Abell Point Marina relaunches: Feature

Paul Darrouzet is a visionary who has invested millions in the postcard Whitsundays, a fickle tourism destination known for its bewitching beauty.

He acquired Abell Point Marina in 2013 after the previous owners, Meridien Marinas, went into receivership.

History shows Abell Point — Darrouzet immediately restored the correct spelling of the name from Abel Point used erroneously by the former owners — had also been in receivership back in 1989.

But the chequered past of this iconic marina hasn’t deterred this can-do businessman. It shows that Darrouzet came to the project as a boatowner, too.

It's with this  view — that of a boatowner with a 42 foot cruiser parked in Sydney — that we accepted the invitation to check out the new revitalised Abell Point Marina.

$10 MILLION RENO
Having now spent almost $10 million on its reinvention, Abell Point Marina is looking buoyant behind the cyclone-proof stone fortress of breakwaters.

Bookings for berths are up three-fold on last year, enthuses Darrouzet, bounding along the timber foreshore walkways before the stands of golden canes, gesticulating, and sharing his long-held vision.

Occupancy is running at about 85 per cent, up from 62 per cent when he bought the marina. Build it and they will come. But he did more.

He cleaned-out the 'riff-raff', introduced strict codes of conduct for the commercial operators, improved the aspect and public interface, and created a community and tourist destination where you can simply sit and watch the boats. And toast the setting sun.

It’s a clean, classy, safe and inviting venue for white-boat owners to leave their craft without worrying about cyclones, security, or whether the shorepower has tripped out. Riviera and Multihull Solutions are among those with owner’s rallies who now make Abell Point Marina their shore base.

Certainly, we'd happily leave our beloved cruiser here at the vastly
improved boating amenity and rest easy in the knowledge it's safe and
secure during the stints back home.

Commercial traffic is even greater. Each year, some 50,000 cruise ship visitors pass through the new arrival and departure ‘plaza’, while some 62 commercial operators bring another 400,000 people (excluding bareboaters) through the gates. And there are 2500 square metres of retail space.

Standing at the summit, Darrouzet says 14,600 square metres of concrete have been poured to create 305 car-parking spots. Together, these things help create the biggest commercial marina in Queensland and one of the top five biggest commercial marinas in the country, we’re told.

BLUE CARPET EXPERIENCE
From helicopter rides to Segway tours, we were treated to a modern-day marina introduction. How could you argue?

The visit was dubbed the Blue Carpet Experience, a namesake marketing initiative based on providing better-than-red-carpet service to visiting boaters. Needless to say, the azure Coral Sea obliges.

"I’ve had boats for 20-odd years and when you came here previously it was very disappointing," Darrouzet said at his speech at the Marina Industries Association conference held at the same time as our visit.

"You can’t run around and say ‘we’re this and we’re that’ when you are not. You have to invest the money. When I arrived here previously I thought I’d arrived in a third-world country."

The Blue Carpet Experience is all about stepping up and delivering what today’s boaters want and expect when arriving on their comfortable cruising boats from interstate. Yet berthing prices are about 20 per cent less than the best marina in Port Stephens (when we visited). A 16m berth for a 50-footer cost $1658 per month and $7600 for half a year.

As an aside, Abell Point Marina is now part of ECLAT, short for The East Coast Luxury Aquatic Travellers Club (ECLAT), a marina berthing exchange program between Runaway Bay Marina on the Gold Coast, Soldiers Point Marina in Port Stephens, Empire Marina at Bobbin Head and Gladesville Bridge Marina on Sydney Harbour.

BOATER’S VIEW
With a love of boating, Brisbane-born Darrouzet discovered the Whitsundays more than 25 years ago. He would range up from down south on his Riviera 46 Passagemaker and later gad about the islands aboard the Warren superyacht he bought after business success.

He will tell you, as indeed he did us during a sunset cruise on his Falcon 86, that his favourite boltholes are Stonehaven Bay, Thomas Island to the south, and Montes Reef Resort at Gloucester Passage around the corner to the north.

Montes is home to the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club and its annual Rendezvous, sponsored by Abell Point, attracts hundreds of yachts and sailors for fun and frivolities each year.

It’s at the excellent restaurant at Montes that our Blue Carpet Experience introduces the local seafood, following a breathtaking helicopter ride from Proserpine Airport in a Robinson R66.

Après lunch, we land at the new helipad at Abell Point Marina, which is just a 12-minute direct flight from Proserpine Airport ($198 per head). Given the low-cost of domestic flying, you can afford to shout yourself the transfer. Or meet mates waiting in the tender on Whitehaven Beach for about $500 from the airport.

THE NEW AIRLIE BEACH JEWEL
Back at Abell Point Marina, the redevelopment is about 90 per cent complete. Boaters who remember the tired old establishment will be impressed. Service is the mantra and dedicated dockhands at ready to take your lines. Indeed, Abell Point Marina proves welcoming.

A background in heavy engineering, logistics and commercial property development has stood Darrouzet in good stead to lay the concrete, pump the mud, fill the land and realise his vision. Experience with enlivening supermarkets adds to his retail and leasing knowledge. Then there is the boating experience.

The transformation from a run-down development into a vibrant, boating and community hub is almost complete, with Phase 2 including community grounds, the yacht club and function centre open at the end of 2015.

As it stands, the cyclone-proof marina is the most secure in the Whitsundays region, less than three-hours from Sydney via direct flights with Tiger on Monday nights, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; and with JetStar from Melbourne on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

BOATING MAGNET
On the final night, we cruise aboard the can-do-man’s Falcon 86, departing from his refurbished Abell Point Marina, the twin MTU 2000 Series purring as the crew pop corks and the canapes arrive.

It’s then that you realise that boats are what have brought Darrouzet to the area and boats are what he hopes will follow him here. Take this as your invitation to check out the new Abell Point Marina.

Meantime, as the owner of a Riviera 42, I'd be more than happy to leave my boat at Abell Point for half the year. Which is what I sought to answer as I took my seat for the two hour and 40 minute flight from Mascot.

Contact: Abell Point Marina, http://abellpointmarina.com.au