Bringing the Vero Beach City Marina into shipshape condition has been long overdue, but now that the main docks have been renovated and the new boat storage facility is finished, the transformation is well underway.
Next on the agenda is replacing and extending the 140-foot dinghy dock at the northern end of the marina to accommodate the growing number of boaters who moor at the marina and use dinghies to come ashore. Lately, the dinghies are often lined up two and three deep at the dock, says Marina Director Sean Collins.
Collins recently got word that the $318,550 grant he applied for from the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) has been approved. The grant will cover half the estimated $637,100 cost to build a new floating dock measuring 300 feet long, more than double the length of the current dock, raise and improve the seawall, and build a new access ramp.
“The dock surface has worn down over the years and the aluminum on top gets slippery when it’s wet, so it can be a little unsafe,” Collins said.
Permits for the project have already been secured from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he said. Now that the grant is secured, the next step is to work on the final design. Then the consultants with Coastal Technology Corporation will complete the necessary documents for the bid package.
The project should be ready to go out for bids at the end of October or in early November, Collins said. After the bids come in 60 days later, the city will select a contractor. Construction should take about three months to complete, depending on the weather, he said.
The three sections of dock there now will be combined to one long dock that extends westward in the canal toward the Indian River Lagoon. A dozen or so bollard lights will be installed, along with some 110-volt electrical outlets so those who operate dinghies with electric motors can plug in to recharge the batteries.
A half-dozen or so freshwater spigots also will be added so boaters can fill their water jugs more conveniently.
“These boaters spend a lot of money with us and also in the local economy,” Collins said. “They deserve a safe, comfortable space where they can dock their dinghies. They don’t want to have to climb over two or three others just to get to the dock.”
Vero’s marina and its easy access to the on-land community is somewhat of a gem in the boating world, and not just in Florida, Collins said. Only five spaces remain for lease in the recently completed dry storage facility, Collins said.
The marina does no formal advertising. The word-of-mouth is more than enough, he said.
“I would say that 90 percent of our winter cruisers that either come through for a few months, or stay the whole winter, don’t have vehicles,” he said. “The Go Line and free bus service is a huge help to get them out and about.”
Cruisers also love that there are lots of great local restaurants and opportunities for entertainment and leisure, Collins said. Many who have visited by boat over the years end up buying a home and staying, he said.
The marina is one of the city’s enterprise operations, along with the airport, utilities and solid waste departments, and the planned Three Corners waterfront redevelopment project. Six percent of the marina’s revenues are transferred to the city’s general fund each year. Last year, that amount was $174,000 and this year it is projected to be $175,000, said City Manager Monte Falls.
The city council discussed raising the transfer amount to 10 percent when it recently decided to enact fee increases across city services, but decided against it this year.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
