Launch of on-line extreme weather preparedness course for Marinas
by Colin Bransgrove 8 Apr 2019 00:39 PDT

Extreme weather event impacts on marina © Colin Bransgrove
The Marina Industries Association (MIA) has launched the first on-line extreme weather preparedness course for marinas. The course is applicable for marinas anywhere in the world susceptible to weather events induced by extreme wind, rain or temperature. While hurricanes, cyclones or typhoons are the most prominent of weather events to impact on marinas the course also covers preparedness for extreme impacts from freezing; wind, rain and hail events and from other induced impacts such as storm surge and flood.
MIA Chairman Andrew Chapman considers the launch of the course to be most significant in the development of marinas across the globe. "With issues such as climate change and risk management increasingly important for our industry it is essential all marinas across all regions of the world take reasonable steps to mitigate the impacts and risks associated with climate related events."
This Club Marine Extreme Weather Preparedness Course evolved from a very successful face to face half day course that was rolled out across Australia during 2018. The course was further refined to meet the needs of the global marina market. This shorter on-line and interactive course is now available anytime, anywhere with a computer and internet access.
The course informs participants about the destructive forces of extreme weather and looks at options to better secure marina or boatyard infrastructure. The course touches on legal and insurance implications and outlines steps to evaluate many structural aspects including floating docks, cleat sizes and sea wall protection. Tips for boat owners are provided to minimise boat and marina damage. How to develop and implement an extreme weather plan is central to the course. Recent case studies of various types of extreme weather events are also included.
To participate in the course go to the MIA website, click on training then click on extreme weather preparedness. A certificate of participation is issued at the conclusion of the course subject to satisfactory completion of the on-line test.