Aging marinas must decide what to do -- renovate, upgrade, or rebuild

Marina Dock Age, November 2006

Aging marinas must decide what to do — renovate, upgrade, or rebuild
by Jon Guerry Taylor, P.E.

Older marinas are under pressure to perform in a constantly changing modern marina environment. Many older marinas may be physically, technically, and functionally outdated. Materials for construction in older marinas are often outdated, worn, and inadequate for the harsh environments and heavy usage that marinas now experience. New boating patterns, different boat designs, government regulations and new adjacent uses may make that 20-year old decision to build a marina a prime candidate for reconsideration.

The decision to invest in a marina is much more complex now than it was 20-30 years ago. Between new marina financial factors, government regulations, and lending requirements, there are so many complex choices facing marina owners that they may need professional help in evaluating options.

Although each marina is site-specific, market-specific, use-specific and environment-specific, there are common approaches in addressing the decision to renovate, upgrade, or rebuild. For these reasons, the marina’s decision should not be approached haphazardly, but rather with a studied purpose.

Marina renovations

Marinas will usually consider a renovation when their facilities are functionally adequate and they only need to replace or modify certain areas or functions. Marinas should not confuse renovation with normal maintenance or repair. Maintenance is just keeping the marina up to its original service level. The marina annual budget should carry separate line items for maintenance and for renovation projects.

Typical marina renovation projects are: installation of a new decking system, power modifications, new gangways, and smaller structural and electrical modifications, such as replacing docks or piers. These types of renovation projects do interfere with normal business, and for this reason should be scheduled as much as possible in off-peak times. Many marinas use winter periods to perform renovation projects. Continue »