First yachts soon to moor at Songhees

It may be a little later and a lot more expensive than planned, but the Victoria International Marina should be ready to welcome its first vessels in the middle of August.

While the marina along the Songhees waterfront is only half finished, it will be able to accommodate yachts this summer, Craig Norris, chief executive of Community Marine Concepts, said Wednesday.

The marina, in the works for 30 years, has been built to accommodate vessels between 65 and 175 feet in length.

“We want to take boats in midAugust — and we have made commitments to some and they have been made aware of our limitations,” said Norris, who has helped steer the yacht project since 2014.

While the 300-foot breakwater and most of the concrete fingers are in place to establish the 28 slips, finishing touches — railings, lighting, bumpers, storage — still need to be completed on the docks.

Two 7,000-square-foot, onestorey buildings planned for the foreshore have foundations.

The marina had hoped to be accepting vessels by mid-June.

Norris said several factors slowed the project, including bad weather, difficulty installing utilities at the site and construction delays due to the region’s building boom.

“Nothing [bad] happened, but everything slowed down,” he said. “Victoria is booming, which is really exciting for development and forward thinkers, but that means trades are all busy.”

The delays drove up costs. The marina had been working with a budget of about $24 million. It is now $35 million.

“Our prices on the buildings came in 31 per cent higher [than when priced] last year,” Norris said. “That’s just construction pressure. And then there are little things that come up here and there.”

The intention is to have the marina’s office building completed this winter; it will also have two small retail spots, event space and a lounge for yacht crews. The second building, closer to the Inner Harbour, will be handed over to a restaurateur in the spring.

The marina’s grand opening is expected to be next spring.

Steve Sinclair, director of operations for Community Marine Concepts, said the company gets daily calls for short- and long-term moorage. “We are seeing there is a definite need for this type of service and facility, one that meets the need for power and security that these vessels require,” he said.

Seven slips will be reserved for daily moorage, seven will be available on a monthly lease, seven will be available on a yearly lease and seven will be reserved for long-term tenants who pay for a 40-year lease.

Norris estimates the 40-year leases will cost between $750,000 and $2 million.

“Even those prices are a bargain,” he said.

“But we wanted people to have a chance to invest. We know those slips will be worth that in 10 years and they can sell it on again. The truth is no more slips are coming available — it’s get in now or not.”

The marina, spread over about five acres, is about half the size it was initially intended to be. At one point it was to have 52 slips, but some nearby residents and harbour users thought that was too large for the busy harbour.