
A marina (from
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
,
Portuguese and
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
: "related to the sea") is a
dock
The word dock () in American English refers to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore). In British English, the term is not used the same way as in American Engl ...
or basin with
mooring
A mooring is any permanent structure to which a seaborne vessel (such as a boat, ship, or amphibious aircraft) may be secured. Examples include quays, wharfs, jetties, piers, anchor buoys, and mooring buoys. A ship is secured to a mooring to ...
s and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina differs from a
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...
in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters.
The word ''marina'' may also refer to an inland wharf on a river or
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
that is used exclusively by non-industrial pleasure craft such as canal
narrowboat
A narrowboat is a particular type of Barge, canal boat, built to fit the narrow History of the British canal system, locks of the United Kingdom. The UK's canal system provided a nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution, b ...
s.
Emplacement
Marinas may be located along the banks of rivers connecting to lakes or seas and may be inland.
They are also located on coastal harbors (natural or man made) or coastal lagoons, either as stand alone facilities or within a port complex.
History
In the 19th century, the few existing pleasure craft shared the same facilities as
trading
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market (economics), market.
Traders generally negotiate throu ...
and
fishing vessel
A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to fishing, catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals (e.g. shrimps/prawns, krills, coleoids, etc.) in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial ...
s. The marina appeared in the 20th century with the popularization of
yachting
Yachting is recreational boating activities using medium/large-sized boats or small ships collectively called yachts. Yachting is distinguished from other forms of boating mainly by the priority focus on comfort and luxury, the dependence on ma ...
.
Facilities and services
A marina may have refuelling, washing and repair facilities, marine and
boat chandlers, stores and restaurants.
A marina may include ground facilities such as parking lots for vehicles and boat trailers.
Slipway
A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats, and for launching and retrieving smal ...
s (or boat ramps) transfer a
trailered boat into the water.
A marina may have a
travel lift
A travel lift or travelift (also called a boat hoist, boat gantry crane, or boat crane) is a specialised type of crane used for lifting boats out of the water and transporting them around Dock (maritime), docks or marina, marinas. These cranes al ...
, a specialised
crane used for lifting heavier boats out of the water and transporting them around the hard stand. A marina may provide in- or out-of-water boat storage.
Fee-based services such as parking, use of picnic areas, pubs, and clubhouses for showers are usually included in long-term rental agreements. Visiting yachtsmen usually have the option of buying each amenity from a fixed schedule of fees; arrangements can be as wide as a single use, such as a shower, or several weeks of temporary berthing. The right to use the facilities is frequently extended at overnight or period rates to visiting yachtsmen.
Since marinas are often limited by available space, it may take years on a waiting list to get a permanent
berth.
Moorings and access
Boats are moored on
buoy
A buoy (; ) is a buoyancy, floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents.
History
The ultimate origin of buoys is unknown, but by 1295 a seaman's manual referred to navig ...
s, on fixed or floating walkways tied to an anchoring
piling
A pile or piling is a vertical structural element of a deep foundation, driven or drilled deep into the ground at the building site. A deep foundation is a type of foundation that transfers building loads to the earth farther down from th ...
by a roller or ring mechanism (
floating dock
Floating may refer to:
* a type of dental work performed on horse teeth
* use of an isolation tank
* the guitar-playing technique where chords are sustained rather than scratched
* ''Floating'' (play), by Hugh Hughes
* Floating (psychological p ...
s,
pontoons).
Buoys are cheaper to rent but less convenient than being able to walk from land to boat. Harbor shuttles (water taxis) or launches, may transfer people between the shore and boats moored on buoys.
The alternative is a tender such as an
inflatable boat
An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and Bow (watercraft), bow made of Inflatable, flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and Hull (watercraft), hull are often flexible, while for ...
. Facilities offering fuel, boat ramps and stores will normally have a common-use dock set aside for such short term parking needs.
Where the
tidal range
Tidal range is the difference in height between high tide and low tide. Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and Sun, by Earth's rotation and by centrifugal force caused by Earth's prog ...
is large, marinas may use
locks to maintain the water level for several hours before and after low water.
Economic organisation
Marinas may be owned and operated by a private club, especially
yacht club
A yacht club is a boat club specifically related to yachting.
Description
Yacht clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations. Yacht or sailing clubs have either a mar ...
s — but also as private enterprises or municipal facilities. Marinas may be standalone private businesses, components of a resort, or owned and operated by public entities.
See also
*
List of marinas
This is a list of marinas in various countries.
Albania
* Orikum Marina, Orikum, Vlore
Australia
New South Wales
*Sydney
** Empire Marina Bobbin Head
** Akuna Bay Marina
** Berowra Waters
** Blakehurst Marina
** Woolwich Marina
** Cabarita ...
References
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
Nautical terminology