handling both marine and landside sales. Several other marinas, having adopted this 

 fuel-service setup, now regret their choice, contending that it was more difficult to service 

 the boats from pumps located behind a bulkhead. Careful consideration should be given to 

 the many alternatives for locating support facilities to determine which is best for the 

 general layout and development plan. 



Finally, two very common problems, vandaHsm and boat-wake waves, although not 

 directly related to design, should be given consideration in the early planning stages. 

 Vandalism was a major problem in 30 percent of the marinas surveyed, and about one-half 

 of the managers attributed the problem to improper siting. These marina locations were 

 variously described as "undesirable areas, heavy industry regions, tough waterfront 

 locations, and slum sections." Most of the 70 percent who found that vandalism was not a 

 major problem at their facility attributed this to the marina policy allowing live-aboards, or 

 the remote location of the marina, away from densely populated areas. 



Fifty-three percent of the survey respondents complained of boat -wake problems. The 

 primary complaint was that existing speed regulations for craft operated near berthing areas 

 were not being enforced. 



4. Unique Design Features. Most of the favorable design features mentioned by the marina 

 owners and operators were of a general nature and have already been covered. Several 

 unique features deserve mention, even though they cannot be universally appUed. 



The choice between floating and fixed docks is usually influenced by local customs and 

 other nonteclmical criteria. Floating systems are usually more expensive than fixed systems 

 where the water depth does not exceed 20 feet, but each location must be evaluated in light 

 of several other factors that would qualify this generaUty. The primary factor is water level 

 fluctuation. As previously stated in the discussion of design, with all other factors favoring a 

 fixed-dock system, the maximum acceptable fluctuation is about 5 feet. Other factors 

 include bottom configuration, basin side slopes, soil characteristics, wind and wave 

 conditions at the site, and storm history. 



Occasionally, conditions at the site are borderUne indicators between fixed and floating 

 construction. One enterprising engineer combined the advantages of both systems in a 

 96-shp installation featuring an adjustable fixed-dock system (Fig. 157). The system consists 

 of fixed timber walkways and fingers supported by steel stringers. The stringers are attached 

 to steel pipe pihng by large U-bolts so that the entire system can be adjusted to lake level. 

 The system is part of the Lakeside Marina (freshwater) complex at South Lake Tahoe, 

 California. Lake Tahoe has a yearly water level fluctuation cycle of 2 to 3 feet; however, 

 over a longer cycle of 6 to 10 years, and dependent on the annual rainfall records, the 

 fluctuation, though very gradual, can have a much greater range. The prevailing winds at this 

 location are from the west and generate fairly consistent waves of 2 to 3 feet high. These 

 factors and the shallow basin depth (10 feet maximum) suggested this unique solution. 



254 



