If the original London Bridge could be moved, block-by-block, from England
to Arizona’s Lake Havasu City, the marina management folks at Forever Resorts figured they could move a six million pound marina 30-40 miles across Nevada’s Lake Mead. They figured correctly in what turned out to be the world’s longest and largest marina move --- a feat never before attempted with such a large covered structure.
When lake levels began to drop and the National Park Service announced it was closing Overton Beach Marina, serious planning began on what to do with the 200 covered slips. Where could they go and how would they get there? “A move of this magnitude doesn’t happen overnight and we had just a short time to plan and carry off this enormous task,” said John Schoppmann, Forever Resorts executive vice president.
Already operating nearby Temple Bar Marina in Arizona and Callville Bay Marina in Nevada, Schoppmann began to pencil whip a plan to accomplish the logistical nightmare of floating the structure to two new homes. Enlisting help from the National Weather Service and the National Park Service, brain cells were taxed on how best to move the monolith a number of miles (sometimes at speeds of just over one mile an hour) through wind-swept S-turn canyon passageways over a mere three days.
First, the marina was split into two pieces, each about 500 feet wide and 700-800 feet long. Twenty two houseboat captains with strong nerves were summoned to pilot the parts around minimal-clearance outcroppings --- frequently in the dark. “It was like pulling thread through a needle,” said Randy Roundtree, General Manager of Callville Bay Marina, who acted as commander of the project. At times in the area known as “The Narrows,” canyon walls allowed less than 36 feet of clearance and crew members could actually reach out and make contact.
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A move of this magnitude doesn’t happen overnight and we had just a short time to plan and carry off this enormous task...
Once underway, there were no timeouts. “It was a straight- through move without pit stops,” said Schoppmann. “We did much of it at night because if we did it in daylight and saw how close we were to the canyon walls, we might not have had the courage to proceed.”
But proceed they did, often gaining forward motion a mere foot at a time in a continuous 48-hour run to Callville Bay, and in the process confirming the adage that “slow and steady wins the race.”
Images opposite page - Upper Left: Marinas separate in the Virgin Basin of Lake Mead before heading to Temple Bar Marina, Arizona and Callville Bay Marina, Nevada. National Park Service illuminated the walls of the Narrows as the marina destined for Callville Bay navigated through the night. Large image: The Narrows of Lake Mead. Top right: The experienced team in charge of moving the marinas to Temple Bar Marina and Callville Bay Marina from Overton by water. Bottom right: The marina arrives at Callville Bay Marina with a spectacular welcome from the fire boat.
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