12


12 NATCHEZ ON THE WATERFRONT Dry-stack v in-water By Dan Natchez*


T


here are basically two ways of berthing boats, one is in the water and the other is upland. If you


stop for a second and think about it, the matter-of-factness of that statement is a fair testament to just how far the upland or dry- stack storage of boats has come in the past 30 or so years. Years ago, the boating public was not overly enamoured with rack storage and it was limited to relatively small light- weight boats, typically not more than 25 ft long. Most marinas at that time looked at it as an additional source of revenue where there was no more in-water space and maybe there was some open land available. The racks were mostly for two-three boats high, were uncovered and facilities discounted their pricing to gain boater acceptance. So, what has changed? The answer is many things. Today, it is possible to store boats of 50 ft and longer with a fly bridge. There are facilities that exceed five boats high served by specially-designed cranes and facilities with forklifts that can launch boats and return them to a five-level rack with ease.


Some of these new systems have now moved from the concept


and patent stage into the construction stage. There have been major improvements in the design of the traditional forklifts, as well as overhead cranes and similar mechanical devices


The technology for transferring the boats from the racks to and from the water has dramatically improved, albeit with a commensurate increase in costs. Designs for enclosed facilities have also changed dramatically, from the traditional airport hangar appearance to those with more architectural features, as well as, in more cases than not, having wings for offices and shops.


Technical advances What is perhaps most intriguing are the technical advances in rack


MAY 2018 • MARINA INDUSTRY SOUTH-EAST ASIA & PACIFIC


construction for heavier, longer, taller and with varying mixes of boats. In its embryonic state is the relatively recent use of technology from other industries to allow the movement of racks to achieve more efficient use of space – a technique similar in concept to pallet storage and accessing technology for warehouses. Some of these new systems have now moved from the concept and patent stage into the construction stage. There have been major improvements in the design of the traditional forklifts, as well as overhead cranes and similar mechanical devices that have radically changed the concept of moving boats in and out of racks and from the land to the water, reducing the amount of time required, as well as the skill requirements of operators, and in a number of cases the aisle width needed between racks. Public acceptance has also changed from early resistance to skepticism to desire in many locations. Consequently, pricing has changed from below in-water, to close to equal, to some with premiums compared to in-water


Forklifts can launch boats and return them to a five-level rack with ease.


berthing. At the same time, construction requirements and equipment costs have increased significantly. There are also limitations to rack storage. At present, technology will not allow vertical marine storage of super or megayachts and, in most cases, boats over 50-60 ft – the larger and the heavier the boats, the more the associated limitations and higher costs.


Some of the perceived advantages


of rack storage by boaters include: boats are sheltered from the sun and fading; boats are kept cleaner; the boat bottoms do not have to be treated with anti-fouling paint; the boats may not have to be uncovered to use or covered when being put to bed; someone else has to handle the basic preparation (starting the motor) and checking the basic electrical systems; and someone else is usually responsible for flushing the engines and/or draining the water from the boat after usage. As buildings become more robust,


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