MARINALIFE is pleased to announce this year's photography contest that showcases the joy of boating and good times on the water.
We welcome snapshots that capture moments of maritime merriment the freedom of getting back on the water after a long winter, a memorable boating experience with family and friends, a special seaside vacation, the thrill of water sports, an epic fishing trip where you reeled in a trophy catch, or the face of a pet who's too cute for words. Whatever floats your boat, we'd like to see it.
Who's Eligible: Everybody is invited from amateur shutterbugs to seasoned photographers to send your favorite shots of what you love most about the cruising lifestyle and high seas adventures.
Deadline: Spend the spring and summer taking great shots, then submit your favorite photos in the form below by Friday, September 9, 2022.
What to Submit: Limit of up to 3 photos per person, send high resolution images (300 dpi, 2 mb or 600 kb). Please include a brief description of the photo's location, the photographer's credit, and the contact info, email and phone.
Winners: Our staff will select the first, second and third place winners and runners up whose photographs will appear in upcoming issues of Marinalife. Prizes will be announced soon.
Please submit any questions to [email protected]
When boaters arrive at The Wharf in Washington, DC, they are greeted with upscale amenities and accommodations in the bustling neighborhood’s recent multimillion-dollar expansion. As the premier waterfront destination continues to grow, the marina is enhancing facilities to make boaters feel at home. Introducing the Floating Showerhouse, a collaborative innovation by Flohom and Seadwell — blending luxury design and convenience to elevate the guest experience.
Located on The Wharf’s Market Docks at the north end of the Washington Channel, the Showerhouse is a spacious floating restroom and shower facility with a cozy hotel feel. After enjoying a day on the water or exploring the District’s historic streets, marina guests can step inside the 30-foot-long, pristine-white, ADA-compliant facility, separated into four private washrooms, each featuring en suite showers, electric water heaters, toiletries and outlets for electronics.
Flohom, a startup that builds houseboats for upscale lodging experiences, partnered with Seadwell, a floating architecture and development company, to bring this concept to life. The unique floating structure is built with high-quality commercial grade finishes and high-end details.
“We’re creating a societal shift to the water,” says Flohom co-founder and CEO Brian Meyer. “This project is an example of a premier destination with a need to upgrade an amenity, and the marina didn’t have to go through the arduous process of zoning and planning on land to redo a bathroom facility.”
Michael Bruce, Flohom partner and founder of Seadwell, says The Wharf Marina was the perfect location to debut the first Showerhouse. Bruce led The Wharf’s waterside Development Team, overseeing construction of all marinas and public piers. This afforded him a unique understanding of the property’s needs as he collaborated with Meyer and the Wharf to replace the former restroom with a modern aesthetic and elevated user experience.
“What’s unique about this location is that it’s at the north end of the Potomac, so it’s a destination marina where guests are usually making a night of it and want to get changed and cleaned up,” says Bruce. “That’s why this marina really needed this key piece to complement the boaters’ experience.”
Weekends at The Wharf’s Market Pier are lively with vessels ranging from commercial charter operators and Carefree Boat Club members to day-docking transients. The new Showerhouse provides exclusive accessibility to marina guests in a safe, gated location.
“There’s a heavy amount of traffic down there and a lot of demand for nice facilities whether it’s to accommodate a guest of a commercial operator or somebody just grabbing lunch at The Wharf,” says Leigh Diemert, general manager of The Wharf Marina. “I think this is an incredible maritime innovation and new concept for real estate on the water.”
The Wharf boasts new restaurants, retail, green spaces, year-round attractions, and marina perks including a swanky boaters’ lounge, dock shop, and one of the only fuel docks on the Potomac River. Upcoming events and holiday celebrations include the Christmas Boat Parade held annually on the first Saturday in December.
The advantage of this style of Showerhouse or another type of floating amenity space is not only the fresh new look and guest experience, but also the convenience for marina owners looking to upgrade.
“A lot of marinas are built in close confines or have fully developed uplands, so there’s not a lot of space for them to upgrade or add amenities,” says Bruce. “There’s land restrictions, and due to higher water level issues throughout coastal regions, floodplain requirements have become more onerous.”
This type of floating facility provides another avenue for marina owners as they look to improve their property and reduce headaches with floodplain, zoning and permitting challenges. The process reduces land disturbances from construction zones, and the team works with developers and staff through the entire process to customize the property’s needs, design and functionality.
Flohom plans to expand to additional facilities in the future such as floating event spaces, dock offices and more, says Meyer.
“We’re excited to explore opportunities and shift society to a more water-centric lifestyle, and this is just one small example of the many things that can be done,” says Meyer. “This concept already exists and is prevalent in other parts of the world, so we aspire to modernize it for people here in the United States.”
Stay tuned for updates at flohom.com and seadwell.com
To inquire about a floating structure, please fill out this form.
The city of Brunswick, GA, may be small — but small-town pride from the local boating community is immeasurable. Located along Georgia’s gorgeous Golden Isles, the historic town has a lot to celebrate this year with the centennial of F.J. Torras Causeway, a major route connecting Brunswick to St. Simons Island, as well as the 30th anniversary of Brunswick Landing Marina. On July 13, the Golden Isles community commemorated the causeway's 100th anniversary with a day of live music, vendors and themed celebrations.
Both the causeway and spacious 387-slip Brunswick Landing Marina are local Torras family legacies. Since 1994, the Torras family has grown the marina into a top-notch facility and strong boating community ranging from local liveaboards to returning visitors from across the world.
Located along the East River, the property has prospered into a popular social hub with free weekly happy hours and events, some even coordinated by the marina guests such as the recent “Brunswick Landing Marina Summer Olympics,” where boaters competed in fun, creative games.
The community is so dedicated that a few marina members participated in the “Decades” segment of the city’s Causeway Centennial Celebration where they represented the 1980s with a choreographed dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” dressing the part and executing a hilarious yet fabulous performance at the event.
The family-owned marina is currently managed by Michael Torras, whose great-great-grandfather, Rosendo Torras, originally immigrated from Spain as a merchant sailor who settled in Brunswick and ran a lumber exporting business. His son, Fernando Joseph Torras, became an engineer, served as city manager and built the F.J. Torras Causeway in 1924.
The next generation of Torras purchased an old manufacturing plant with deteriorating boats and sunken barges along downtown Brunswick’s waterfront and eventually bought 101 acres of the surrounding land from the local railroad company. The family built what began as a small marina with just five slips to what is now Brunswick Landing Marina’s thriving 387-slip destination.
“My grandfather grew up fishing and so did my dad and I, and when my grandfather said he wanted to put a marina there one day everyone told him he was crazy, because at the time, people kept their boats on St. Simons, Jekyll or Sea Island, and there wasn’t a need for big docks in downtown Brunswick,” says Michael Torras, “But he said he was going to do it anyway.”
After spending nearly a decade acquiring permits, Brunswick Landing Marina originally offered free dockage to fill up the first slips and then kept expanding every few years as customers grew. They constructed a yacht club facility onsite in 2010 with lounge areas, TVs and a fully stocked bar to continue the generous freebie tradition, transitioning from free dockage to free drinks. It began with complimentary beer on football Sundays, then free wine on “Wine Wednesdays,” and now the beloved present-day free happy hours hosted three times per week.
The marina completed the most recent dock expansion in 2021. “It is remarkable when you look at what’s been accomplished over that 30 years and you look at the fact that it started out as one dock and now it’s a massive area,” says President Daren Pietsch.
“My grandfather and dad built it up and Daren and I got to polish it up,” adds Torras. “We’re now working on the uplands.”
The property continues to grow and accommodate boaters with a major waterfront renovation project in the works. They recently remodeled the marina office and opened a dedicated mail room for boaters. They also plan to add more docks and dry storage, open a new on-site restaurant, and work with the city to build a public boardwalk with retail, restaurants, and mixed-use space for offices and condos.
“We live in this coastal area, and there’s hardly any access to the waterfront and about only two restaurants where you can see the water,” says Torras. “So, we really wanted to open up the enjoyment of our area’s natural beauty.”
The facility also offers boat repair, concierge services and amenities such as a fitness center, bathhouses, laundry, lounges and propane grills on every dock. Conveniently located just 400 feet from the heart of downtown Brunswick, marina guests enjoy historic sightseeing and attractions including the Victorian-era Old Town Historic District.
Brunswick Landing Marina is a partner of the annual PorchFest, a free neighborhood music festival where front porches across Brunswick transform into small stages for a day of live performances and local vendors. Don’t miss this year’s festival on November 10, as well as the marina’s oyster festivals held in October, November and January.
Baltimore, MD – September 2024 – Marinalife, a portfolio company of Claritas Capital, is excited to announce the appointment of Kyle Devenezia as President, further strengthening Marinalife’s leadership team and reinforcing its commitment to provide tech-enabled tools and resources to the boating community.
Prior to joining Marinalife, Kyle served in the United States Army as a Special Forces Engineer, where he developed critical skills in strategic leadership and operational excellence. Following his service in the Army, he received his MBA from Indiana University. Most recently, Kyle served as Manager, Strategy & Transformation at MorganFranklin Consulting, leading complex business initiatives and delivering transformative results for a wide range of clients.
“Kyle’s arrival marks a promising new chapter for Marinalife,” said Dan Cowens, Founder of Snag-A-Slip and Chairman of Marinalife. “We have an incredibly strong and talented team in place, and Kyle’s fresh perspective and proven leadership will complement our existing strengths. Jen Leroux, CEO of Marinalife added, “His background in driving growth through innovation will be instrumental as we continue to expand our product offerings and enhance our digital platforms to better serve the boating community.”
Theresa Sexton, Partner at Claritas Capital agreed, “We’re thrilled to welcome Kyle to the Marinalife and Snag-A-Slip team. His ability to integrate his military and consulting experiences with our seasoned team’s deep industry knowledge will propel the company to new levels of success. We’re confident that under Kyle’s leadership, Marinalife will continue to lead the marina industry with groundbreaking solutions.”
“I’m excited to join Marinalife and Snag-A-Slip, where the dedication of the entire crew truly inspired me to come on board. From my conversations with the team and stakeholders, it’s clear this is a company focused on delivering excellence. There’s so much potential in the boating industry, and I’m excited to work alongside this incredible group to bring innovative solutions that support the needs of boaters, marinas, and partners alike,” said Kyle DeVenezia, President of Marinalife and Snag-A-Slip.
With Kyle at the helm, Marinalife is poised to capitalize on the growing boating industry, leveraging the strength of the leadership team to innovate and deliver unparalleled value to both boaters and marinas. This appointment underscores the companies’ commitment to being at the forefront of the marina industry, driving transformative growth and making boating easier and more accessible for everyone.
Marinalife was founded with a vision to enhance the boating experience by connecting boaters with marinas through innovative technology and exceptional service. Since our inception, we have been dedicated to providing the boating community with the tools and resources needed to get underway and fully embrace life on the water.
In 2018, Marinalife joined forces with Snag-A-Slip, a leading online boat slip reservation platform. This strategic combination allowed us to offer a more comprehensive and seamless service, bringing together the best of both worlds: Marinalife's comprehensive boating resources and Snag-A-Slip's convenient booking capabilities.
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