Albany is a luxury marina resort community created by private investment company Tavistock Group and golf icons Tiger Woods and Ernie Els. Completed in October 2010, Albany features one of the largest and most technologically advanced mega-yacht marinas in The Bahamas and the Caribbean today.
When we first began this project more than five years ago, I won- dered if it made sense to build a marina on New Providence already home to Lyford Cay, Nassau and Paradise Island/Atlantis, all located on the island’s north coast. But after some thoughtful consideration, it became apparent to me that the south coast of the island would serve as an ideal place for a marina.
Albany Marina sits 47 miles from Highbourne Cay, Exuma; 88 miles from Staniel Cay, Exuma; and only 20 miles around the west side of New Providence into Nassau Harbour. Albany is perfectly positioned for vessels looking to avoid crowded Nassau Harbour and enjoy the serenity of the leeward coast. It is also a convenient port of call for yachts traveling from Florida to the Exuma chain and the wonderful, untouched islands of the southern Bahamas.
A 24-hour security and yacht watch program maintains a close eye on yachts harbored at Albany.
Our firm’s role in the project was to design a marina that would complement the architectural style of the elegant buildings and marina village that will surround the basin in the future.
We were also charged with the task of managing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the approval process for the entire development, including marina, residential, golf course and various amenity components.
Our firm completed plans for the marine construction and assisted
the developers in selecting all the marina finish details, down to the stainless steel bollards.
Albany Marina features a total of 71 large slips ranging from 50 to 240 feet. Thirty-two slips accommo- date vessels longer than 100 feet in length.
Excavated from solid limestone, the yacht basin is more than 15 acres and is equipped with an entrance channel that is nearly a mile long with a control depth of -15 feet MLW (mean low water). The outer channel was also dredged from solid
rock, bringing the total amount of rock excavation and dredging to nearly a million tons.
The docks at Albany Marina are Bellingham Marine’s finest. The utilities were carefully designed so virtually any yacht that can fit intothe basin can run on shore power. Providing adequate power to serve the entire marina with the specific requirements of today’s large yachts was a design priority.
The harbor master’s office and fuel dock sit on an island connected to shore by Bellingham’s floating concrete docks.
Nearly one million tons of rock were dredged and excavated from Albany Marina’s 15- acre basin and mile-long entrance.
The Albany yacht basin facing south.
Other notable features include state-of-the-art fire protection and in-slip sewage pump out.
The marina basin is aesthetically enhanced by a steel sheet pile bulkhead that is clad in concrete from the cap to MLW. While it is visually pleasing, it also serves a functional purpose, preventing damage in the most corrosive area of the inter-tidal zone.
The harbor master’s office, also fitted in steel sheet pile, sits on an island in the middle of the basin connected to the mainland by floating docks. It serves as a hub for the large fuel dock with high-speed pumps capable of delivering 60 gallons per minute.
Albany Marina has been constructed to serve the needs of the world’s changing fleet of large yachts, providing wider vessel beams, longer slips and an amenity package to suit every vessel.
Mega-yachts in Albany Marina
This premier marina is a reality today thanks to Bahamas Marine Construction and our in-house design team, which includes a couple of marine contractors who always manage to teach us engineers a thing or two about marine construction! I tip my hat to all of them.
Beyond the marina, Albany offers an array of spectacular landside features including a well-appointed boutique hotel, an Ernie-Els designed golf course, a full-service fitness center, a spa, an adult pool and bar, a family water park, a kids’ clubhouse and a variety of fine din ing and casual restaurants.
The next time you find yourself in The Bahamas, stop by Albany and have a look for yourself.
Each of Albany Marina’s slips supply electricity, cable and internet.