Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing a Marina
Avoid High Traffic Areas
The wind and waves can directly impact your boating equipment. So, when it comes to choosing the perfect marina, take into consideration the exposure of that specific location to winds and waves. Steer clear from high traffic areas. One reason for this is that at the end of the day, you will more likely to have difficulty berthing your vessel as the environment will be more exposed to high winds and waves. If you plan to stay in your vessel overnight, you will have a hard time sleeping as the boat bounces more often as other vessels around it will move towards or away from its direction. Another reason why you should steer clear from high traffic areas when choosing a marina is the fact that exposure to excessive movements caused by winds and waves will put too much strain on your equipment. This increases the risk of fender burn on your vessel’s hull as it excessively bangs up against the marina pontoon.
Check for Better Accessibility
When choosing an ideal location for a marina, you have to take into account its accessibility. For this to be possible you have to first find out the timing and tidal variance of the marina. You have to know the depth of the water during low tide at its fairways, berths and in the approach. You also need to consider the rate of the tidal flow. Keep in mind that the direction of the flow can directly impact your efforts during berthing. So, before making a final decision, ask first whether the marina and the place of berth are accessible no matter what the tide is.
Enough Space to Manoeuvre
As a first-time boat owner, you should now start familiarizing yourself with the Australian Standard AS3962. This Standard dictates the minimum width of fairways that must be observed within the marina to ensure that there will be sufficient space for each vessel to maneuver in order to achieve its proper positioning before it starts reversing into the berth. This standard was set so that designers, operators, and manufacturers of marina and berthing facilities will have a guide not just for their small vessels that are intended for commercial use. But, this standard should also serve as a guide for recreational marinas. If the marina is in a location where high winds and waves are always present the widths of the fairways must be longer. In addition, berth width between vessels must be at least one meter. This way, each vessel will have enough space for fendering and for moving on the lines. Failure to follow the set standard will make boat owners have difficulty maneuvering their vessel around the marina.
