Boats back in marina as some East Arm parking reinstated
Signs that summer is on the way were clear despite a murky morning yesterday when the remaining leisure boats taken out of the QEII Marina to allow for the replacement of D and E pontoons were craned back into the water.
The harbour’s Gotland and mobile cranes were used to lift the boats from the East Arm.
More than half of the East Arm parking will be reinstated soon, but a much-reduced work compound will remain on the far end for another three weeks so that power upgrades to the new pontoons and further electrical works can be carried out safely.
‘Replacing the D and E pontoons is part of a long-term investment programme designed to modernise and upgrade facilities for our mooring holders,’ said assistant harbour master Kieran Higgs.
‘The location of D and E pontoons, closest to the marina gates, boasts the deepest water across all four of our marinas. This makes it perfectly suited to larger vessels, particularly sailboats with deeper drafts, which are currently in high demand.
‘The project has not only enhanced our facilities, it has allowed us to optimise this area’s layout to specifically address the demand for larger vessels and better serve our customers’ needs.’
The £1.4m. project began in mid-January, with some 120 vessels temporarily relocated or craned out of the water onto hard-standing at the East Arm.
The old pontoons, which date back to the construction of the marina in the 1980s, were lifted out of the water, while hundreds of metres of modular walkways, platforms and finger pontoons were shipped to the island.
‘When we identified D and E for replacement, we were looking for pontoons that would significantly upgrade what we already had,’ said Guernsey Ports project manager Jenny Giles.
‘These new System 21 pontoons have a strong and durable galvanised steel structure, which is important as D and E provide moorings to around 100 of the largest vessels in our marinas.’
The pontoon system is supported by a network of sub-aquatic pile structures, generally about 11 metres in height, which are set into large concrete bases to stabilise them.
‘Three new supporting piles have been constructed for D and E and the existing piles have been repainted and reinforced in order to provide really sturdy bases for the new pontoons,’ said Mrs Giles.
‘Meanwhile, the new pontoons have been constructed on the quayside, before being craned into the water in stages, which then enabled us to apply the fittings, assemble the new runs, and connect them to power and utilities, which are of an excellent standard on the new pontoons.’
The D pontoons are all connected to new electric and water supplies. Power upgrades to E pontoon will be completed shortly.
Once complete, the opportunity will also be taken to upgrade the electrical supply to the neighbouring R and EX pontoons.
LONG-TERM PARKING TO BE REINSTATED
Just over half of the East Arm is due to be re-opened imminently for public parking. To coincide with this, Traffic & Highways will switch 78 temporary 10-hour spaces on North Beach back to three-hour..
These spaces were re-zoned as long-stay parking during the parking suspension along the East Arm.
The far end of the East Arm will remain closed for a few more weeks, for:
- The completion of power upgrades to E pontoon, which requires landside trenching and cable installations
. The completion of power upgrades and utilities to EX and R pontoons
- The removal of the old D and E pontoons. These need to be stripped by Ports’ maintenance teams so that individual parts such as the aluminium frame can be recycled.
