“We compete in a global marketplace, and to accommodate these larger vessels, the megayachts… we need deep water.”
So says Frank Herhold, executive director of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, the nonprofit organization that promotes the marine business in the Palm Beaches, Fort Lauderdale, and other nearby locales. He was quoted by the Sun-Sentinel newspaper in response to proposals to dredge Dania Cut-Off Canal, the New River, and parts of the ICW so that yachts to 200 feet have easier access to marinas and shipyards in the region.
While Rybovich, Derecktor Shipyards, and other area companies already cater to many of these yachts, they lose business to companies farther north on the U.S. East Coast – in Savannah and Jacksonville – as well as overseas because of deeper ports. “I can take boats up to 200 feet, but they can’t get up the canal,” Ken Imondi, general manager of Derecktor Shipyards, told the paper. “It’s millions of dollars to me that I miss annually because I can’t bring the boats up.” Herhold pointed out, “You have a tremendous number of options with the brand-new facilities being built in Europe. Everybody wants a piece of the megayacht pie.”
The dredging plans are still being reviewed by local officials, so there’s a chance that not all of them will be approved. Environmental concerns and cost analysis may delay or prevent approval in some cases. However, the proposal for the Dania Cut-Off Canal seems likely to get the green light. If it does, work may start as soon as this summer, with depth eventually becoming 10 feet, up from eight feet.
The ICW dredging would be particularly beneficial to well-known Fort Lauderdale facilities like Pier 66 Marina and Bahia Mar Resort & Yachting Center, as well as other places that host the annual Fort Lauderdale boat show.
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