point Marina welcomes FlexiSail fleet

MDL Marinas is delighted to welcome FlexiSail and its 15-strong fleet of cruising yachts, catamarans, cabin cruisers and RIBs to the 230-berth

Hamble Point Marina.

The boat share membership company, which offers boaters an affordable way to enjoy time out on the water, has relocated to the marina at the entrance to the River

Hamble, just in time for the start of the 2022 boating season.

In addition to berthing for its comprehensive fleet, FlexiSail will also occupy one of MDL’s business units at Hamble Point Marina, acting as its new headquarters and sales office.

“We’re delighted FlexiSail has chosen Hamble Point Marina, not just for berthing its impressive line-up of boats, but also for its main base of operations,” confirmed Tim Mayer, Sales and Marketing Director at MDL. “With quick and easy 24-hour access to the world-famous waters of the Solent and excellent shoreside facilities, Hamble Point Marina is an ideal location for FlexiSail’s members to explore from and enjoy the many cruising opportunities in this stunning area.”

FlexiSail offers three levels of membership, providing an agreed number of guaranteed days onboard each year. Providing a supportive environment for those new to boating, as well as seasoned sailors, FlexiSail also operates a memberonly RYA Training Centre, which tailors training to an individual member’s needs.

“We’re excited to bring our Hamble-based fleet to Hamble Point Marina,” stated FlexiSail Director Nikki Walker. “We couldn’t wish for a better location on the River Hamble. Its proximity to the Solent provides our members with more time sailing and our new office allows us to offer a better customer experience to our members.”

Unusual layout at Shepperton

Completed in September last year, a project designed and built by Walcon Marine for Shepperton Marina on the River Thames was most unusual.

The facility’s requirement was for a continuous walkway to run around a small island within the marina, off which would be installed a number of finger pontoons in a ‘hub and spoke’ layout for leisure craft to moor alongside. A linear walkway (see top of picture) connects the berths to the adjacent shore.

The project required precise design and manufacturing to ensure that it would fit together exactly whilst allowing room for movement and, once delivered by Walcon, the client was able to install the pontoons without difficulty, leaving the 12-sided (dodecagon) structure to be admired by visitors to the marina.

Marinetek rep for South-East Asia

Finland’s Marinetek Group recently appointed Dutchman Ruurd van Putten and his Vietnam-based company, Anchor Management, as its representative for South-East Asia.

Marinetek is an internationallyrecognised brand name for premium marinas and advanced floating solutions. Now, through strategic alliances in the Middle East, India and Asia, the Group is expanding its global reach and presence in new and developing markets.

In recent years, Marinetek has successfully delivered turnkey marina projects and superyacht facilities in several South-East Asian countries, including Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam. “With the local knowledge, expertise and regional network of Ruurd van Putten we can continue our strong track record achieved in South-East Asia during the past ten years,” said Mika Parviainen, CEO of Marinetek. “Together, we are dedicated to increase the footprint of Marinetek and contribute to the rising demand of marinas and floating solutions in this region.”

Anchor Management has been a pioneer in the yachting and marina industry in Vietnam and and the surrounding region. Since 2007, the company has been involved in several new and ground-breaking activities, such as starting Vietnam’s first sailing charter company, establishment of Princess Yachts Vietnam and Cambodia and the realisation of Ana Marina Nha Trang, the first marina in Vietnam.

According to Van Putten, “Anchor Management is excited to join forces with Marinetek and to develop more and better marinas and floating infrastructural projects in the area. With Vietnam as a base, we feel we are in the middle of the emerging yachting and marina industry in this part of the world. We look forward to raising standards, with regards to quality, durability and sustainability, not only for marinas, but also to improve the infrastructure of ports and waterways in the commercial and governmental sectors”.

ASSOCIAT E MEMBER

MIA launches environmental partnership

ICMS upgrades watersports pontoon

The Marina Industries Association (MIA) has announced the launch of a new and important Environmental Partnership with BMT, a leading international design, engineering, science and risk management consultancy.

As the MIA’s first-ever Environmental Partner, BMT will draw on its rich history and heritage as a maritime specialist to help the sector address new challenges, particularly as they relate to environmental stewardship, as well as addressing risks and opportunities from decarbonisation and climate change.

MIA members understand their role as local environmental custodians and the positive impacts that they can have in creating and maintaining a pristine environment. This partnership will provide direct support to industry through educational opportunities, leadership and the sharing of environmental information and best practice.

In announcing the partnership, Suzanne Davies, MIA’s CEO, said: “We are very proud to announce this Environmental Partnership as it makes a lot of sense for our marinebased industry. It is very fitting to be partnering with BMT, which has provided so much support to industry over the years. BMT will be integral to helping industry develop solutions that continually improve environmental outcomes and I see this as a great opportunity for our members to exploit the wealth of knowledge that resides in the BMT team”.

Greg Fisk, BMT’s Global Lead for Climate Risk and Resilience, noted: “BMT has had a long association with the MIA supporting environmental initiatives such as the Clean Marina Programme. Our new role as Environmental Partner represents a fantastic opportunity to continue to work across the industry and to build greater awareness of contemporary environment and climate issues”.

Recognising its role as a member and sponsor of the MIA for nearly ten years, BMT will continue to provide commentary on environmental issues as part of the MIA’s publication ‘Waterline’ and will participate at MIA events, conferences and seminars, as well as supporting a range of commercial maritime clients and collaborators.

Greg Fisk added, “The opportunity to partner with the MIA as their exclusive Environmental Partner is a chance to make a difference by helping to facilitate a more practical understanding of these issues for marina owners and operators, as well as inform steps to build capacity for greater resilience in the future”.

Working closely with Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club, Inland and Coastal Marina Systems (ICMS) has upgraded the club’s water access for a range of watersports, including sailing and kayaking.

Replacing the existing uneven and slippery units, ICMS designed and manufactured an 18 x 2.4 metre mixed watersports pontoon, featuring a bespoke walkway with mooring points.

Located in front of the sailing club near Warrington, Lancashire, the new pontoon has 300 mm of freeboard and hardwood timber fendering, providing easy launch and recovery for a wide variety of recreational craft. Topped with ICMS’ GRP mini mesh decking, Leigh and Lowton’s club members now have a more stable and non-slip platform for launching their boats to enjoy time on the water.

“We looked at several options to improve our launching pontoon, including doing the whole job ourselves,” said Facilities Manager Howard Green. “However, we chose to work with Inland and Coastal as we liked their ‘can-do’ collaborative approach, practical help and workable, quality solution. Our members are delighted with the result. We have a great new launching area for all our boats, including our RIBs.”

Jon Challis, Sales Manager at ICMS, commented: “By working closely with Howard, discussing the various possible approaches, particularly with regards to sourcing the pile moorings locally, meaningful savings on the overall budget were achieved. We hope that the club members continue to enjoy their new facility for many years to come”.

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Appointment at MB92 La Ciotat

The leading superyacht refit shipyard in France, MB92 La Ciotat, has announced the appointment of Joe Degabriele as Senior Business Development Manager, whose main area of focus will be the commercial development of the new 4,300 ton shiplift, due for delivery in September, this year.

With over 30 years’ experience, Joe is no stranger to MB92 as he was previously Director of Projects at the shipyard in La Ciotat from 2014-19. During his career, he has held a number of senior management positions at superyacht refit facilities in the US, France, Italy and Malta.

Vincent Escallier, Commercial Director of MB92 La Ciotat, commented: “The launch of the new shiplift and its six additional spaces represents a major event for the Group and our local community, and is an exciting commercial challenge. I have much faith in Joe, who is a great addition to our growing team and a highlyregarded professional in our industry. He brings extensive refit experience to the company and will be an added value to our existing and future clients”.

Joe Degabriele added, “I have witnessed first-hand the growth of MB92 La Ciotat which has gone from strength to strength and am delighted to be back for what promises to be a momentous year for the company. The new shiplift is an important investment in the future and will be an excellent facility for clients looking for the kind of security and peace of mind that that can only come from working with an experienced and customer-focused shipyard”.

Floating platform tests coatings

Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark’s Hempel Foundation Coatings Science and Technology Centre (CoaST) are continually striving to improve hull coatings. To perform experiments using real-world environmental conditions, they utilise a unique research platform built with SF Marina floating concrete pontoons that were built at the company’s Wallhamn factory in Sweden. Located off the Øresund Strait in Hundested, near Copenhagen, the structure provides 360 degree walkaround access to three testing pools.

Installed by SF Pontona Denmark, the 10 m wide x 17 m long platform is made up of two 2 m wide x 17 m long and four 2 m wide x 6 m long SF1020 pontoons, whose sheer mass makes them extremely stable with excellent wave-dampening characteristics. They are also virtually unsinkable.

While all edges have railings installed for safety, a minimal pontoon freeboard of 500 mm simplifies access to the water. Integrated utility conduits protect the electrical services. Four piles with SF Marina guides secure the structure and a floating yellow perimeter keeps debris from fouling the test panels.

“It’s a stable and well-constructed platform that has weathered some very strong storms,” accepted Nezam Azizaddini, CoaST technical specialist. “Our researchers and students feel completely safe and secure while working on it.”

Policy paper on marina taxation

The ICOMIA Marinas Group (IMG) has recently published a new policy paper on marina taxation, putting the spotlight on the number of taxes marinas pay and the disparity of the tax value when compared to other tourism outlets. It received input from ICOMIA’s partner, European Boating Industry (EBI), which is actively advocating on VAT and its application for the boating and nautical tourism sector at the EU level.

Unquestionably essential for nautical tourism and tourism in general, marinas should be treated in the same way as hotels and other hospitality accommodation. Based on a survey carried out by ICOMIA members, it is known that 40% of the countries have a reduced VAT tax for hotels and/or campsites that is not applicable to marinas. Of all the countries where there is a different VAT rate for hotels and marinas, the difference between those two vary significantly and they range between 10-18%. This significant difference makes nautical tourism less attractive and is known to be a big barrier to the growth of the industry.

Neglecting the positive impacts of a lower and levelled VAT system applied to marinas signals a poor understanding of the real social and economic impacts of nautical tourism in local communities, especially in countries with a large potential boating market.

ICOMIA recommends implementing policies that consider marinas as tourism organisations and as hotel-like infrastructures and therefore apply the same VAT charges. Looking ahead and for the long-term success of recreational boating and nautical tourism and its direct and indirect benefits, those responsible for the administration of revenue collection are encouraged to work on harmonised tax policies for marinas.