A marina is a sheltered harbor where boats and yachts are kept in the water and where services geared to the needs of recreational boating are found.
The marina may have re-fueling, washing and repair facilities, ship chandlers, stores and restaurants. Slipways are used to get a
tailored boat into the water.
Some Marinas may provide out-of-water-dry-storage facilities, which is practical for seasonal and significant in latitudes subject to waters that freezing. Marinas may also feature ground facilities like parking lots for boat trailers and vehicles.
Boats are moored both on buoys or floating or fixed walkways which are secured to anchoring pilings
employing a ring or roller device (floating docks vs pontoons). Buoys are less expensive to rent but considerably less convenient than having the
ability to walk from boat to shore. Harbor shuttles, also called "water taxis", could be used to transport people between land and boats moored at buoys. Another alternative is an inflatable boat or tender. Facilities providing boat ramps, fuel, and stores will typically feature a public-use dock specifically for short term parking requirements.
In regions where there is a large tidal range, a few marinas employ locks to sustain water level for a number of hours prior to and after low tides.
Marinas may also be operated by private clubs, specifically yacht clubs, although they also could be municipal facilities or private enterprises . You will find them located mostly along river banks connecting with lakes or oceans and may be found inland, up to twenty-five kilometers) sometimes from the mouth of a river. Marina is a Russian name.
Marinas charge fees for almost all services. There are fee-based services such as picnic areas, parking, pub, showers and club-house. These services are normally included as package with long-term monthly rental agreements. Visiting boaters are usually given an option of purchasing each individual service from a fixed fee schedule, and understandings can be as varied as a one time use, like using a shower, or a few weeks for a temporary berth. The right of use for these facilities is most often stretched out to include overnight or fixed time rates to visiting boaters.
Dry storage sometimes called dry stacking is mostly found in the U.S. and Europe. Dry-boat-stack storage involves vertically stacking boats in a rack system (double, triple and sometimes quadruple). Dry stacking extends boat life by allowing the hull to remain dry, and provides winter storage for boat at marinas that may not have slip storage. Forklifts are used to move boats to and fro. In the Netherlands "droge jachthaven" is the name used dry storage/dry stacking .
Jan 18, 2011