Nestled in the popular New Zealand yacht charter location – Auckland, the Westhaven Marina is expected to get its first major development. It is set to start this month, with the addition of a new pier.
Westhaven Marina in the lovely New Zealand yacht charter destination - Auckland
The publically owned facility is internationally recognised as one of the largest luxury yacht marinas in the southern hemisphere, highly valued for its quality facilities and a unique proximity to the CBD and to world class marine suppliers and service people.
As one of a number of projects in the pipeline to preserve this status, the Y Pier development will see another 66 berths added to the waterspace in the eastern part of the marina.
Berths on the new pier will range from 14m to 20m in length in response to a growing demand to accommodate larger vessels and multi-hulls such as catamarans.
The $4 million project to be delivered by a UK based company, Bellingham Marine, will also see the addition of a fuel jetty, improved dinghy storage and new access to the pile moorings currently located in the north of the marina.
General Manager of Marina’s for Council organisation Waterfront Auckland, Tom Warren, says having had no significant increase in berth capacity since 1994, the Y Pier development is a significant step forward in the history of Westhaven.
“Westhaven marina is a fantastic facility and has gained a well-deserved reputation worldwide as the home of boating in the South Pacific. To ensure its stays this way, we need to invest in its future.”
“Now we’ve got an agency specifically charged with this responsibility, projects like the Y Pier development and others in our master planning document the Westhaven Plan will bring significant improvements to the marina’s level of amenity and user experience – future proofing it for generations to come.”
Design features in the new pontoon include a proven system for wave attenuation and two New Zealand firsts, a composite connection system to bind together the different parts of the pier itself and underwater lighting as the new pier becomes the eastern bookend for the marina facing the city.
Mr. Warren says the lighting was a notable addition and acknowledges that the marina is more than just a facility for boat owners but is also a visual asset for the city as a whole, and an integral part of Auckland’s identity as the City of Sails.
Dredging got underway last month, and works will commence in full shortly. It is anticipated that the bulk of work will be completed by July, ready for occupancy in spring.
Once completed the new berths are expected to be monthly rentals to ensure flexibility and accessibility for boat owners.
Further design details:
• The project consists of over 1710 square meters of new concrete pontoons which will be manufactured out of Bellingham’s plant in Otahuhu, Auckland.
• Having completed product testing in the Middle East and in New Zealand Fibre Reinforced Polymer through rods with glass filled nylon nuts are to be used in the project offering a longer life span and reduced maintenance over time
• Unique to this project was the design brief from Waterfront Auckland that required consideration for sustainable product choice. The result is one that will see the introduction of a copper infused whaler system that removes the reliance on heavy metals contained in more traditional treatment systems.
