Snook Bight Marina rebuilds after Hurricane Ian

Snook Bight Marina © Martin Flory Group

Taking the lives of over 150 people and causing over $112B USD in damage, Hurricane Ian hit the Fort Myers Beach, Florida area with massive destructive power. Directly in the path of the storm's full force was Snook Bight Marina, a Suntex property. Today, the world-class marina is rebuilding with a state-of-the-art Golden Marine Systems floating aluminum dock array as its centerpiece.

The storm completely tore away all of Snook Bight Marina's wet slips, fuel dock and piles. Making matters worse, the 4.6m surge left 2.4m of water in the marina office, store and storage barn, where it destroyed the company's forklifts.

Suntex put the reconstruction project out for bid and chose Golden Marine Systems with Panama City, Florida-based RJ Gorman Marine Construction as the contractor. Fabrication of the replacement Golden 850 Series Aluminum Dock sections began in earnest at Golden's ISO 9001:2015-certified Fort Myers production facility.

The 850 Series is manufactured using only premium marine-grade 6061-T6 aluminum. Integrated E-Tracks allow the 30cm cleats to slide fore and aft to accommodate individual vessels. The array at Snook Bight Marina is comprised of a 73m center walkway with two 2.4m W x 221m L cross sections, each with 11 1.2m W finger piers. Smaller docks close to shore are ideal for day use. All are covered in fade- and slip-resistant Endeck composite decking.

Located on picturesque Estero Bay, Snook Bight Marina is a full-service facility with 70 interior and linear slips. It features a 160-boat drystack operation, rentals, sales and service, a Suntex Boat Club and award-winning waterfront restaurants. Its website is www.snookbightmarina.com.

For more information visit www.goldenboatlifts.com; www.goldenmarinesystems.com.