Refloating a marina is a serious financial

Refloating a marina is a serious financial investment

By Ralph Morely
Marina Dock Age May/June 2005

Flotation is one of the most integral parts of the floating dock markets. And in recent years, it has also become the most overlooked.

In years past, flotation was an after-thought --as long as it was functional (meaning it kept the docks floating), it was also a place marinas looked to cut costs. These days, dock flotation accounts for nearly 20% of the total dollars spent on waterfront construction projects.

For years, marina owners and operators used expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, easily identified as white blocks of Styrofoam, as the standard for flotation. The Styrofoam is openly exposed to water, wind, ice, wave action, marine life, fuel and boats. Although the exposed EPS will float a marina for a while, exposed EPS will also erode over time because of the reasons listed above.

When the exposed EPS erodes, the buoyancy of the flotation will diminish. There are number of ways the EPS can be eroded, including by marine life habitation, a fuel spill, wave action, boat collisions, ice movement, or simply by its absorption of water over time.

As the flotation becomes less buoyant, the marina risks having its lower structural frame come in contact with the water, and corroding. In northern regions, where snow is a factor, the snow loads become a risk factor for the marina as well. A loss of freeboard (measured from the top of the deck to the surface of the water) also affects customer's view of the facility

Refloating option
Although a great number of marinas built 20 to 25 years ago are now experiencing a diminished flotation capacity, replacing the entire marina structure is cost prohibitive. An alternative solution is "refloating" the structure.

Refloating can be accomplished using different methods. One of the most common methods is to remove the existing exposed EPS and replace it with encapsulated EPS. Encased EPS floats create an airtight container that protects the polystyrene core from erosion and absorption.

Another method is to supplement the existing flotation with additional flotation. In this case, marinas can look at exposed EPS and polyethylene encased EPS. In either choice, marinas should check to see how governing entities regulate flotation to see if there are any guidelines or directives in this area.

Case Studies
Grand Harbor Marina on Pickwick Lake, Tenn., has 225 slips.

In spite of being an enviable property on a popular lake, the marina's growth was restricted by its existing flotation. Grand Harbor refloated part of the marina to regain that potential.

As with most large marinas, Grand Harbor was built over time, in phases. The older portions of the marina were built with exposed EPS, while the newer docks were built using encapsulated flotation.

Jim Robertson, manager of Grand Harbor Marina, noticed the difference in having two forms of flotation. "The fuel dock and some of the larger slips are older and were built with exposed EPS. Over the years, it was apparent the buoyancy was affected on the docks with exposed EPS. We refloated this portion of the marina recently, and our customers and the staff couldn't be more pleased," he said.

Besides having a greater comfort level with the buoyancy of the docks, everyone is pleased with the new, cleaner look, Robertson added.

The refloating process at Grand Harbor Marina involved removing the exposed EPS and replacing it wit the new encapsulated EPS. Even with a perfect location, a marina's success depends on the quality of its amenities. Many boaters prefer renting a slip with encapsulated flotation to exposed flotation.

Another example of refloating occured at the 150-slip Clinton Lake Marina, in Clinton, Ill. - an older, well-established property.

The marina was in jeopardy of serious structural damage, because its flotation had lost a great deal of its capacity. As a result, the steel frames supporting the dock were partially submerged, causing them to rust. In addition, Clinton Lake Marina is subject to snowfall, which places a heavy load on the structure and further complicates the problem. The entire marina was refloated, by adding supplemental flotation under the existing exposed foam.

In explaining why Clinton Lake Marina decided on refloating, Steve Otis, co-owner of Marine Development Inc., replied, "The combination of exposure over the ears, as well as huge snowfalls, created a need to supplement the foam and raise the frames out of the water."

As with Grand Harbor, experienced crews and specialized equipment facilitated the refloating process, with minimal interruption to normal business operations.

When considering refloating a marina, one important factor managers/owners should consider is experience. Refloating a marina is a serious financial investment that can be expected to last for 20 to 25 years.

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Ralph Morley is a national sales and marketing manager of the Fergus Falls, Minn. - based ShoreMaster, a supplier of marina waterfront equipment, including boatlifts and docks. He can be reached at (918) 329-1741.

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Here are a few questions marinas should ask a manufacturer when considering refloating a marina:

- Could exposed expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) be refused?

- What are the regulations regarding use on your body of water?

- What are the regulations regarding disposal of removed exposed EPS?

- Regardless of the flotation used, research the manufacturer.

- Ask for material and performance specifications.

- Does the foam meet or exceed the requirements of the Seven Day Hunt Absorption test*?

- What is the density of the foam?

- Does the encasement meet the Falling Dart Test or the Arm Impact Test**?

- What is the method of encasement?

- What is the method of attachment?

- What is the warranty for both product and service?

- Are the vendors experienced and qualified?

- Will boats need to be moved?

- Ask for an expected measurement of freeboard when re-floated.

- Ask for customer referrals from your selected vendor.

* This test ensures the absorption rate of the polystyrene does not exceed three pounds of water per cubic foot.

** Developed by the Association of Rotational Molders, this test uses a slender spike to determine the strength of encasement materials according to set parameters.