June 4th was a day of celebration for Walcon Marine as the new Prince Philip Yacht Haven at the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble was commissioned by the Duke of Edinburgh, himself the Club's Patron and a Member.
The GBP 2.6m project was built over the winter, with the Walcon Wizard multi-purpose barge arriving on site at the start of October to remove the existing pontoons, pier and piles prior to dredging. The new installation involved linking the existing river moorings to the shore with a new bridge and pier, and adding two additional piers and new finger pontoons to increase substantially the overall number of berths available to members of the Royal Southern and Royal Air Force Yacht Clubs. Walcon also constructed and fitted a new pontoon slipway to be used by dinghies while the Wizard did the piling work.
This was a complex project, with additional improvements involving repairs to the sea wall and extensive dredging, and Walcon worked closely with fellow contractors Marina Projects, Raymond Brown Group and ML (UK) to ensure that it was delivered on time. A wide range of issues had to be addressed before work could begin, including a complex licensing regime and potential environmental impacts.
With land access to the site difficult and taking into account the concerns of neighbours and local residents, Walcon used its barge to deliver all the pontoons, piles and supporting equipment by sea.