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Unsafe docks at Smiling Cove Marina
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Posted on May 11 2009
Smiling Cove Marina’s docks, which are patched with plywood to cover dilapidated portions, are no longer safe to use and are in need of replacement, Smiling Cove Marina manager Roque Santos said yesterday.
He said about 50 percent of the floating docks are dilapidated or are badly cracked and could cause accidents.
Santiago Saures, enforcement staffer at the Smiling Cove Marina, showed Saipan Tribune the many wooden patches and dilapidated areas at the marina yesterday, while Larry Tenorio, supervisor of enforcement, showed the new transient dock made of composite lumber that will replace the plastic floating docks built some 20 years ago.
The new transient dock is sturdier than the current floating plastic docks, which are more suitable for freshwater.
Santos said they are now in the process of recruiting a project manager to oversee the rehabilitation of the Smiling Cove Marina using a $2 million funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service.
“We expect construction to begin in August. It will take about a year to complete the project once construction commences,” Santos said in an interview at the marina.
The new materials to be used will last for at least 50 years and will be more suitable for saltwater.
Santos also said the construction will be done in segments, instead of removing all the docks or berths all at once. For example, the first part may only include Docks B and C, and the vessels docked at the slips will be asked to temporarily relocate while the replacement is ongoing, and so on.
Smiling Cove Marina has 74 slips or areas where the boats are berthed or parked. All the slips are being used, with only two on the wait list.
Every month, vessel owners pay a berthing fee depending on the size of their vessel. A vessel 29 feet or less in length pays $3.50 a foot, while a vessel 44 feet or greater pays $8 a foot. The median vessel size is 29 ft. to 44 ft. which pays $5.50 a foot.
“Once this project is done, we will have a better and safer marina for people to enjoy. We will also ask people to care for it and assist the marina staff in protecting the docks,” Santos added.
