Facilities Found in Typical Marinas

If you own a yacht or any recreational boat, you would want to place it in a place that is safe if you are not using it. Normally, you would place it in your boathouse or private dock, but what if you are not at home? Then you would probably have to dock your boat in a marina, a facility where you can rent for a space to dock your boat for an extended period. Many people think that a marina and a port are the same but they actually have vast differences. The former caters to recreational boating while the latter handles passenger ships and large freighters.

Marinas differ in the method of docking boats. In some, you can moor yours in deeper water by tying it on buoys. Then you are shuttled towards land by harbour taxis. In other marinas, you can "park" your boat on floating pontoons or fixed walkways that connect to a boardwalk or pier.

Marinas may have extensive facilities such as breakwaters to prevent waves and longshore drifts to reach the docks, slipways to transfer your floating boat to a trailer or vice versa, a boat hoist to lift or place your vessel on the water, and a drystack where you can shelter your boat from storms and cold weather. Marinas may also have parking lots for vehicles and boat trailers, fuel stations so you can refuel your boat, and chandlers where you can buy boat equipment.

Aside from these facilities, many marinas have provisions for entertainment. For instance, after you dock, you may want to head off to the restaurant to eat local cuisine or to the bar to grab a drink. You can visit an adjacent beach or relax yourself in the marina's in-house spa.