“There are many advantages and benefits that come with housing your boat in a dry storage facility full time,” says David Joyce, Head of Marketing for d’Albora. “Keeping your vessel in a dry storage stacker gives you the peace of mind of knowing that your boat is safe, secure and protected year-round.
Dry storage can also help to reduce the costs and inconveniences associated with annual boat maintenance. Boating is all about lifestyle and enjoying your time out on the water, and the launch and retrieval service offered for boats stored within a dry storage stacker also makes getting out on the water both easy and convenient.” With dry storage available at five locations across the d’Albora network, we asked Joyce to talk us through some of the key benefits to dry storage within a marina stacker and why it’s an option boat owners can consider for full-time storage, not just seasonally.
Suitability for dry storage
Before we delve further into some of the advantages of dry storage, it’s important to touch on the basic parameters. Namely, providing some clarity on exactly which boats are and aren’t suitable for storage within a dry stacker facility. All boaties familiar with dry storage stackers will know the service isn’t suited to storing sailing vessels or larger motor yachts. However, while dry storage stacker facilities are targeted to smaller power vessels, it certainly isn’t a case of ‘one size boat fits all dry storage stackers’, with each dry storage facility having different limits in terms of the maximum-sized boats its stacker can store.
“Every marina location will be slightly different in terms of the vessels it can accommodate for dry storage simply because every dry storage stacker is different,” explains Joyce. “For example, at d’Albora we have a cross-section of stackers with different-sized racks across our network. So, when a boat owner rings up enquiring about dry storage, our member and guest services team will treat each of these dry storage requests on a case-by-case basis. Key factors we will ask boat owners about when determining the suitability of their vessel for dry stacker storage include the width, height and weight of their boat. Most dry storage stacker facilities will cater for smaller power vessels, with ideal vessel types including half cabins, sport boats, inflatables, speed boats, tinnies and cabin cruisers. So, we’re talking trailer boats through to moored powerboats around the mid-30-foot size range.”
What about powerboats larger than the recommended size range for storage within a dry stacker facility? “For slightly larger and heavier vessels, an AirBerth or Air-Dock boat lift system could be another option to explore,” says Joyce. “Closely aligned with dry storage, these boat lift systems are another option we offer our d’Albora members. They are designed to keep moored powerboats lifted out of the water, so they aren’t exposed to salt water 24/7.” The key differences between boat lift systems and dry stacker storage are that boat lift systems are installed within a marina berth or private dock, and that the boat isn’t undercover.
Protection from the elements
This leads us onto one of the key benefits of dry storage, which is the protection it can provide from environmental elements. “Every boat owner knows that the marine environment can be extremely harsh on vessel components and equipment,” says Joyce. “Salt water can be corrosive, and the sun and rain can also add additional pressure to your boat’s life cycle.” A key benefit of dry storage is that it helps protect your vessel from these environmental elements by minimising your boat’s exposure to these factors when the boat isn’t in use. “Housing your boat within a dry storage stacker means your boat is always undercover and out of the elements when you’re not using it,” says Joyce. “The environmental protection dry storage offers can be highly beneficial in terms of reducing general environmental wear on your vessel.”
Maintenance made easier
Routine professional maintenance is a key part of responsible boat ownership. Storage within a stacker at a full-service marina can streamline the process of engaging on-site marine trades for either routine maintenance, upgrades or detailing. “It’s very easy for the marina team to just pull the vessel out of the rack and stick it on the hard stand,” confirms Joyce. “For moored vessels, this eliminates the need to have your vessel lifted out of the water for marine trades to work on it. For trailer boats, it saves you the hassle of towing your boat to site to access professional maintenance.”
For moored vessels specifically, dry storage can also significantly extend the life of your existing antifouling and reduce the need for regular antifouling maintenance by avoiding the constant exposure your hull, propellors and underwater metals have to marine growth and the corrosive effects of salt water. “As every owner of a moored vessel knows, antifouling requires moored vessels to be pulled out of the water annually to have the barnacles water blasted off and then the hull treated with antifouling paint to slow marine growth,” says Joyce. “This is a large annual expense for boat owners, with costs involved with every step of the process from the lifting, hard standing and antifouling itself. Moored boats stored within a dry storage don’t live in salt water, so it can save owners the expense of annual antifouling.”
Boating lifestyle benefits
The lifestyle benefits of dry storage centre around the simplicity of the launch and retrieval process and convenience of having your vessel permanently located at a desirable boating destination of your choosing. “An enjoyable boating experience often comes down to timing, comfort and ease of use, and our d’Albora members tell us they love the convenience and ease of our dry storage offerings, as it allows them the opportunity to get the most out of their boating lifestyle all year round,” says Joyce.
While some boat owners may have traditionally associated dry storage with seasonal boat usage, specifically dry storage over the winter months, Joyce says dry stacker storage is gaining in popularity as an annual storage option for both trailer boats and moored craft. “For some people, it’s about rethinking their perception of dry storage,” says Joyce. “Across our network we’ve found that this style of annual boating storage, and the launch and retrieval service that comes with it, encourages boat owners to use their vessels all year, rather than storing their boat during the winter months.”
So, what does the launch and retrieval service typically entail? “Our members simply log into our d’Albora app, and select a time that suits them to launch their vessel,” explains Joyce. “Our team will pull the vessel out of the rack and ensure the member’s boat is waiting in the water for them when they arrive. For our trailer boat owner members, this means no towing or dealing with the hassles of a busy boat ramp! When they’ve finished boating, members simply bring their vessel back to the marina and leave it at the pickup point. Our team will then lift the boat from the water and give it a wash down, and there’s also an optional engine flush down service available to our members. Once the boat has been washed, our team will store it away safely back on the rack, ready for next time. It really is that simple.”
Dry storage with d’Albora Boating lifestyle benefits
WE TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE FIVE LOCATIONS WITHIN THE D’ALBORA NETWORK WHICH OFFER DRY STORAGE.
d’Albora East Coast Marina, Moreton Bay, QLD
Located just 20 minutes from both Brisbane CBD and Brisbane Airport, East Coast Marina is a full-service marina set within Manly Boat Harbour and offering direct access to Moreton Bay Marine Park. The marina has 295 wet berths for vessels up to 18m, 240 spaces within its dry storage stacker and a full-service boatyard. There’s waterfront dining at Café La Mer and ice is also available on site.
d’Albora Horizon Shores Marina, Gold Coast, QLD
Conveniently located just 45 minutes from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Horizon Shores Marina is a full-service marina which offers boaters easy access to some of Queensland’s most popular cruising grounds. The marina has 500 wet berths for boats up to 25m, 334 undercover dry storage spaces, 47 spaces on outside racks and a full-service boatyard. The Anchorage Café offers waterfront dining and ice is also available on site.
d’Albora Akuna Bay Marina, Pittwater, NSW
Located around an hour’s drive from Sydney’s CBD and 25 minutes from Mona Vale, Akuna Bay Marina is an impressive full-service marina nestled in the heart of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. The marina has 204 wet berths for boats up to 40m, 167 spaces within its dry storage stacker, a dry dock for personal watercraft, a full-service boatyard, chandlery, 24/7 fuel, ice and waterfront dining options with Shed Café and San Martin function centre.
d’Albora Boatyard Martha Cove, Mornington Peninsula, VIC
Boatyard Martha Cove is a full-service vessel maintenance facility and premium dry stacker warehouse offering full vessel coverage from the elements for 380 boats and a wide range of marine services. Located around an hour’s drive from Melbourne’s CBD, the location offers access to some of Victoria’s most pristine waterways.
d’Albora Pier 35 Marina, Port Melbourne, VIC
Situated at the mouth of Port Phillip Bay, within easy reach of Melbourne’s CBD, Pier 35 Marina has 304 spaces within its dry storage stacker and 77 wet berths for boats up to 38m. The boatyard
facility offers a range of marine services including detailing and mechanical maintenance. There’s also 24/7 fuel and ice on site and waterfront dining at Pier 35 Bar and Grill.
Visit dalbora.com.au
The October-November issue of Nautilus Marine Magazine is out now.
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Nautilus Marine Magazine offers readers 100 pages of content to support their on-water lifestyle. Published every two months across Australia and New Zealand for an audience of Nautilus Marine Insurance customers, members of the marine industry and boating enthusiasts, our magazine features expert features, boat profiles, interviews with boating and sailing identities, fishing adventures, travel destinations, boating lifestyle content and dining. No matter what side of the boating spectrum you sit on, power or sail, Nautilus Marine Magazine is a must read.
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Nautilus Marine Insurance is a leading provider of insurance solutions for recreational vessels and marine business assets across Australia and New Zealand, protecting over 45,000 vessel owners and marine industry members. For over 19 years, Nautilus Marine Insurance has been a specialist supplier of insurance for pleasure craft and marine business assets and liability insurance. Nautilus Marine Insurance provide coverage for pleasure craft of all sizes, ranging from sailing dinghies and personal watercraft (PWCs) through to yachts, runabouts, and luxury motor yachts as well as commercially operated boats and marine businesses. Through its Industry Lines division, Nautilus Marine Insurance also specialises in providing tailored business insurance for clients servicing the recreational boating market including marina operators and owners, yacht clubs and boat clubs, boat dealerships and most marine trades including boat repairers and boat service providers. Thousands of professional insurance advisers and brokers choose to work with Nautilus Marine Insurance. These insurance experts trust the breadth of Nautilus Marine’s products and claims support to recommend our products and services to their clients. Nautilus Marine Insurance has a passionate team of over 90 staff and offices across Australia and New Zealand. Nautilus Marine Insurance is a business name of NM Insurance Pty Ltd, ABN 34 100 633 038, AFSL 227186. It has binding authority from Zurich Australian Insurance Limited (ZAIL) which allows it to enter into and arrange policies of insurance and handle and settle claims made under them. Visit nautilusinsurance.com.au to find out more.
