Updates to 100-Year-Old Florida Yacht Club

Following seven years of permitting struggles and design efforts, the Sarasota Yacht Club, incorporated in 1926, has selected a new heavy-duty floating aluminum dock solution by Marina Technologies (MTI). Longtime struggles to maintain and replace the marina’s legacy fixed timber docks through repeated hurricane season devastation forced the marina to seek new options. The new solution includes 102 slips to accommodate vessels from 30 to 100 feet in length.

“Our coastal engineer suggested we consider several aluminum dock manufacturers, which we analyzed thoroughly,” said Bobby Overall, Sarasota Yacht Club’s project leader and retired marine and bridge contractor. “After a long and detailed analysis of the different dock systems, we decided on Marina Technologies D-260 Aluminum Frame Dock System because it was the strongest system by far. It was the only system that could be designed for a Cat-3 hurricane with 4-foot waves fully loaded and had the most features and advantages for the price, which made it the best investment for the yacht club.”

The new MTI docks have premium composite decking, polyethylene floats, aluminum reinforced soft PVC fenders and inflatable (pressure adjustable) corner bumpers, double flexible and silent reinforced rubber dock connections and adjustable 12-inch and 18-inch powder-coated aluminum cleats with stainless steel backing plates.

“Our utility troughs were another key benefit,” said Bob Berry, MTI’s project development manager and vice president. “The new docks have dual top-access troughs with 7-foot-long aluminum cover panels, which makes installing, accessing and maintaining utilities simpler and faster compared to removing deck boards.”

“At first, we thought floating concrete docks were the way to go, but recent hurricane experience in Fort Myers showed that the floating aluminum systems held up better than the concrete docks and were repairable,” Overall said.

The project will upgrade utilities, including high power capabilities in three phase and single phase, pumpout system, fire suppression system, lighting, Wi-Fi and gasoline and diesel fueling with a floating fuel office. Midcoast Marine Group will perform the marine work, including demolition and disposal of the old docks and installation of the new docks, anchor piles and utilities.