6 ASIA-PACIFIC NEWS


A chip off the old dock T


he Miami International Boat Show (MIBS) produces an economic impact of over $600 million for the Miami


area, so when show organisers at the National Marine Manufacturers association were told they needed to find a new location; it quickly became the top priority. After considering many venues,


one site stood out above the rest, Miami Marine Stadium Park. This option presented the challenge of bringing in a temporary pontoon system that would adhere to stringent EPA regulations, while still providing the necessary engineering and design components required to accommodate the thousands of show visitors. The problem was that such a system just didn’t exist…yet. In light of the sensitive ecological


environment, Bellingham Marine stepped up to the challenge, producing the world’s first 100% EPA-compliant temporary marina with the ability to be compactly stacked in storage. Many features distinguish this timber pontoon from other lightweight systems available on the market. For example, its portable nature with the feel of a solid permanent pontoon, together with easy customisation, set the system apart from the competition.


Bellingham Marine was recently


selected by Boating Industry Magazine as a recipient of its ‘Top Products of the Year Awards’ for 2017 for the ground-breaking floating pontoon system used by MIBS. According to the magazine, those honoured were selected based on their innovation, impact on the industry, creativity and more. Bellingham is featured in the May issue along with a range of other ‘Top’ marine products.


Phase 2 planned for Thai marina


Gulu Lalvani, Chairman of Royal Phuket Marina, has recently commented on ambitious plans for Phase 2 of the marina’s development. He said, “My vision for Royal Phuket Marina has always been to develop it into the iconic waterfront lifestyle destination in Asia. I believe with the marina and residences we have already achieved that, however, we have bigger plans. “To date, we have only developed


one third of the total land area and I have plans to develop more hospitality and lifestyle offerings. We have created a new, innovative


MARINA ASIA-PACIFIC • MAY 2017


master plan for the entire site, which includes hotels and resorts, a beach club, convention centre and a large family resort with a world-class water park.


“We are always looking to


innovate, to grow Phuket and Thailand’s yachting capabilities, and deliver what the market needs. With the Thai Government’s drive to attract more international superyachts to Thailand and allow them to charter through an innovative 12-month licensing system, we are looking to expand out superyacht facilities in support of this.”


This product is not only new for


the company; it is also new to the marina industry. The versatile, portable pontoons have the look and feel of a custom-built, permanent marina system. Many visitors to the show were shocked to find they were standing on a floating pontoon because the system feels as stable as a fixed dock. The MIBS marina is the largest temporary marina in the world. In 2017, the show had: • 554 berths (up from 450 in 2016).


The floating timber pontoons at Miami Marine Stadium Park are


100% EPA-compliant and constitute the world’s largest temporary


marina for one week during the city’s International Boat Show.


• 1,300 boats on display. • 100,000 boating enthusiasts. • 150,000 sq ft of pontoons installed. “Our business goal is to provide solutions to our clients that meet their individual situations,” said Everett Babbitt, President and CEO of Bellingham Marine. “That is why we are proud to go the extra mile and deliver products and projects that are crafted in response to each client’s unique problem, rather than giving them a one-size-fits-all product.”


DASH joins Maricer family


A new office suite was recently completed by UK-based Maricer to accommodate the increase in projects, not only in its home market, but also on the international stage, whilst continually supporting this pedestal company’s growing network of global agents. This network has just seen


significant growth, most notably with the Australian company DASH


Symons Systems Ltd joining the Maricer family, with an exclusive agreement to supply Australia and New Zealand with the British company’s complete range of service pedestals and equipment. Based on the famous Gold Coast, DASH is perfectly located to service Australia’s thriving marine industry. For all Australasia enquiries,


please contact David or Dan on: +61 1300 00 3274.


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