Silver sponsor profile: Poralu Marine - the global leader in marina versatility

As an international leader in aluminium marina design and construction, with over 8,000 installations worldwide and another 250 being added to that list each year, Poralu Marine has the experience, skills and product range to deliver on every requirement for any marina project, no matter how big or small, regardless of the project’s complexity. And its versatile floating infrastructure is the key to making all of that happen.

Unlike most conventional marina infrastructure and solutions, Poralu Marine’s modern, lightweight but robust and dynamic range of marina systems are uniquely versatile. That means that when you redevelop your marina using Poralu Marine equipment, you’re buying a system that can quickly and easily adapt to your needs both now and in the future, and can grow with your business and your customers.

Read on to find out what versatility really means for marinas and to learn how your marina can benefit from Poralu Marine’s uniquely versatile marina products and systems.

Versatility in marina construction and redevelopment

When marina owners decide to undertake a redevelopment project, it’s often decades after the marina was originally built. In that time, construction and design standards have typically evolved and the changing demands of marina customers as well as the owners themselves have to be carefully and thoughtfully evaluated and accommodated.

The key to bringing all of these stakeholders and their needs together is the immense versatility offered by Poralu Marine pontoons. Manufactured from lightweight aluminium, they enable hassle-free installation, repositioning as well as customisation of marina assets throughout their lifecycle. Pontoons can be moved around to suit the marina’s changing needs and accessories can be added and changed as customer needs and your own business needs develop and evolve.

During Poralu Marine’s redevelopment of Tauranga Marina at Sulphur Point, the initial biggest challenge was in keeping such a busy, crowded marina operational while delivering an entirely new floating infrastructure. But it’s one that Poralu Marine easily solved in conjunction with marina management.

Cost and time efficiencies

That’s because Poralu Marine systems are delivered to the site fully manufactured and ready for assembly. The pontoons are pre-assembled on land or on water, with minimal lifting and in fully constructed elements up to 100 metres long, before being towed into position and connected to piles.

At Tauranga Marina, in order to limit the number of boats requiring relocation during construction, the pontoons were assembled and then installed in stages, saving the customer time and money and ensuring that the marina was able to continue functioning throughout the project’s duration.

Poralu Marine systems are designed and built to withstand the harsh marine environment and to ensure that marina owners get maximum value out of their investment. That also means that owners can benefit from reusing Poralu Marine pontoons during later redevelopments, and the cost savings that flow from that.

This was perfectly highlighted in 2022 when the company was contracted to redevelop Marina Puerto Escondido in Mexico. The existing marina infrastructure on site had been supplied and installed by Poralu Marine in 2005. As part of the redevelopment project, the existing infrastructure was be reused and configured into the new marina, resulting in an expansion of the facility from 25 berths to 120 berths. It would also include high-end superyacht facilities and a floating breakwater that would secure accreditation as a hurricane-safe harbour. The existing pile-based anchoring system was also replaced with a seaflex system.

The existing Poralu pontoons were still in such good condition that this was easily achieved and the completed project was a resounding success. The owners later commented that the durability of the product that had been supplied in the original project and its good condition almost two decades later had been a deciding factor for them.

Changing needs

Of course, the needs of any marina continue to evolve post-installation and this is where the versatility of Poralu Marine’s product portfolio can return significant value to marina owners.

Poralu Marine pontoons offer marina owners built-in modularity and an array of features that allow the pontoons to be customised at any point following installation. For example, additional pontoons can be easily added at any point. Meanwhile, patented aluminium channels allow cleats and other similar accessories to be added or relocated quickly and easily as needed.

Consequently, thanks to the deliberately engineered versatility of Poralu Marine’s products, marina owners who invest in Poralu Marine infrastructure can rest assured that their marina will be able to evolve as their facility - and their customers’ needs - evolve.

The benefits of versatility

Poralu Marine pontoons aren’t limited to traditional installations in marina construction.

The company’s international references have showcased the versatility of the company’s products in unique and interesting ways. In Europe, Poralu Marine’s partners have utilised the company’s pontoons in scenarios including floating terraces, lounges, stages, social areas and similar event infrastructure.

The company’s pontoons have also seen use in very recognisable, high-profile events, including the Cannes Yachting Festival, the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Evian Championship, where they continue to prove the versatility of Poralu Marine products and their adaptability to so many different applications.

Flexibility is at the core of the company’s commitment to design excellence. Its design and engineering teams are on-hand to conceptualise and deliver bespoke solutions to suit any project’s unique requirements.

The design team’s ability to quickly adapt to client needs was again demonstrated during the Tauranga Marina project when the team received a special request from the customer for a mid-stream change to the project’s design. A berth owner required a larger berth as he’d just purchased a bigger catamaran and the customer approached Poralu Marine for a solution to accommodate the larger boat.

The pontoons for that part of the project were already en route and for some manufacturers, this challenge would’ve set the project back substantially. But not for Poralu Marine. Following a quick modification to the design of the project’s pontoons, a replacement pontoon was soon air-freighted to site.

Meanwhile, the original pontoon was successfully incorporated into the next stage of the project, thus saving the marina owner substantial costs while also keeping to the project program.

Versatility around the world

Poralu Marine boasts a global footprint with a truly worldwide reach. Its two advanced factories - one in Canada and one in France - comprehensively serve its markets and its customers wherever they are, around the world.

Poralu Marine pontoons arrive on site carefully but efficiently packed in shipping containers. And thanks to their lightweight aluminium construction, less handling is required on-site, resulting in lower costs.

Poralu Marine’s footprint and its decades of industry experience also ensure that it is able to design and engineer products and solutions and deliver projects for every need, wherever the customer may be and no matter their requirements.

The company has successfully delivered for decades not only marina installations but also all kinds of other floating projects. The list is large and features leisure, sports and commercial installations of every kind, spanning events, exhibitions and shows.

Contact Poralu Marine

If you’re considering redeveloping your marina or need any floating infrastructure for your company, event or other space, please contact Marie-Alexandra Hegot at Poralu Marine: ma.hegot@poralu.com

www.poralu.com

Poralu Marine is a silver sponsor of NZMOA