Marina Port Vell in Barcelona, Spain, already undergoing a refurbishment to accommodate more megayachts, will now be a bit larger. It is adding two existing quays to its footprint.
Specifically, Marina Port Vell received approval from the Port of Barcelona to further include Barceloneta and Clocktower Quay. While city approval is still pending, the Salamanca Group, which manages Marina Port Vell, does not anticipate any problems.
Each quay has its own charms. The Clocktower Quay is aptly named, as it prominently features an old clock tower (pictured) at its center. As for Barceloneta, meaning “small Barcelona” in English, it dates to 1753 and was long a fisherman’s area.
As you may recall, Marina Port Vell is being reconstructed as a major all-year-round marina. Already, the Sota Muralla and Diposit Quay areas have been refurbished. The second phase is seeing additional slips for power and sailing boats as well as megayachts. Slips start at 33 feet (10 meters), though Marina Port Vell is mostly targeting owners of megayachts in the 197- to 295-foot (60- to 90-meter) range and therefore providing 30 berths for them. There will additionally be one or two berths for megayachts up to 590 feet (180 meters). All together, Marina Port Vell will have 150 slips and berths for small boats and megayachts alike.
Furthermore, Marina Port Vell is establishing customs and immigration services on site, plus adding a reception center complete with a sundeck and pool, a crew lounge, a bar and restaurant, security, and concierge services. The latter includes provisioning, travel arrangements for owners and their guests, assistance with crew training, and more.
The addition of the two quays should bolster the Salamanca Group’s goal to create what it calls the Barcelona Nautical Cluster (BNC). The BNC is a civic-corporate coalition intended to promote the city of Barcelona as a go-to destination for yachting, thereby boosting existing marine businesses and other businesses alike. It has the support of Barcelona’s government as well as the refit and repair yard MB’92. Another BNC partner is the Barcelona World Race, the first ‘round-the-world “double-handed” (two-crew-only) regatta, the next edition of which occurs in 2014. The final partner is the Fundación para la Navegación Oceanica de Barcelona (FNOB), a public body offering professional maritime training and promoting innovation in racing.
We’ll have more on the BNC and the Salamanca Group’s plans in the coming weeks.
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