Jean-Michel Gaigné

*This article has been originally published in French, to address the marina operators in Brittany, France.

 

During a speech at the Nautik Deiz conference organized by the Brittany region last October, I introduced the different modes of management of marinas on an international scale, briefly sketching the panorama of their particularities, pros and cons, with the desire to outline potential solutions that could inspire a Breton model.

 

The private operation model: the customer is king, the goal is to make more money

 

Marinas are in fact mainly managed by private companies in most countries of the world, from Australasia to the Americas or from Europe to the Middle East. These may be specialized groups bringing together several dozen marinas, such as MDL, Premier Marinas, or Boatfolk in the United Kingdom, Suntex in the United States, D-Marin in Greece, Croatia or Turkey, d’Albora Marinas in Australia, and even groups present in several markets, such as IGY Marinas. It can also be a simple family business which manages a marina and the associated services, like operating a hotel or a campsite. The common points of this management model are that the level of service is generally high and the whole value chain is controlled by a single operator. This would include the moorings to the lifting facilities, from the boat park to the repair, maintenance, and sale of boats; the restaurant, the grocery store, the swimming pool, the fitness center; maybe even the sailing school or the adjacent hotel.

 

The undeniable advantage comes from a single interlocutor, controlling all levels of the service to satisfy the client, meeting its least expectations, or even anticipating them, with the ulterior motive of making an ever-increasing financial profit. For the customer, it is often the guarantee of personalized services of unparalleled quality, although it comes at a higher price.

 

The cooperative model: the customer is me!

 

There is an intermediate model between public management and private enterprise. This is what I have called the cooperative model, which is most frequently operated by yacht clubs or non-profit associations. Very widespread in Belgium and the Netherlands, it is also found in Spain and diffusely in various countries. Here again, most of the time, the scope of operation goes beyond the simple management of floating berths to incorporate hard standing boating areas and lifting facilities, the running of a club house with bar, restaurant, wintering sheds, a workshop, even shared tools, in some cases.

 

Although more limited than in a private management scenario, the services considered essential are integrated and those offered to boaters are generally richer than in our Breton marinas, which are publicly operated. Above all, they have the advantage of being limited to what boaters themselves expect from their favorite home marina, since they control their choice, take the decision, and set the price!

 

Public management: the client… which client?

 

I do not want in any way to criticize the public management of our Breton marinas, whether municipal authorities, joint syndicates, autonomous public services, mixed ownership public companies, local public corporations, or chambers of commerce. Many of them can be cited as  positive examples on a number of points and have guided the development of marinas in other regions. It is above all the legacy of history, and a model of public management very prevalent in our country, which can be found only anecdotally in most other countries, with the notable exception of Sweden, and a few yacht harbours around the world.

 

But if progress has been made over the years, which, beyond the floating berths, makes it possible to offer services such as boat lift, boat parking on land, dry stack facilities, bicycle rental, or even a sauna or toilet blocks with real bathrooms, the marinas do not directly manage the extras. Those are in the hands of different service providers, even if in the end, they contribute to the overall quality of service offered to boaters. This is the case for boat maintenance yards, restaurants around the port, golf course, swimming pool, gym, food store or even a hotel. The result is that for each of these services, the customer must contact a third party of which he is a simple customer, and not a privileged one, on the grounds he holds a mooring contract in the local marina, whether as a permanent resident or a transient boater.

 

No longer a client, but a “Guest ar Vro” **

 

Several challenges arise from this devolved management structure. The restaurants around the port can all be closed on a Sunday evening, even though the marina receives visitors; the tennis club can refuse access to a yachtsman because he is not a member; the repair boatyard can use an overworked excuse to postpone a technical intervention and force a visiting boat to wait several days; this list could be extended with multiple examples.

 

This is the reason why I suggest creating a sort of “club of service providers” at the level of each port, which would mutually commit to ensuring a quality service for yachtsmen. They would coordinate to give the customers accessibility to the whole commercial, leisure and hospitality offer provided in each locality. Thus, each customer of the marina would be considered as a privileged consumer, a “temporary” member of the golf club or fitness center benefiting from specific access conditions, if he has a contract in the marina. I called this client “guest ar Vro” which no longer makes him an ordinary individual, but a client common to all stakeholders, entitled to expect a special attention. This type of organization already exists in another industry, the ports which welcome cruise ships having created “cruise clubs” which bring together and coordinate all the service providers in the value chain, from shipping companies to custom agents, tourism professionals, coach operators and even retail shops.

 

By embracing such an initiative all over Brittany and by transforming our customers into “guest ar Vro” with all the service providers committed to satisfying them, we could thus significantly raise the level of service offered in our marinas. We can get closer to the best examples of private marinas, while maintaining our singular model of public management with a limited scope, that will probably never change, because it is part of our history for over 50 years now.

 

Another advantage, and not the least important one, would be also to reciprocally open our marinas more widely to those practicing other activities, in coordination with our nautical clubs and our boat charter companies. The members of the riding club, those of the golf club or tennis, those who stay at the hotel on the quay, or have lunch at the port restaurant could perhaps become our customers of tomorrow!

 

** “Guest ar Vro” means “Guest of the country” in Breton language

 

Jean-Michel Gaigné CMM, GMBA France
Tel: + 33 682 112 524
Email: jm.gaigne@gmba.blue

 

---

Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors is a registered legal entity and is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA.

Monitoring, recording, tracking. Then processing, data analyzing, even driving artificial intelligence… The more information we collect, the more efficient we can be!

Not so long ago, the marina industry was still in the Middle Ages and many marina operators were using a marina management software application like a simple spreadsheet. To list the boat names and characteristics associated with owner’s contact details and to charge the marina fees were the only functionalities commonly used. Thus, any refined analysis was impossible and statistics necessarily empirical. I remember a discussion that I had with the harbor master of a commercial port, about ten years ago. The Port Authority was able to report about the list of cargo ships that called over the year, with any detail of freight loaded and unloaded, while the marina manager in the same town was just able to give the number of yachts having a permanent berthing contract, and the number of visiting boats received with their approximative origin… In France, I have heard many times such a sentence: “The boats berthed in the marinas don’t sail more than 7 days a year!” And I have always replied what is the only possible answer: “This is stupid, no one has statistics about it, it differs from one location to another one, and you could say 10 days or 30 days that it won’t be more convincing. Absolutely no one knows!”

 

Marinas must make the leap to become responsive

Hence, how to convince an investor or a public authority to improve an existing facility or to develop a new marina if you don’t have any proven arguments, just rough approximation, and gut feelings? The result is that many decisions have been taken according to biased studies and political interests. Of course, until recently, there were few technical devices available to help decision makers to fine tune their strategies and to confirm their choice, but nowadays it should be unacceptable anymore to deal without such assistance. Of course, for a marina with a lock and access constraints, it was easy to register the boat movements, but this is not the general case. The boat owners themselves were reluctant, and sometimes still are, to give any personal detail and to know that a third party could have an eye on their boating habits. But the lack of information is finally negative for the marina operator, the yachtsman, and the public landowner.

 

Sensors give us the arms of Vishnu to control marina operations!

Fortunately, many technological tools are now at our disposal, leaving these times behind and giving us a precious help. I pass over the CRM functionalities of most management applications that allow the customers to upload documents, access to a private and secure space, pay bills and exchange with the marina operator. Most important are the wireless sensors and the smart meters that send real-time information to both the management and the berth holder. It is of particular interest for the boat owner to know that something is going wrong aboard, that a fire risk is detected, that the battery level is very low and will hinder to start the engine when coming for a day out, or that there is water in the bilge… This is equally significant for the marina operator to be able to prevent any fire from starting and possibly expanding to other yachts, or to avoid the risk of a boat sinking in the marina, causing pollution.

 

The wireless presence sensors allocated to each berth, the RFID chips put on the boats, the smart motion silhouette detection cameras situated at the marina entrance, even the floating or flying drones are all key allies to monitor real-time occupancy of a basin and to optimize the berthing management. Thus, a boat which is obviously used twice a year for a few weeks might receive a combined proposal of dry stack and temporary wet berth, and it becomes easy to know with accuracy how the resident yachts are used. The individual water and electricity metering is a good way to empower the boat owners, while it gives opportunities to save energy and resources.

 

French companies like Falco (Wattson Elements), also based in the U.S, or NGE Connect, Monthabor, Sense4Boat in Croatia, Marina Master in Slovenia, SaMMY in Greece with its pilot project deployed in Patras, are good but non exhaustive examples of what can already be provided to marina operators.

 

In a nutshell, there is no reason today for not having all the relevant statistics available to the marina operator except for unwillingness or a backward-looking attitude. Age distribution of the berth holders, home origin, frequency of yacht uses per day, month and year, comprehensive review of the boats condition, energy, and water consumption and so on. By cross-referencing all these data, everybody wins:

 

The boat owner who is notified if something happens on board can save money on its insurance policy, due to increased safety precautions, and can benefit from a tailor-made offer from his home marina. The management company which has the perfect knowledge of all operations can better serve the customers while maximizing profits. Our planet, eventually, with a better use of energy and freshwater, and little pollution hazard.

 

And what about climate change?

This is another field in which the so-called smart marinas face a big challenge, and the prehistoric ones too: climate change and sea levels rising. Everybody knows that this is a threat for our infrastructure, even for the population, and that existing facilities will have to be adapted accordingly. The weather forecast state agencies and the most serious studies give us are predictions with a first estimation foreseeing a rise of about 20 cm in 2050. Geographical institutes have published maps showing the coast erosion according to the topography and the shoreline profile, using the Bruun Rule among other things. The marinas should be concerned in the first instance, but very few seem to have acted yet.

 

Indeed, it seems to be of utmost importance to consider the side effects on the weather conditions and to monitor them. In 2010, the cyclone Xynthia hit the south-west of France with battering waves, floodings and wind gusts around 100 knots. Even in the most affected areas, differences in the impacts were noticed. According to the exposure to wind, to the tidal range, to the currents, to the degree of protection provided by the sea walls, to the fetch, to a possible Venturi effect through a natural corridor… the consequences can differ greatly. Therefore, accurate data collected in each single marina should be the rule. Sensors to record the sea level and temperature, the atmospheric pressure, the wind force and direction, the tide conditions, the water quality, and chemistry would be advisable in each marina. The MarineLabs company, based in Canada, has started to deploy a network of such smart buoys, geared with various sensors. Within a couple of years, I am convinced that the data collected will provide crucial information to each port authority, to decide the relevant adaptation strategy to deal with climate change.

 

If the boat owner’s privacy is guaranteed and the data efficiently processed, there’s no reason to be cautious towards monitoring technology. Marinas must invest rapidly if they want to meet the customers’ expectations of today and the challenges of tomorrow!

 

Jean-Michel Gaigné CMM, GMBA France
Tel: + 33 682 112 524
Email: jm.gaigne@gmba.blue

 

---

Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA

It is sometimes difficult to discern the exact meaning of a certification. Marinas proudly display their awards on their website and billboards, but there are so many recognition signs that we can easily get lost…

Whatever the certification, there are always two levels of interpretation to motivate the applicant. The first one comes with the benefit of a process and quality audit, and is a reassurance for the marina operator, who is potentially confirmed in its choices, and challenged in its failures. The second one refers to the accolade deserved, which can enhance the marina reputation and add credibility by claiming that the service meets berth holder expectations. Both goals are fortunately compatible, but according to the priority given to one orientation, marina managers will have to choose among certifications galore!

Credit where credit is due: ISO standards

ISO standards are the ultimate reference in any field of application, from industry to services, environment to management, tourism to food products or agriculture to mining… They are the most rigorous and exhaustive standards, carrying an absolute international recognition, but poorly understood by the general public. Let’s take the example of hotel chains. Marriott, Accor hotels, Hilton or Holiday Inn… all these groups are ISO certified (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001…) Their clients can be sure that everything is under control, from environmental management to quality management systems or energy performance, but does it affect your choice, as a customer? I am confident in saying No. Everyone is guided by the star ratings or even by a “Relais & Châteaux” distinctive certificate… Anyway, ISO standards remain an asset for the marinas which have made the effort to comply with, as it is very demanding and often awkward to manage for a small-scale marina team. As a result, some marinas have stopped with ISO certification, in particular with ISO 14001 to move towards other accreditations. However, specific ISO certifications for the marina industry have been developed over the recent years. ISO 13687 establishing requirements for marinas regarding health & safety, environment and services and ISO 21406 dedicated to luxury yacht harbours. Both have become increasingly valued by marina operators and are highly appreciated, without being explicit for the consumers…

The most popular: Blue Flag

The Blue Flag is undoubtedly the most popular recognition. Launched about 30 years ago, the Blue Flag is awarded every year to marinas all over the world. 776 marinas in 47 different countries carry the Blue Flag, which is a sign of environmental awareness and dedication to improving customer service. Far less demanding than an ISO certification, Blue Flag applicants have to observe stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria that have to be met and maintained, year after year. Another requirement for a Blue Flag marina is to carry out environmental education activities during the Blue Flag season. Mainly focused on environmental issues and the quality of facilities provided to the berth holders, the Blue Flag is far less demanding that an ISO certification process, and control visits are operated on a less thorough basis. Nevertheless, the Blue Flag achievement is a lofty goal, and due to the fact that beaches and sustainable tourism boats are associated under the same banner with a total of 4700 sites around the world, the Blue Flag is well-known among the general public and probably the most meaningful and mainstream award.

The Commonwealth reference: Gold Anchor

For 25 years, the Gold Anchor scheme has been developed by the British and Australian marina industries with the specific objective of raising standards and providing customer centric services. Marinas entering the Gold Anchor scheme are usually assessed by an expert assessor with an audit every three years, conducted by a highly experienced marina professional checking systems, infrastructure and customer service while also providing innovative ideas for improvement. A berth holder survey is also completed for customer feedback. Once the report is finalized and any outstanding actions have been completed by the marina, it is then reviewed by the Gold Anchor standards panel, to deliver the appropriate accreditation level awarded, rated at 2,3,4 or 5 Gold Anchor. A new additional Platinum level for exceptional facilities has been recently added for luxury marinas and superyacht facilities.

The Yacht Harbour Association (UK) delivers the scheme in the United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean, while Marina Industry Association (Australia) operates in Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Pacific Regions, New Zealand and Australia. In recent times, the first Gold Anchor marinas have been also awarded in Americas. However, the Gold Anchor scheme remains a distinction especially valued in UK, where it counts 2/3 of the recipients among roughly 360 marinas worldwide.

Blue Star certification: the seriousness ‘Made in Germany’

The famous International Marine Certification Institute, based in Brussels, but with a strong German taskforce, is the leading body assessing marine industry products and recreational crafts with the highest recognized standards of quality and safety. They operate all over the world through a network of multilingual experts, and benefit from a reputation of excellence and reliability. Among their diverse activities and their multiple contributions to ISO standards, CE-certification of watercraft, or American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) certification in the USA, IMCI has developed the Blue Star Marina certification program that rates the quality level of marinas. IMCI is a non-profit organization, independent from the marina world and acts a third party to assess and rate marinas, from 1 star to 5 stars, similar to the well-established system by hotels or campsites. Safety and security standards, as well as facilities, customer service, environment protection and management processes are reviewed and screened, leading to a Blue Star Marina certification. 34 marinas have been certified so far, in Germany, Scandinavia, Spain, Slovenia, Portugal, Italy and Turkey.

Upward trend for ‘Clean marina’ programs

Strictly environmental certifications are another step taken by many organizations in various countries. Marine Industry Association of Australia has launched its ‘Clean marina program’ to fight pollution and promote clean water, and UK has joined the initiative. 32 states in the USA have now a dedicated program too, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and ‘Clean Marine Program’ is developed in California. France has established the ‘Ports Propres’ certification encompassing 90 marinas in the country and endorsed by the French standard organization AFNOR, while supported by a workshop of European Committee for Standardization. Even better, France has added further refinement in creating the certification ‘Ports Propres actifs en biodiversité’ to foster the need to act for biodiversity, with a specific certification delivered for 3 years putting in place yearly monitoring assessments. And what’s about ‘Fish friendly marinas’, another Australian original enterprise, or ‘Clean Marine Anchor Rating Program’ that rates marinas every four years in Canada (Ontario)… Last but not least, ICOMIA is not out of the game, since the International Council of Marine Industry Associations endorses many clean marina programs giving the right to refer to ‘Icomia Clean Marinas Programme’ as long as the 12 criteria set out by ICOMIA Marinas and Environment Committees are met!

As regards the customers too…

Another important topic is customer care. Marinas need to give the best possible service to the customers and berth holders and improve the way they address new trends of consumption. Therefore, specific certifications have appeared, linked to the tourism sector. In Spain, marinas have a new standard, UNE 188004, drawn up by the Institute for Spanish Tourism Quality (ICTE) and the Spanish Confederation of Sailing Club Associations (CEACN). It regulates the activities of the sailing sector and allows sailing/marina facilities to obtain the ‘Q’ Tourist Quality Certificate. In France, the French Federation of Marinas (FFPP) has launched the certification ‘Qualité plaisance / Qualité tourisme’ in cooperation with the French Ministry of Tourism, and 20 marinas so far have received the honour.

The choice is yours!

Marina managers who can count on a strong and well-trained team having a wide range of skills will certainly choose to apply for an ISO certification. This implies a disciplined approach, follow up support and to ensure compliance with procedures. As a result, marina operations will be secured and benefit from a clearly defined framework. Those who want to highlight their achievement with a more customer-oriented and a more accessible certification will opt for the Gold Anchor scheme, especially if they target customers from Britain or Australasia, or the Blue Star Marina certification, which are both extensive, earnest and very helpful to structure the marina’s internal organization. The Blue Flag will be the ‘icing on the cake’, as it is always possible to apply for this single award, but many marinas carrying other certifications are also Blue Flag certified. This is indeed the most acknowledged environmental quality hallmark among the citizens, and Blue Flag marinas are challenged every year to improve the smallest details, whilst promoting environmental education. Clean marinas systems and tourist-focused approaches will provide reliable guidance in their respective domain, and could be mixed with other certifications too…

Applying for certification, there are 1001 ways to make the difference, while giving credit to your marina. The choice is yours!

Jean-Michel Gaigné, CMM | GMBA- France
+ 33 682 112 524
jm.gaigne@gmba.blue

---

Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA

Marine Industry News is  running a series of online seminars, in conjunction with Global Marine Business Advisors (GMBA), entitled Export Insights. The first Export Insights seminar, sponsored by PSP Logistics, focused on France.

The one hour free seminar was hosted on April 20^th and the responses to the event have been very positive.

Jean-Michel Gaigné, who has been in the marine industry for over 40 years, presented the first seminar in the series.

“ Our goal is to deliver punchy, professional presentations to attract curiosity and invite participants to go beyond the initial discussion and explore the possibilities. ”

Organiser Zella Compton, was impressed with the quality of the presentation: “The first GMBA session was informative, lively and of much interest to those who came along. We were delighted to be able to host Jean-Michel Gaigne, and to listen to his fascinating insights about exporting to France. We’re very much looking forward to the rest of the sessions, sponsored by PSP Logistics”.

If you missed the session, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIhx_FJiYRQ

The next presentations from GMBA will be:

Tuesday 25th May 14.00 BST : USA with Thom Dammrich

Tuesday 22nd June 14.00 BST:  Middle-East with Kai Malmivaara

The 17 members of GMBA have over 500 years of experience in the marine and boating Industries. The contents of these country presentations will offer a rather unique insight of what you need to know when planning market entry. Marine Industry News is a perfect partner in distributing this information.

For more information subscribe to the GMBA newsletter here or contact us at info@gmba.blue.

January is traditionally the most quiet month of the year. Retail shops, small businesses and restaurants are often closed for holidays, citizens need to recover from the bustling Christmas period, and the cold weather make them want to stay at home. But this is also the time to plan summer holidays, to consider projects for the coming months and… dream of the boating season! Usually, the Paris Boat Show vapour is still in the air, and some other ones prepare themselves for another dip into Boot Düsseldorf…

January 2021 is not quiet but desperately boring. Paris Boat Show last December was cancelled, Boot Düsseldorf is postponed to hopefully but uncertain better times, Covid-19 pandemic is ever more threatening while vaccines are being doled out. Lockdown, restrictions or bans are announced by the government every week, and our near future is foggy. Meetings are scarce even prohibited, travelling abroad is impossible, homework has become the norm, cinemas and theatres are closed and opportunities to party are nonexistent.

Anyway, we should find reasons to rejoice! Calm will come again after the storm and if we look to the situation, everything is not all doom and gloom. The boat dealers have placed strong orders last Autumn with the boat manufacturers and the main boatyards are actually busy for the next season. There are still many projects of marina rejuvenation, and pontoon manufacturers seem to report pretty good sales. The demand of berths in coastal marinas is still sustained and the most coveted ones notice a rise of their waiting list…

Even if we have seen newcomers and younger boating participants for the first time in many years, last summer, the fact that a strong part of our customers is over 60 might be a major asset. Our customers are usually retired and collect a pension. Their income has not been impacted so much by the sanitary crisis, they leave on the coast or away from the big cities and have not suffered as much as active people during the last months. If boating becomes a leisure for senior people, it might finally be good news!

Therefore, we must pay a particular attention to the ergonomics of our product offer, and this is what the major boatbuilders and marina equipment manufacturers do. Easing the movements around the boat, putting the right handrail or grab bar where it is suitable, on the boat but on the gangways to access the pontoons too… EBI Breakfast Meeting at Boot Düsseldorf put this issue at its presentation a few years ago. This is more relevant than ever!

In a world where constraints and regulations are a threat to freedom, there is nothing more cheerful than surfing in the waves when it’s windy, rainy and cold. Surfboarders, kite surfers, windsurfers, nothing can stop them, even in January 2021 when the pandemic is at its peak.

This is what I see when I walk on the beach, and this is tremendously encouraging. Boating is not only for senior citizens, but the last space of liberty for younger ones!

Jean-Michel Gaigné CMM | GMBA-France
+ 33 682 112 524
jm.gaigne@gmba.blue

---

Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA

Article by Jean-Michel Gaigné CMM

This is a translation of an article originally published in the French corporate tourism magazine ‘Juristourisme’ in 2018.

The marinas in France are characterized by three main factors, which makes them unique, and which alone explains why their service offering still shows a preoccupant deficiency in many yacht harbours.

Most of them, developed between the 1970s and 1990s, were built with public funds, then granted as concessions to public bodies ranging from direct municipal management to Chambers of Commerce and Industry, including public or semi-public corporations, and more recently local public companies, with the notable exception of the ports of the French Riviera, often managed by private businesses, and a few rare examples on the Atlantic coast.

Thanks to moderate tariffs maintained over a period, these ports have experienced fairly rapid success, culminating in a lack of berths, leading to waiting lists, and many disgruntled would-be customers in recent years.

And finally, apart from the marinas on the Mediterranean coast which have always had a certain percentage of foreign customers, French marinas are mainly used by French citizens, often local inhabitants living near their home port …

Hassle-free operations

Without wanting to caricature the situation, nor to neglect the goodwill shown by many municipal employees assigned to a marina, the culture of service has never been the prerogative of the public service, whose employees are neither trained in customer relations, nor made aware of the levers of customer satisfaction. The ease with which many ports filled up and the pressure on demand led to a widespread belief that the loss of a customer didn’t matter much, as there were plenty more waiting in the queue. There was also no great pressure to boost the attractiveness of marinas and with customers living close by or in possession of a holiday home in the vicinity, the low level of competition between them reduced the need for improved services. What is the point of offering real bathrooms in the sanitary facilities, a fitness room, a swimming pool, a television lounge in the harbour master’s office and high-speed WiFi when most customers have all the comforts at home, half an hour away?

Service means business

Conversely, most Australian, American, British, Spanish, Italian, Turkish or Slovenian marinas are managed by private companies, making customer service the basis of their offering, because it guarantees the development of their turnover and the profitability that their shareholders expect. It is also the differentiating factor between competitors because these marinas do not all have a 100% occupancy rate and are constantly looking for new customers.

The berthing rates are often higher tending to attract wealthier customers who are not only local or regional, but come from all over Europe and particularly northern and continental Europe. They are not linked, like in French marinas, to a place of residence or to family origins. A German customer would therefore decide to moor his vessel in France, Spain or Turkey, a Hungarian owner in Croatia, Slovenia or Italy, and it is mainly the level of service that will make the difference.

By quality of service, I mean several parameters. First of all, the accessibility of the marina. It’s all well and good to claim that there is an airport nearby but it needs efficient air links with many destinations, and that a shuttle is provided between the airport and the marina … Then there are the opening hours of the marina office, staff on duty 7 days a week, a reception manned 24 hours a day, personnel able to speak in the language of the customer, reliable technical, maintenance and repair services, good level of equipment, assistance to meet any request, and above all the motivation of marina employees to try harder to satisfy the customer…

Integrated services, thus coordinated

French marinas tend to present a discontinuous level of service with uncoordinated sub-contractors, while most international yacht harbours offer totally integrated services. Most of the time in France, the marina operator manages the berths, often also lifting services and hard standing, but this is not always the case. The marinas do not manage the maintenance or repair of boats (provided by private boatyards), nor the sale of chandlery and boat equipment by independent retailers, nor the bars and restaurants located in the port, nor the clubhouse in the hands of a local yacht club, or even a small supermarket …

As a consequence, yachtsmen stopping over in a marina may find themselves caught out by the fact that it is the engineer’s day off, the restaurant on the marina is on vacation, the yacht club is open only on weekends, the marina office does not offer bike rental and there is no shop within less than 15 minutes on foot… In the United Kingdom, in Belgium, in the Netherlands or in Scandinavia, the yacht harbours offer bars-restaurants supervised by the marina, and their operation is naturally coordinated with the activity of the latter … In Spain, Portugal, Croatia, and the UK, there are many marinas providing all maintenance and repair services for customers’ boats, a chandlery, the repair of sails, and running a small grocery store, counting if necessary on sub- contractors or by granting services to tenants over which they have authority. Finally, in the United States, most of the large marinas offer boat rentals, and membership boat clubs.

Things are moving forward in French marinas!

The most dynamic and best structured marinas have been able to overcome this situation. The others must follow. Of course, the dominant model at the international level cannot be transposed to France, as our history, our practice and our management methods are different. But changes in consumption habits, slowing demand and ageing customers have triggered an electric shock that has stimulated creativity, and generated innovative responses.

Thus, the marinas of the “Compagnie des Ports du Morbihan”, whose dynamics have long been based on coordinated management at French “Departement” level and which have adopted the status of a Local Public Company, gives them an agility to introduce innovation. With “à la carte” contracts that combine hard standing and wet berthing according to the customer’s wishes, the company has made it possible to meet demand in a particularly sought-after navigation area. The berth holder is systematically cared for, since all handling and technical operations are addressed by the marina staff.

With “Morbi’Embark”, these same marinas can also offer boat owners the opportunity to find crew, by offering opportunities to enthusiasts wishing to sail. An approach based on sharing, which allows those who do not have a boat to navigate and enrich their knowledge … with the secret hope that they will become the customers of tomorrow.

“Sellor”, a semi-public company which manages several ports around Lorient, has also seized upon the changes in customer expectations. This operator did not hesitate to create, in partnership with local professionals, the “Breizh Boat Club”. This subscription option allows you to navigate without constraint on a motorboat or sailboat while paying in monthly instalments and whilst boat clubs are starting to flourish all along the French coastline, very few marinas involve themselves to promote such ‘pay and play’ offers. “Sellor” goes even further by offering its customers boating coaching courses, likely to secure and empower its berth holders, as well as coastal license training for those who are just starting out. And a few years ago, they installed a sauna for their customers in the marina of Lorient …

In “Saint-Quay Port d’Armor”, the public marina authority has focused on customer service by developing a concierge service, with a staff 100% dedicated to this task, during the season. With its “Smart Attitude” formula, boaters are offered all kinds of services ranging from bicycle and car rental to restaurant reservations, management of repairs and technical services, deliveries on board, or offered other leisure activities. For its part, La Rochelle marina authority offers its customers, permanent berth holders and visitors, free access to more than 200 titles from the digital press, French and European newspapers and magazines, only accessible only through the marina’s WiFi portal. The Nice-Côte d’Azur Chamber of Commerce promotes boat rentals in the yacht harbours of Nice, Antibes, Golfe-Juan and Cannes, by offering its clients to look after the rental management of their boat, when they are not using it, to a partner company of the marina. The marina of Gruissan, on the western Med coast, at the forefront of the E.U “Odyssea” program, has set up a cultural and multimedia space in its marina office, as well as a store selling regional products, and has created an eco-station, offering electric vehicle rentals. The seaside resort is further promoted to visiting boats via a digital itinerary accessible from a buoy transmitter in the outer harbour using two GPS waypoints, and all local nautical service providers are associated to this initiative.

A personalised customer relationship

These few, non-exhaustive examples show that there are fortunately marinas that have acknowledged the changes affecting consumer expectations and behaviour. I deliberately did not address the issue of the collaborative economy which also affects the marina industry and which like a few marinas such as La Rochelle have intelligently embraced, but it is all about customer service.

An American newsletter called “The Marina Minute” recently recalled: “When a customer arrives at the harbourmaster’s office, and asks you a question, if you are not able to satisfy him, you deserve no credit. If you are just responding positively to his request, then you have done no more and no less than your job. If however, in addition to having responded to his wishes, you took the opportunity to offer him advice or offer him another service, then you can consider that you have succeeded”. You always have to go beyond the customer’s expectations.

---

Disclaimer: Global Marine Business Advisors and its associated website www.gmba.blue are not registered legal entities. GMBA is a network of independent marine industry advisors. In all articles the opinions expressed are those of the author and does not necessarily reflect those of GMBA