Parking to reopen after boats lifted into marina
Guernsey Ports said its £1.4m pontoon replacement project at the Queen Elizabeth II Marina has reached a "major milestone".
It said its new D and E pontoons had been installed and the remaining boats were back in the water.
The company said the project had reached its "final stages" as the remaining leisure boats on the East Arm were hoisted back in the marina using a crane on Wednesday.
It said this would allow "more than half of the East Arm to be returned to public parking".
'Perfectly suited'
Kieran Higgs, Assistant Harbourmaster, said replacing the pontoons was part of a long-term investment programme.
He said the programme was designed to modernise and upgrade facilities for its mooring holders.
“The location of D and E pontoons, closest to the marina gates, boasts the deepest water across all four of our marinas," he said.
"This makes it perfectly suited to larger vessels, particularly sailboats with deeper drafts, which are currently in high demand."
'Patience and cooperation'
Mr Higgs added: “The project has not only enhanced our facilities, it has allowed us to optimise this area's layout to specifically address the demand for larger vessels and better serve our customers' needs."
He also thanked its mooring holders for their patience and cooperation while undertaking the upgrades.
"We have been able to welcome most of our berth holders onto their new moorings and look forward to having the last few back shortly in time for the start of the boating season," he said.
Guernsey Ports said over half of the East Arm is due to be re-opened imminently for parking.
It said the far end of the East Arm would remain closed to compete power upgrades to the E pontoon, which requires landside trenching and cable installations.
The old pontoons also need to be removed and stripped by the Ports Maintenance Teams so that individual parts such as the aluminium frame can be shipped off for recycling, said Guernsey Ports.
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