The Boat Works new north precinct on track
by Jeni Bone 11 May 2019 01:18 PDT
North Yard The Boat Works Site Overview 2020 © Jeni Bone
Just seven months after the Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate turned the first sod on The Boat Works' north precinct, which effectively doubles the facility to 43 acres in total, Stage 1 is complete and operating.
The innovative and extremely popular "Dry Marina" storage for vessels 25 to 65-feet is awash with 70 boats.
On water, G and H Arms of the new marina have been completed by Superior Jetties and will welcome boats from 1 May, adding 30 work berths to the existing 50 onsite.
G Arm boasts purpose-built multihull berths to accommodate wide-bodied catamarans up to 18m in length and is already at capacity, with a large number of brokerage stock from Multihull Solutions.
There's also a 30m side shoot to accommodate superyachts up to 45m.
Mark Elkington Managing Director of Multihull Solutions said new north precinct has been a great development for his business.
"The new 'dry marina' area provides a terrific value hard stand area for our clients to store their multihulls while they return home to spend time with family and friends.
"More and more of our clients are cruising for up to eight months of the year and heading back to work or to deal with commitments for the remainder of the year.
"This new facility is also very welcome for our international clients that wish to leave their multihull in a clean and safe location while they return to their homes.
"The new marina provides the perfect facility for our expanding sales centre on the Gold Coast, complementing our out-of-water display facility. Multihull Solutions has secured the best sales berths on site for larger multihulls that are offered for sale."
Accommodating superyachts up to 45m, H Arm comprises 20 wide pens all with deep water location and access to the full services and amenities at The Boat Works, including undercover work sheds, 60 specialist tenants, mega-chandlery and a variety of boat dealerships.
The 77 new berths benefit the array of boat brands and brokers based at The Boat Works, among them Alexander Marine Australia, Multihull Solutions, Clipper, Cobalt and Yachtsmen International.
Andy Vollmer Superior Commercial Project Manager said the new north project was a landmark initiative for the Gold Coast and south-east Queensland, and the first significant local marine project for a decade.
"We installed the Superior Super Elite Pontoons which extend 78 metres into the Coomera River," he said. "They are heavy duty with concrete sides and ideal for this location, as they are durable and resistant to impact from debris and vessels."
As Andy explained, "This is the first marina built with the new Queensland Fire & Emergency Services guidelines, which requires additional safety standards and equipment," he said, adding that the entire Boat Works team and the 70 or so sub-contractors involved were a hard-working, diverse crew who got on exceptionally well.
"Because the vision is so brilliant, we all worked knowing that it will become a landmark destination. The new marina will attract more vessels to the Coomera precinct, while the lifestyle development, dining and entertainment will appeal to locals and visitors.
"Thanks to the foresight of the Gold Coast Waterways Authority and state government, dredging of the Coomera River ensures larger craft can access the state-of-the-art facilities at The Boat Works and Coomera Marine Precinct."
Superior CEO John Hogan said that The Boat Works CEO, Tony Longhurst should be commended for his "bold vision".
"We agree with his assessment that larger vessels are coming to the Gold Coast, based on what we've seen in other parts of the world. He is very wise investing in infrastructure now. This will benefit all players in the Coomera precinct and the broader community in the form of thousands of jobs and a fantastic new destination in our region."
Specialist marine businesses involved in the new marina facility are Pro Fender who created and installed protection for the superyacht berths, the Coxswains Sock by Sign Boss Gold Coast, specialising in marine pylon signage, and M-Tech Marine Technologies who supplied the Multi Service Pedestals and fire and emergency systems.
Darren W. Wilkinson, General Manager at M-Tech Marine said "We supplied and installed new generation pedestals with unique lighting heads and all the emergency systems along the marina".
"It is a quality project in our own backyard and The Boat Works is a very progressive business, investing in the growth of our industry and region.
"We were pleased to work with Superyacht Jetties. Our relationship goes back a long way with them. It's fantastic to work on such an enjoyable project, which is still ongoing."
Currently under way are Stages 2 & 3: I Arm, which will be completed in June and J Arm, plus temporary service berths for superyachts adjacent to the 300 tonne Travel Lift, which will arrive mid-2019.
The new premises will complement the existing yard that is packed to capacity, with a current haul out rate of 45 vessels per week using three specialist lifts, the 70 and 100 tonne travel lifts and the 45-tonne submersible hydraulic Sealift for wide-bodied multihulls.
"This is an exciting time for the marine industry, particularly in the Coomera Marine Precinct," said Shane Subichin, General Manager at The Boat Works.
"The new precinct will create up to 2,000 jobs along with the flow on effect of increased work for trades in the region."
For more information visit www.theboatworks.com.au