British Columbia's waterfront condo market is booming but I hadn't considered that the ample waterfront space might also be a spot for luxury yachts. The Vancouver Sun reports on the proposed mega-yacht marina which is scheduled for Victoria in 2009. The planned $20-million, 48-berth marina at Songhees would attract larger yachts ranging from 65 to 140 feet long and is designed to offer a permanent place for these larger yachts. The marina will be located at the entrance to the Victoria Harbour and will consist of two symmetrical one-story buildings that will sit at either side of a 46-slip marina. The architecture of the buildings will mimic the look of a yacht setting out to sea, with sweeping bows, squared off sterns, and solid stainless steel rigging. From above, the view of the rooflines will look like a stylized yacht propeller. In addition to the Yacht Club facilities, the marina buildings will also include a public restaurant and lounge, the Harbour Heritage Coffee House, as well as a supplier of marine provisions and a yachting concierge marine management center.
Plans have been announced for New England's largest marina, The Newport Club in Rhode Island. The Newport Club covers 44.5 acres of waterfront property on Aquidneck Island, plus 100 acres out into the cove itself. There will be 1,500 marina slips with retail shops, restaurants, waterfront residences, and marine-related support facilities. The slips will range up to 500 feet in hopes of drawing more megayacht traffic to the area. The Newport Club will feature resort style residences ranging from $395,000 to $2,000,000 and there are plans to build brand-name luxury hotels to create a popular yachting destination.
The latest Caribbean island to get a marina big enough to accommodate today's megayachts will be St. Kitts. A new 2,500-acre resort development with a marina that can berth up to 300 feet in length will be installed at Christophe Harbor. The development is being created by developer Kiawah Development Partners, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, and will include a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, a pair of five-star hotels (an Auberge resort and a Mandarin Oriental), retail and restaurants and residence opportunities. The marina will pamper yacht owners with laundry, wi-fi, access to a heliport, in-slip services and access to the hotels' amenities. There will also be harborside condominiums for sale. The developers promise that the eco-friendly design of marina will preserve the shoreline, water and coral reefs of the area. The development should be completed in 2010.
The latest Belize resort is the massive Ara Macao Resort and Marina project. The project is a 582-acre planned community on the Placencia coastline. It will include a golf course, hotel, condominiums, villa, a large marina, restaurants and a casino. The resort has opened a Charter Member program that offers the next 50 purchasers a five-day trip to Belize. Prices for condo units start in the low $400,000s.
There has been some concern over the project's grand scale but an interview with developer Paul Goguen says that Ara Macao is only a quarter of the new development planned for the area. He also says that the project will bring much-needed infrastructure to the area and is turning swamp land into a producing asset for the Belize government through taxes and jobs.
Yacht owners and other vacationers will soon have a newly improved place to play in the Bahamas. Construction is proceeding briskly at the Chub Cay Marina & Resort in the Bahamas. They are officially opening their marina on June 15. The marina used to hold 96 yachts but recently underwent a renovation that included a dredging of the entire marina and channel and the installation of state-of-the-art concrete floating docks. Eventually the Marina will include over 200 slips and will accommodate yachts up to 200' making it the largest megayacht marina in the Bahamas.
The marina isn't the only development, 57 private villas and a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse are also being built as part of phase one of construction. The developers are committed to not overdeveloping the idyllic island and keeping it as a paradise for boaters and fishermen. The villas are priced from $825,000 to $2.5 million.
The
next exclusive place to play may be Barama Bay Island. The tropical paradise is
located off the east coast of Phuket, Thailand and will become a new resort that will include a six-star hotel, yacht
club and private estates. The island can be reached by water taxi or helicopter. The island has a no-car policy
(electric carts only) and will have a deep water marina for mooring larger yachts. The hotel will include multiple
pools and a large spa. The entire project is set to be completed in early 2009 and prices
start at $3 million for an 8,000 square foot villa set on a one acre plot.
As Matt pointed out yesterday, it's a great
time to be a yacht owner, there are so many lovely places to play. For those looking for a new place to berth in Italy
there is the Marina Genova Aeroporto. Marina Genova Aeroporto is located in Sestri Ponente, a short hop from Genoa,
Italy. The port which will be officially opened in December 2006, will be home to up to 1000 boats up to 230
feet. The port will include a large amount of parking spaces, private garages, boathouses and private parking on the
docks for some customers. There will be a complete repair facility and a clubhouse with accommodations, restaurants,
shops and other services. There is also an apartment complex with private berths. According to a recent article on the
new marine superports, the International Herald
Tribune reported that the cost of the larger ports is $3.1 million for a 45-year term.
The International Herald Tribune has a piece on the Royal Phuket Marina in Phuket, Thailand. The marina is a booming
development that offers homes with their own yacht berths. The marina covers nearly 75 acres and the first phase
of the development has all but sold out. Despite the tsunami, interest in the area is still strong. The Royal Phuket
Marina is just one of three marinas in the area. Boat Lagoon was the first and Yacht Haven is located on the north end
of the area where a deeper channel makes for larger yachts. According to the article, the Thai government is doing
their best to help growth in this sector along. Thailand used to charge imported yachts a heavy fee if they stayed in
Thai waters longer than six months and laws regarding boat ownership and a requirement that any boat must have a Thai
captain are under review. Other developments with a marine focus are also planned for the Phuket area including the
Paradise Bay Marina Resort at Cape Yamu which will have mooring for 500 yachts. There is some concern that all
this building could lead to an oversupply of berths in the area in a few years but if the yacht business in that part
of the world continues its rapid growth it shouldn't be a problem.
