A new robotic dry stack marina could be in your future. At Gulf Star Marina in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, it’s here now.
The five-story concrete building accommodates up to 115 vessels in concrete cubicles of varying beam and height, 80 feet deep, which can nest vessels of dimensions to 40 feet in length overall. The building is rated for winds to 200 mph to keep your boat safe in dangerous weather, and the concrete-cubicle design protects your boat from dirt, grime and grease falling from boats stored overhead.
The twist that makes it even better is that the crane is fully automated. Its electric motors are unobtrusively quiet and prevent one of the biggest vessel foulers in dry-stack operations: the particulate matter of a forklift’s diesel exhaust. The relative silence of the electric crane and trolley is a blessing to a private residence on one side and a popular dining franchise called Doc Ford’s on the other.
Inside, the building looks a little like a pair of Hollywood Squares stages facing each other, with a rail-based crane that moves between them, plucking boats from cubicles on either side. They do it with a sledlike lift that slides into the cubicle and under the boat’s cradle, and then electric jacks lift the boat and cradle, and pull it back to the crane platform to be lowered to an electric launch conveyor. The final splash sequence is directed by the lift manager operating a remote control. The boat is lowered into the water and then driven by a captain to one of many slips. When the dockmaster returns the empty cradle to the crane’s pickup station, the crane plucks it up and slips it into the first available cubicle. From cubical to launch, the conveyor needs about seven minutes. There are two launch conveyors, allowing the crane to pick up a second vessel while the first is being launched.
The crane and dockmasters work together to launch and land boats while the crane memorizes space available in the building and, after a scanner measures the boat, it selects the first and best available cubicle for storage. It logs the location to the cloud-based system so that it can quickly retrieve the boat when needed.
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The boater initializes this whole process through Boat Cloud, an app-based system that allows the boater to select the day and time of launch and, using drop-down menus, request fuel and victuals be onboarded upon launch. The marina manager can allow the crane to run automatically or control its launch and landing sequences by computer, depending on the number and timing of launches.
While all that is impressive enough, the marina’s environment is also pleasant and inviting. A chandlery boasts accessories such as safety gear and Yeti coolers, as well as inflatable toys. Motor flushing and rinse is part of the storage process, and boat detailers are available via the app. Service bays allow mobile mechanics to work on boats without needing to remove them from the premises.
A lounge is open to members, as are private showers and restrooms. At the end of the day, boaters can toss the keys to the dockmaster, then shower, change, and head over to Doc Ford’s for dinner and cocktails. A tap of the app restarts the process for the next boating adventure.
