Worldwide Marina Portal

The contract for the extention and improvement to Corralejo harbour has been awarded and is expected to take two years to complete. The project will improve and extend the ferry piers, increase the number of moorings for pleasure craft and provide better boat yard facilities.

As reported in our blog in November as well as the existing marina berths the new marina will provide 650 berths for yachts which will be sheltered behind a huge curved breakwater.

Corralejo harbour on the north coast of Fuerteventura is one of the busiest in the Canaries with close to a million passengers a year using the short ferry link to Lanzarote and the project will ensure that increasing passenger demand can be met. The harbour Playa Blanca in Lanzarote will also be extended and improved to allow easier access for the ferries whose entrance at the moment can only be described as tight.

Ferry Operator contacts Fred Olsen and Naviera Armas

A new marina near Quepos in Costa Rico is set to open in April, providing much needed boating facilities to Pacific coastline.

The 55-acre Marina Pez Vela project will eventually include more than 300 slips, ranging from 35 to 200 feet; dry storage facilities and a full-service boatyard, as well as 200 residential units. The first phase will open next month with 100 berths.

Marina Pez Vela will offer services rivaling those of any first-class, five-star marina resort. And the full-service marina facility, will be the largest in Central America, and will create a major destination for Pacific boating and fishing enthusiasts.

Strict environmental issues which the country is very proud of have made it difficult to build anything along the Costa Rica coastline and the project has had to adhere to high standards to comply with enviromental regulations.

Source Marina Pez Vela www.marinapezvela.com contact info@marinapezvela.com 

A new marina is planned for the Moroccan port of Tangier. The completion of the new deep sea commercial harbour is now complete and work will now begin on the marina in the old Harbour.

The moving of the deep sea port 20 km away from the city will alleviate traffic congestion and provide a more leisurely atmosphere in the old harbour. "This major project will make the port of Tangier and its bay one of the top marinas and cruise destinations in the Mediterranean," said President of Tangier Port Development, Abdelouafi Laftit, in a statement recently. Mr. Laftit also said that additional space will be available for hotels and other tourist activities in an effort to promote new services in the port area and the city of Tangier.

Port Yasmine marina has been added to World Marine Guide's list of Mediterranean yacht harbours, the marina is in the town of Hammamet in Tunisia

Port Yasmine is a purpose built marina surrounded by gardens, cafes and restaurants. The marina has many services including a large hard standing area, chandler and dockyard. Hammamet is a large resort with plenty of life and excellent beaches. The area is particularly well known for jasmine, and this is how the tourist resort of Yasmine Hammamet got its name

The marina was submitted by Port Yasmine email contact@portyasmine.com.tn

Karpaz Gate Marina on the northern coast of the Karpaz peninsular of northern Cyprus is on schedule for completion in the spring of 2011. This is despite the fact that the refit facilities in the marina are to be enlarged from the origional plan.

World Marine Giuide has discovered that the dry dock facility will now total 18,000 square metres and the travel lift has been upgraded to 300 Tonne rather than the 150 Tonne crane origionally ordered. These improvements will make Karpaz Gate Marina one of the best repair facilities on the Turkish Republic's northern coast.

The marina when finished will open up a part of the the eastern Mediterraneam as yet largely undiscovered.  The marina is designed for yachts ranging from seven meters to mega-yachts of 65 meters. The Marina House will be located on the SW corner of the Promenade and will include offices for the Yacht Club, a Health Club, Swimming Pool, Laundry, Restaurant, Ship Chandlery and Night Club.

Source Karpaz Gate Marina info@karpazbay.com

Hoo Marina on the Medway river has been submitted and added to World Marine Guide

The Marina is situated on the northern side of the Medway Estuary and is within easy sailing distance of the Thames estuary and the North Sea - with the coastal ports of mainland Europe just a few hours away. Hoo also benefits from excellent road access, being close to the M25, the A2/M2 and the M20. A family atmosphere has long been the hallmark of the Marina and has been a major contributing factor to its popularity with residents and visitors alike.

Thanks to Hoo Marina for submitting the Marina

Many Western European marinas have been badly damaged by the Atlantic storm, Xynthia, that claimed over 50 lives, 45 of them French. 

An owner with a boat in Les Sables d'Olonne, has reported that pontoons A and B have broken free of the pilings and ended up at pontoon C, pontoon G is now beached. Two boats are impaled on pilings, other boats have sunk and many have been dismasted or have damaged rigging.

Xynthia was the same storm responsible for the heavy rain that caused mud slides in Madeira last week and more than a million French homes were left without electricity.

Source from a posting on www.forumvoile.com,

The Abu Dhabi Yacht Show (ADYS) 2010 opened to loud praise yesterday in its stunning new home of the UAE capital’s Yas Marina. The show has a line‐up of 30 of the world’s most impressive superyachts and some 140 exhibitors representing international megayacht industry. The show is tipped to be one of the top three superyacht shows along with Monaco and Fort Lauderdale.

There was also an announcement at the show of the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC)  impressive marina projects. The yacht show is being held on Yas Island between February 25-27, 2010. The show is featuring TDIC's four marinas, two of which will be located in its developments across Abu Dhabi city - specifically in the Eastern Mangroves and in Al Bateen Wharf.

Saadiyat Island's marinas, the Marina Village on Saadiyat Beach and Saadiyat Marina were also displayed proving Abu Dhabi's committment to the marine leisure industry and marina tourism.

Saadiyat Marina will have berths for more than1,000yachts and visitors will have access to cafés and chic boutique arcades.

Marina Village located in the Saadiyat Beach District, will open as a 83-berth marina in 2012.

A 31m-long motorboat powered entirely by the sun, the PlanetSolar, is set to embark on a circumnavigation in 2011.

She was designed by PlanetSolar and built by Knierim in Kiel, and is claimed to be the largest solar-powered boat in the world.  The 500 square metres of solar panels will cover almost all the upper surfaces of the boat, which, together with her wave piercing technology, should enable her to cruise at an average speed of 8 knots.

Seatrials are expected to begin in late March, and she is scheduled to make her 40,000km voyage around the world via the Panama and Suez canals piloted by a two man crew in 2011. The voyage will begin and end in the Mediterranean

Source Knierim yacht Club in Kiel

March 25-28: St Barthelemy Bucket. Invitation only open to yachts 30 metres or more. www.bucketregattas.com 

March 29-April 4: BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival. 100 racing yachts expected to compete. www.bvispringregatta.org 

April 1-5: Around Guadeloupe Regatta. One big party and a sail around the islands. www.triskellcup.com 

April 2-5: Bequia Easter Regatta. A record number ofmore than 50 yachts expected. www.begos.com/easterregatta 

April 6-11: Les Voiles de St. Barth. The first event open to all types of yachts. www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com 

April 15-20: Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. Serious racers and family cruisers come out for this classic yacht regatta. www.lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com 

April 24-30: Antigua Sailing Week. A new format including the Dickenson Bay Beach Bash. www.sailingweek.com 

May 7-9: Anguilla Regatta. Traditional wooden race boats and modern production boats are featured at this event. www.anguillaregatta.com 

May 13-16: 25th Annual Mount Gay Boatyard Regatta, Barbados. All yacht types sailing in this annual event in Carlisle Bay. www.sailbarbados.com/events_MG.html 

May 28-30: Puerto Rico Vela Cup.  50+ yachts are expected to compete in this third annual event at the Yacht Club Palmas del Mar www.puertoricovelacup.com 

June 25-27: Statia and Nevis Offshore Regatta.  This regatta is open to all classes. www.smyc.com 

Be Warned just about all the events and regatta’s involve drinking vast amounts of Caribbean Rum