Pontoons removed as £1.4m. QEII Marina project gets under way
Work to dismantle pontoons in the QEII Marina got under way yesterday and some 20 vessels will be craned out of the water this week.
The £1.4m. project to replace two of the original pontoons marks the beginning of a multi-million programme of investment in local leisure mooring facilities.
It involved the replacement of pontoons D and E, which provide berths for 130 boats, including some of the largest vessels in the QEII marina.
‘It has been quite a complex logistical exercise to relocate 130 boats, but the Marine Service Centre has been working with all the affected mooring holders to find them suitable alternative locations,’ said Guernsey Ports project manager Jenny Giles.
‘We are now working closely with our suppliers, contractors and Guernsey Ports operational teams to optimise the schedule for the works.
‘That will mitigate any disruption as much as possible during these works.
‘We want to thank the public for their cooperation while we undertake this much-needed investment in the island’s leisure marina facilities.’
The East Arm of the QEII Marina is being used as a temporary storage area for vessels of mooring holders and to store and assemble the new pontoons.
These are expected to arrive in the island later this month, and in total will measure around 500m when fully constructed.
The supporting piles that the pontoons are moored to also need to be reinforced before the replacements can be installed, and work on that will also commence shortly.
More than 100 three-hour parking spaces at the North Beach have been temporarily changed to 10-hour spaces to make up for the lost spaces on the East Arm.
The work is expected to take around three months to complete.
As well us upgrading the current facilities, it will also enable some rearrangement of existing moorings, to make better use of space within the marinas.
The area around pontoon E, which is closest to the East Arm outer breakwater, has the deepest water of any of Guernsey Ports marinas, making it ideal for bigger vessels and particularly sailing vessels with deeper drafts.
Reconfiguration will help to satisfy some demand for larger berths that are currently in very short supply.
The new D pontoon, closest to the entry to the QEII Marina, will be installed first, so Guernsey Ports can begin moving vessels back prior to the completion of work in E pontoon.
Much of the current infrastructure in the QEII Marina, including Pontoons D and E, date back to the when it was constructed in the 1980s and has long since reached the end of its design life.
Further investment is planned, including the replacement of the current gates that impound water within the marina.
