Building a Truly Great Marina

2 February 2018
 Categories: Construction & Contractors, Blog

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Building and maintaining a marina is a significant investment, with costs effected by the characteristics of the water and soil, the scale of your design and many seasonal factors. Yet, once you've fallen in love with the water, there's little chance of turning back. If you've decided to build a marina, you'll want to ensure you contract the very best marina builders to create a marina that fits your site, your vision and your community.

So what makes a truly great marina? Read on to find out.

While constructing and running a marina is a highly technical undertaking, a significant factor underlying the success of any commercial marina is its customer service. From a laid-back lake establishment to the most lavish of international cruising destinations, every commercial marina is, at its heart, a hospitality venture. While fancy amenities may not be on budget or even advisable in your marina, a commitment to catering to your boating community is a must. Before you begin working with your design team, take the time to assess the needs of your unique market and, from offering unusual repairs to fostering a feeling that clients are one of the family, create your marina as if it was built just for them.

Marina construction isn't cheap, and replacing floating docks, pilings and other infrastructure must play a part in any serious business model. One way many marina operators significantly defray these costs is through diversifying the profit centres built into their facilities. From relatively simple amenities like barbecues, general stores and bars, and conveniences like high speed WiFi, accessible parking and easy-access pump outs, to technical enhancements such as boat lifters, providing varied and satisfying ways for your customers to spend their time and money will not only ease your financial burden, but it will also keep your clients coming back.

Finally, think big. Marina construction isn't solely about the water, or boats, or even amenities. It's about a lifestyle that is universally admired and utterly unique. A truly great marina will be planned and built to ensure a capacity to host events, not only for its slip-holders but for the broader community as well. Hosting free and low cost good-living events like dog swims, picnics and even fireworks displays is a sure fire way to bring in local families and induct the next generation of boating enthusiasts to your way of life.

Whether your marina is destined for construction on a quiet lake or a capricious coast, take the time to dream big, raise the bar and keep one eye firmly on the future.