Marina Survey important for future marina developments - MarineBusinessWorld Oceania newsletter
by Peter Rendle 5 Oct 2023 15:00 PDT
Gold Coast City Marina and Shipyard © AIMEX
Marinas play an important role providing the industry with "space to park the boat". The Marina Industry Association are now asking for feedback via a survey they have issued. The 2023 HAMIS (Health of the Australasian Marina Industry) is in the field. Over the past few weeks, invitations and reminders have been forwarded from their independent researchers to participate in the survey.
They urge you to please continue to assist them in driving better outcomes for industry by completing the 2023 survey and enabling collation of this very important data. The link to the survey can be found in the invitation and reminder emails sent previously, identified by the following sender: noreply@qemailserver.com so please check your junk mailbox in case the invitation and reminders were affected by your spam filters.
News of marina purchases was received this week: Global alternative asset manager, MA Financial (ASX: MAF) has entered into an agreement to purchase Batemans Bay Marina and Port Macquarie Marina for $20 million from James Marshall, Founder and Managing Director of Marprop, Real Estate Investors. The two east coast marinas will complement the firm's existing portfolio of ten d'Albora marinas in the MA Marina Fund, established by MA Financial in April this year.
The close-ended fund offers exposure to Australia's largest marina network across the eastern seaboard and includes the iconic Rushcutters Bay, The Spit and Cabarita Point in Sydney Harbour, and two marinas adjacent to the Melbourne CBD. Joint CEO of MA Financial, Julian Biggins, says the acquisition of the two additional marinas is aligned with the firm's strategy, driven by increasing investor demand for alternative real estate assets.
As the electric boat industry continues to grow, an international panel of electric boat experts has narrowed down the entries in the fourth annual Gustave Trouvé Awards for Excellence in Electric Boats and Boating - The Gussies - and the public is now invited to weigh in with their favourites by voting online. The voting page has photographs and descriptions of each boat with links to the Finalist company's website for more information. Over 160 boats were nominated in this year's competition, with the Judges selecting their choices in eight of the nine categories.
All 19 boats in the Retrofitted / Customized / DIY category enter the finals as a salute to the hard work and ingenuity that goes into each of them. Twenty-five countries are represented, with boats from every continent except Antarctica: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, The People's Republic of China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, USA and Vietnam.
The Boating Industry Association Ltd (BIA) hosted a Diversity in Boating event last Thursday night in Sydney as part of its ongoing commitment to promote inclusion across the sector. BIA CEO Andrew Scott said, "Diversity in the boating industry and in boating participation is important. Thursday night was the beginning of what we see as a commitment to support industry events to enable community, communication and collaboration. Boating is an activity which is available to people from all walks of life, abilities, genders and backgrounds, and that is something we want to champion."
Andrew Scott made a special thank you to the presenters Thursday night who were Nicole Watts, Director, NSW Maritime, and Nicky Vaux, Business Development Manager and Partner of Empire Marinas Group (and known as The Boat Princess), who gave insights into diversity within their respective fields in the maritime regulator and industry. He also thanked Jess Gatt, Managing Director at Logix Group as well as Lily Peel, Operations & Sales Manager for Hullbot who joined them for a thought-provoking panel discussion.
News from the Boating Industry of Victoria (BIAV) centres on wave and surge dangers at Hobsons Bay. During the past three years, BIAV, along with PoWAG (Port of Williamstown Action group) have campaigned for a review and remedy in relation to concerning wave and surge danger at Hobsons Bay, Williamstown. They were delighted when Parks Victoria, with State Government resourcing, endeavoured to address the damaging and dangerous effects of this surge and when a detailed study was undertaken it was delayed by covid interruptions, however was completed and released early this year.
Whilst they are disappointed that infrastructure level wave attenuation is not currently being considered as a study outcome, they are pleased that something is being done. You can see a public consultation in relation to this, and in particular a proposed 5 knot waterway rule change for the Williamstown Local Port Area. Industry, boaters and all waterways' users are encouraged to engage and provide a view on this.
New boats this week: The French Dufour Yachts shipyard continues to set new benchmarks in performance and design with the announcement of their latest model, the Dufour 44. Designed to provide an unforgettable sailing experience for both new sailors and experienced world cruisers, the Dufour 44 represents the epitome of performance, style and comfort. The Dufour 44 is a continuation of the 18-year collaboration with designer Umberto Felci, and the result is a model that boasts a sleek and timeless hull design and delivers precise and responsive handling.
While in Victoria, Whittley Marine Group, Melbourne based fiberglass trailer boat specialists has chosen the 2023 Melbourne Boat Show for the launch of the new flagship Whittley SL 27 HT OB model at Docklands (26-29 of October) on the Whittley Victoria Sales stand #28. The Show will be the first time that the Victorian public can see the new SL 27 HT OB and coincides with the Whittley Families seventieth year of boat building and the Whittley Company.
The newly released deep-vee family fishing boat replaces the SL 26 HT model and is the largest production Sea Legend model that the Victorian manufacturer has produced. Designed as a maxi trailerable deep vee family fishing boat, the SL 27 HT offers an Australian-made hybrid boat, designed for Australia's unique boating lifestyle.
News from New Zealand involves Rocket Lab USA, Inc, a global leader in launch and space systems, who have acquired SailGP Technologies' world-class manufacturing complex in Warkworth, New Zealand - bolstering the company's New Zealand business and retaining more than 90% of SailGP Technologies New Zealand based staff. SailGP Technologies is relocating its operations to the UK to more effectively support the growing league. SailGP Technologies has been a close partner and supplier to Rocket Lab, providing selected advanced composite materials and components for the Electron rocket.
From this week, Rocket Lab - who pioneered the use of carbon composites in space by developing the world's first carbon composite orbital rocket - will lease SailGP Technologies' 70,000 square foot development and manufacturing complex in Warkworth.
Stay Focused!
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@marinebusinessworld.com