2023 November December Marina World

IWMC

IWMC 2023 contact we are going to lose a lot. Being automated may be impressive but while clients appreciate the tech they also like having people to look after them during their stay,” said Isolete Correia. Stavros Katsikadis, managing director Lamda Marinas Investments, emphasised: “Smart technology has become essential but we need to listen, change, learn. We need to think about remotely controlled systems in marinas, i.e. things that are moved without people. Will there be fewer accidents? Technology is coming, and it’s coming fast.” Marina infrastructure What is the life expectancy of a marina? “At Vilamoura we can say it’s over 49 years but I’ve seen marinas completely break apart in weeks,” observed Michael Sigvardsson, CEO SF Marina. The golden rules, he said, are to put the right pontoon in the right place; put the right boat size on it; and the right size and load of accessories. Maintenance is also crucial. “A maintenance action that is not logged doesn’t exist,” he warned. “Selecting products that have a very long maintenance interval is very profitable.” Patrick Lindley, CEO Grupo Lindley, advised opting for “the smallest environmental impact and the best investment in quality.” Michael Shanley, president Golden Marine Systems, called for higher piling specifications when installing floating dock systems in hurricane risk areas and the need for forward-thinking on marina designs that will survive severe weather patterns. Speaking about the devastating effects that Hurricane Ian had on marinas in Fort Myers Beach, Florida he said “we are four to five years away from getting it sorted. We sustained 9 billion in damages in what was the deadliest hurricane in Florida since 1935.” In terms of drystack infrastructure, Oscar Siches pointed to “permits” as the bottleneck for the future as he ventured: “Will we cover them with vegetation? Build them underground? Will they be totally electric with absolutely no noise? They will definitely be architect-designed, and the buildings will have additional use.” “The key for the future is being very, very flexible. We are just ‘handling’ it now but we need to make sure our equipment is adaptable or can be easily traded or recycled,” he also noted. Fuel and the environment “A decarbonised boating future will evolve from a set of technologies and fuels already available. Some technologies are more adequate for some vessel sizes, uses, ambient conditions etc., in the short and long term. A mix of propulsion systems is envisioned,” said Ian Dobson of PIANC. Assessment of future fuel infrastructure, electrical supply and cabling, insurance implications and funding implications are major considerations under review in a “science without fear or favour” decarbonisation study being carried out by Ricardo, UK. The study was outlined by Darren Vaux on behalf of ICOMIA,which will launch a Sustainability Report at Metstrade. Frank Hugelmeyer, president and CEO of the US National Marine Manufacturers Association spoke on how to align decarbonisation policies. “We have to have cradle to grave data as we are facing regulation by ideology. Round the clock conference speakers: Arturo Gutierrez, Freedom Boat Club; Michael Shanley, Golden Marine Systems; Roberto Perocchio, Assomarinas; Stavros Katsikadis, Lamda Marinas Investments and Isolete Correia, Vilamoura Marina. We have to stay ahead of the regulatory sector where decisions will be made by judging other sectors, e.g. automotive.” “Good marine public policy doesn’t choose a single technology. It supports innovation and the best carbon reduction strategy by use case. Boats are built to last. Fleet replacement takes 25 to 40 years based on product lifecycles. Accelerating fleet replacement adds CO2.” “We need to prioritise infrastructure for the distribution of sustainable www.marinaworld.com – November/December 2023 31