Boating New Zealand — January 2018

88 Boating New Zealand

“OUR OBJECTIVES OVER THE LAST YEAR,” says Westhaven manager Kevin

Lidgard, “have targeted specific components of the marina. They range

from improving water quality and renewing/replacing piles, through better

security and electricity/water reticulation, to the new public promenade and

parking management.”

Their collective impact, he says, has seen the marina’s latest

customer survey leap to a 78 percent ‘very satisfied’ rating – up 10

percent from the year before. “There is plenty more to do, but we are

moving in the right direction in the drive to develop the marina as a

premier boating facility.”

One of the marina’s most pressing problems is capacity. Home to

around 1,500 vessels, the facility is full and has a current waiting list of

more than 200 boats. Part of the solution, says Lidgard, is redeveloping

the pile berths on the eastern side of the marina.

“It’s only about 60 percent full but it’s not particularly popular with

boat owners. If we were able to convert the piles into piers with modern,

serviced berths, we could double the capacity of this segment of the

marina. We are in negotiation with key parties to achieve this.”

This change would also close the smaller of Westhaven’s two

entrances (on the northern side), a step which would reduce marina

sedimentation and improve navigational safety at the main entrance.

UPGRADE PROJECTS

A ‘high-visibility’ change is the progressive replacement of the what Lidgard

calls the ‘jail-cell’ pier gates, with more welcoming sliding glass models.

“They not only look good but offer better security with smarter

Westhaven’s winning ways

PROMOTIONALADVERTORIAL

WORDS BY LAWRENCE SCHÄFFLER PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE’S BIGGEST MARINA IS BENEFITTING FROM A

WAVE OF UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE ENHANCED THE FACILITY

FOR BERTH HOLDERS AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.