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Boating enthusiast Stephen Davies thinks the pastime suffers from a colonial legacy. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Left high and dry: Lack of marina facilities in Hong Kong harms economic prospects, say boating experts

Those in the industry say typhoon shelters could be used to accommodate boats amid a shortage of moorings in the territory

A lack of berths and moorings for marine pleasure vessels is resulting in Hong Kong missing out on economic and social opportunities, according to key industry figures.

There are currently less than 5,000 moorings and dry berths in Hong Kong, but there are 9,456 licensed pleasure vessels in the territory..

Marine industry figures believe the government can address this shortage – and boost tourism – by turning the Kwun Tong typhoon shelter into a public marina, which they say will have multiple positive effects.

Hong Kong Marine Industry Association secretary David Robinson said the government was not maximising recreational use of the water.

“They don’t understand leisure. It’s never been a part of the local culture. They cannot understand why you want to go charging around orange markers in the harbour and not make money. It’s as simple as that,” Robinson said.

He said Kwun Tong could easily be freed up to be converted into a public marina.

There are calls for the Kwun Tong typhoon shelter to be turned into a public marina. Photo: Nora Tam

“The Kwun Tong typhoon shelter is approximately 50 per cent full [on] average over three years during typhoons,” he said.

“To Kwa Wan [typhoon shelter] on the left side of the runway is 50 per cent full during typhoons. Move all the boats out of Kwun Tong and put them in To Kwa Wan.”

Gordon Hui, chairman of marine craft seller Sunseeker Asia Group, also supported developing public marinas which he said could give Hong Kong “fantastic” outdoor facilities by the harbour, much like those seen in France, Spain and Monaco.

“Allowing more public marinas … [offering] restaurants, cafes, bars and even retail shops accessible for Hong Kong’s seven million people as well as visiting tourists ... would create more jobs for the marine industry as well as more jobs for all other facilities around the marina,” he said.

However, industry figures said a key problem hampering the creation of public marinas was the lingering perception in Hong Kong that boating and yachting were only for the rich, leading to “middle-class” boaters – those owning 16-foot to 35-foot vessels – being ignored.

Paul Zimmerman says people are not open to the idea of creating more marina space. Photo: Bruce Yan

Paul Zimmerman, CEO of Designing Hong Kong, said the “it’s only for the wealthy” stereotype was preventing progress in addressing the shortage of facilities.

“I mentioned it [marina space] once to [Chief Executive] CY [Leung] and he was like ‘oh, it’s just for rich people’,” he said.

“When I was in the Harbourfront Commission and said: ‘guys, we’ve got to have more marina space’, they all look at you like ‘oh that’s not for the public’.”

Mark Russell, general manager of marine craft seller Simpson Marine, said the government needed to be more proactive.

“It is about the family enjoyment of the water,” he said.

“The government needs to take a more proactive role in recognising the economic and lifestyle benefits of the yachting industry and promote it as something which is beneficial and is inclusive.”

Veteran boating enthusiast Stephen Davies has been a boat owner since 1979 and is one of the lucky few who can keep his 26ft vessel at a dry berth.

He believed the elitist image of recreational boating was a legacy issue that goes back to the colonial era.

“It tends to have always been [seen as] an elite [activity]. And in the context where the elite were always nearly … a bunch of white colonialists, it’s a double whammy. So there’s not only class prejudice, there’s cultural prejudice too,” he said.

Mark Russell of Simpson Marine is worried that a lack of berthing space is losing him business. Photo: Dickson Lee.

The lack of berthing space is also causing marine craft sellers like Simpson Marine to lose business. “The first question [buyers] ask is: ‘I want a yacht, but can I get a berthing space?’,” Russell said. When the customer is told there isn’t one available, they become less inclined to buy, he said.

Increased ownership of boats would also give ancillary industries an economic boost, according to Russell.

“People have to look after the boats, they need to clean them, you buy things to put on the boats,” he said.

The industry figures also said an absence of berthing space and moorings was causing an export of business to other countries looking to capitalise on marine tourism.

“We offer a facility in Thailand where you can buy a yacht, keep the yacht in Thailand like you would have your villa … You fly down on a low-cost carrier, we’ll have the yacht ready for you,” Russell said.

“Hong Kong does lose out.”

We are losing out to Shenzhen … so into the breach steps marine recreation. We can use all those facilities that were there for the commercial ports that include 14 typhoon shelters
David Robinson

With Hong Kong losing its status as a major ocean cargo handling centre, Robinson believed the city was ripe to replace that decline with recreational boating.

“The fact is that Hong Kong is waning as a commercial port,” he said.

“We are losing out to Shenzhen … so into the breach steps marine recreation. We can use all those facilities that were there for the commercial ports that include 14 typhoon shelters.”

In 2014, the Marine Department said it would launch a review of the berth situation, with the review expected to be completed by mid-2015. However, the review has so far not materialised.

A Marine Department spokeswoman said the review was still in progress.

“A lot of work is involved in the survey, such as designing questionnaires; approaching vessel owners for participating in the survey; and clarifying data collected in the survey,” she said.

“After completion of the survey, we will move on to reviewing policy and management issues, proposing options, conducting consultation and formulating recommendations.”

The review, contracted to Policy 21 Limited, is now expected to be completed by the end of this year.

But change could be on the horizon, with Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying laying out a vision for a new waterfront on Hong Kong Island this week ahead of launching a public consultation.

A new public area stretching from Wan Chai North to North Point has been envisaged, with promotion of water sports activities as the centrepiece of the scheme.

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