Top Trends in Mega Yacht Marinas - Yacht Essentials

This article, by Carol Bareuther, was published in Yacht Essentials on November 1, 2011.  

Carol did an excellent job of sourcing information from the major marina operation and design firms actively working with Mega Yacht marinas.  I was interviewed for the article, and my published comments are found below.  Check out the entire article at Yacht Essentials.

Shoreside Facilities & Amenities

Crew is a huge focal point when it comes to trends in shoreside facilities and amenities offered at megayacht marinas.

Security is another shoreside service that’s key to crew and owners alike. “Most megayacht marinas in developed countries are being designed in accordance with ISPS compliance,” said Tim Keogh, director of business services for Marina Management Services Inc. in Boca Raton, Florida. “The trick to security design is to create a secure facility without the feeling of being in a prison. You want to have easy access for the customers, on and off the docks, but still restrict the public from walking right up to the boat. No one likes having to stand watch as if they were at a boat show while in a marina.”

Technological Advances

Everything becomes magnified in terms of the delivery of service and the amenities required when it comes to megayachts. An excellent example of this is wireless internet. “Wi-Fi is one of the most requested amenities that marinas can provide,” said Keogh. “In megayacht marinas, the bandwidth has to be large enough to accommodate the demands from the crew. One yacht can have 20 crewmembers, and when they arrive in port and all jump on Skype, the demands on bandwidth are much greater than a boat with only four people on board. Having a system that can handle that amount of traffic is extremely important.”