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Bay Watch
The demand for luxury marinas is swiftly rising, and many resorts and real estate developments are responding with impressive features and amenities fit for superyachts -- and their discerning owners. BY LAURA VOGEL
 “Building a marina these days is like minting money,” says Captain Steve Huggins, who adds that the luxury seafaring market, especially, is a growth business. Huggins has a lot of superyacht experience. He is currently the general manager of the idyllic royal Plantation Island in the Bahamas, but for years Huggins was at the helm of Lady Sandals, the beloved 135-foot yacht that belonged to the island’s owner, Sandals resorts International Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart. “Throughout the world, there is no shortage of huge yachts, but there is competition about where to moor them. At St. Tropez, for example, there is always a waiting list of vessels -- so you go ashore and hand the harbormaster $5,000 and hope for the best.”
Andy Wimsatt, chief development officer for Molasses Reef, a Ritz-Carlton reserve opening later this year in the Turks and Caicos, concurs. “More 300-foot-plus boats are currently being built than are in the water today,” says Wimsatt. Savvy businesspeople have picked up on this quirk of supply-and-demand, and are building marinas with all the comforts and amenities that befit these superyachts, and the high level of luxury demanded by their owners. Indeed, there are now more than 6,000 yachts of 80 feet or more on the water, according to Businessweek magazine. For some owners, it is just a part-time diversion. For others, it’s their primary home (and you’d have to check with your accountant, but apparently there can be huge tax benefits to being a member of the “floating public”).
This rise in demand has triggered the development of new or renovated marinas to accommodate megayachts -- many along with luxury real estate opportunities for the yacht owners. In the next couple of years there will be a lot of new, posh places throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, and spots in the U.S. like Northwest Florida and old-school Newport, Rhode Island, for the wealthy to park their biggest toys.
Even older resorts, like Hawks Cay in the Florida Keys, first built in 1958, are undergoing multimillion-dollar renovations to keep up with the tastes of today’s boaters. According to Ron Smith, director of marina operations there, “People are looking for more, so we’ve been adding more -- delivering room service, offering housekeeping -- it was something people asked for.”
Here, our list of a dynamic dozen renovated, new, or soon-to-open upscale marinas, the developments surrounding them, and why you’ll probably be hearing a lot more about them.
Throughout the world, there is no shortage of huge yachts, but there is competition about where to moor them.
 Northwest Florida
Even quiet coastal communities are getting in on the act with major waterfront and marina improvements. Thanks to the St Joe Company, Port St. Joe Marina on St. Joseph Bay has seen significant improvements and has 120 wet slips for yachts up to 100 feet long. Bay Point Marina, in Panama City Beach, is a bustling full-service marina with world-class facilities and more improvements in its future.
“We continue to see increased demand for larger slips and more amenities at the St Joe marinas in Port St. Joe and Bay Point. In response to this trend, we plan to accommodate larger yachts with floating docks and other upscale amenities,” says Matt Fleck, vice president and project manager of the Gulf region at St Joe Company. “We are very excited about the future of yachting in Northwest Florida.” Indeed, the demand for luxury waterfront living -- and boating -- appears to be so strong that one of many developments St Joe Company has in the works is a Port St. Joe Town Center, with up to 600 upscale residences, retail, dining, a hotel, and -- not surprisingly -- 500 wet and dry boat slips. (850) 227-9393, www.psjmarina.com or (850) 235-6911, www.baypointmarina.net
Molasses Reef, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, West Caicos, Turks and Caicos
Opening this winter, Ritz-Carlton’s foray into the boutique resort business is certain to be a splash. The property will be a low-density hotel and spa, with only 125 guestrooms and suites situated in 23 separate beachfront cottages. Chief development officer Andy Wimsatt says, “Since our project is on an island, having a marina was imperative. We’re focusing on what our clients need. The island will have a boutique, a restaurant -- and the whole Ritz- Carlton experience will extend to the marina.” Wimsatt knows his marina guests will be able to “have a great meal, visit our amazing spa, and we could even send therapists down to the vessel.” The Molasses Reef Marina, opening in 2009, will accommodate ships up to 150 feet, and the development will also include a residential aspect called the Island Villas, a Ritz-Carlton managed residence. Ocean-loving homebuyers can have the service and quality they expect from Ritz-Carlton along with the thrill of parking their yacht in some of the best sailing waters on earth. (800) 542-8680, www.molassesreef.com
Yacht Haven Grande, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Yacht Haven Grande, formerly the Long Bay Harbor in St. Thomas, has undergone a yachting-elite makeover. The marina includes 48 slips averaging about 120 feet in length, with the ability to accommodate yachts up to 450 feet and beyond. The development highlights waterfront restaurants, high-end shopping (think Louis Vuitton, Roberto Coin, Coach, and many more), and a private yacht club around the 32-acre harbor. Members benefit from personalized concierge service and nautical provisioning including gourmet food and wine, catering service, laundry service, a florist, and ships’ chandlery. (340) 774-5030, www.yachthavengrande.com
Hawks Cay, Florida Keys
Hawks Cay has one of the deepest harbors in the Florida Keys and is known throughout the world for its world-class sportfishing (tarpon, sailfish, and mahi mahi can be found in the waters nearby). The marina offers 85 slips, and, as director of marina operations Ron Smith puts it, “Our guests who are staying at the marina get all the amenities of the resort, and there is a spa, fitness center, snorkeling, diving, and the only living reef in North America -- only four miles offshore. You can easily spot sea turtles, sharks, rays ... it’s beautiful.” Yacht owners can have their vessel professionally cleaned and restocked with gourmet provisions at the marina -- perhaps while they are relaxing with a Swedish massage at the resort’s spa. (888) 443-6393, www.hawkscay.com
 Cupecoy Yacht Club, St. Martin
What better company to be behind a real estate development created with comfort, privacy, and exclusivity in mind than Orient-Express? Cupecoy Yacht Club is set on the Dutch side of St. Martin (close to the hotel firm’s beloved La Samanna Hotel) on the western end of Simpson Bay Lagoon. The property’s charming architecture is modeled on a European colonial village with 170 Mediterranean-style residences planned. The community will have its own swimming pools, tennis courts, fitness center, and shops. The marina, planned for a 2009 opening, will have concierge service and include 40 slips -- some able to accommodate yachts up to 300 feet in length. (800) 237-1236, www.cupecoyyachtclub.com
Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
Set on the beautifully undeveloped eastern end of the Dominican Republic, this destination — with a $500 million master plan that includes the Caribbean’s biggest in-land megayacht marina and three Jack Nicklaus golf courses, fine dining, spas, a casino, luxury estates and homes, town homes, and villas -- is all about the luxury yacht community. With its first phase of the marina open and offering 250 slips (accommodating ships up to 250 feet in length), this destination will be a boater’s paradise, complete with great fishing and diving just minutes away. (800) 785-2198, www.capcana.com
Landings St. Lucia, A RockResort
A newcomer on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia is a 19-acre resort that encompasses 730 feet of the island’s most lovely Rodney Bay beachfront. It will have a state-of-the-art marina including 80 yacht slips and all the luxury amenities and adventures any captain could desire. The resort will boast a 7,000-square-foot spa, a well-equipped fitness center, multiple pools, hot tubs, and restaurants, as well as access to hiking trails, golf, and deep-sea fishing. (877) 657-7625, www.landings.rockresorts.com
Capricho, Playa Mujeres Resort, Mexico
Located in the “Mexican Caribbean,” a bit south of Cancun, Capricho is situated on more than 75 acres of land. This low-density luxury getaway, scheduled to open by mid 2009, will feature residences, two 18-hole Greg Norman golf courses, and a 170-slip marina and yacht club dedicated to megayachts. The cool factor of this development skyrockets with design house Custo Barcelona working its magic throughout. (866) 613- 6416, www.caprichoresidences.com
 Puerto Los Cabos, Mexico
Set in a beautiful harbor that, if legend holds, used to be frequented by pirates, the Marina at Puerto Los Cabos is aiming to be one of the highest-service destinations for luxury yachts on Mexico’s Pacific coast. There will be berths for more than 400 vessels, the occupants of which can take advantage of the resort’s fine dining, shopping, spas, and more. Golfers, take note: There will be a private Greg Norman signature course and a public Jack Nicklaus signature course. A no-expense-spared, state-of-the-art clubhouse will offer every amenity a duffer could need -- including a well-stirred cocktail at the end of the day. 011-52-624- 142-6704, www.puertoloscabos.com
Chub Cay Marina & Resort, Bahamas
This development, tucked away in the Berry Islands about 30 miles west of Nassau, was clearly built with high-end yachts in mind, offering a 110-slip luxury marina. Grand renovation plans are underway and include a new clubhouse and 57 luxury villas. The marina and channel were dredged to a depth of 12 feet at low tide (no small thing if you’re piloting a very pricey behemoth), and its floating docks can accommodate boats up to 200 feet in length. (877) 234-2582, www.chubcay.com
Puerto Bahía Samaná, Dominican Republic
This sea-oriented resort will be in one of the Caribbean’s top cruising regions, Samaná Bay -- close to vast sandy beaches, hidden caves, and a wealth of places to explore. Puerto Bahía Samaná will be a very private, gated enclave. Scheduled for a spring 2009 opening, it will be mixed-use (residential, hotel, retail, marina), and the marina will be focused on reserving slips for owners of one of the condos or cottages on the grounds -- a trend that is fast catching on as people enjoy splitting their leisure time between land and sea. (809) 567- 2211, www.puertobahiasamana.com
Forty 1° North Yacht Services, Newport, Rhode Island
This completely redesigned and refurbished marina offers dockage for yachts up to 250 feet, WiFi, concierge service, ship-side dining service, a bar and restaurant, and even one-bedroom suites for those ready for firmer ground. But the real draw here for hard-core yachters is to be in Newport -- long the nirvana of American sailing and its attendant culture. During the clement months, the smallest state has some of the most highly regarded regattas and races, and it’s the place to be if you are serious about the sport of sailing. (401) 846-8018, www.41no.com
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