Work will start shortly on the creation of a new dedicated marina for superyachts in Long Beach, California, which will be able to berth 12 yachts up to 50m (165ft). Early in March dredging work will start at Catalina Landing within the Long Beach port area as the first stage of the marina project. The Catalina Express ferries which have previously used the Landing, will move to the new Catalina Express port at San Pedro.

Approval for the dredging was given earlier this year by the California Coastal Commission along with action to cleanup the whole area before work can start in transforming it into the superyacht marina. It is anticipated that development work will commence in late spring with the 12 berths ranging in size from 30m-50m. There will also be berthing on hand for up to 15 tenders, a fuel dock and related on-shore facilities for owners and crew, and various yacht services. Construction is expected to take nine to 12 months.

For Long Beach the new marina will give a notable boost to its superyacht facilities. While it has a number of marinas with some superyacht berthing capacity, there is no dedicated superyacht facility such as already exists in San Diego.
Superyacht Business / David Robinson, 24 February 2010