Maritimo on the Move

Words: Bob Wonders

Maritimo CEO Bill Barry-Cotter has acquired a 60-hectare (140-acre) land parcel in the Gold Coast's Coomera marine precinct and is planning a major development highlighted by a 200-berth 'boutique' marina capable of handling vessels up to 30.5-metres (100-feet) in length.

The land boasts a one kilometre frontage to the Coomera River and a further 1.6 kilometres of waterfront to tributary Oakey Creek.

Nearly half (22-30 hectares) the land is suitable for prime development. The site is at the northern end of Waterways Drive, only a few hundred metres from the Maritimo headquarters.

Planned expansion of the award-winning Maritimo production unit will occupy about 10 hectares, the remainder comprising a range of facilities and factory units, some sold, some retained by the Maritimo organisation and offered for rent.

Extensive landscaping and tropical gardens will be included in the areas surrounding the development.

Barry-Cotter estimates a four to five-year time frame for the development's completion.

The marina will be a full working facility complete with travel lift, slipways, marine mechanics/engineers and shipwrights to service marina tenants and cruising vessels.

The word 'quality' is employed frequently by Barry-Cotter when discussing the marina development.

"This will not be just a place to park boats," he declared, "It will be a prime destination for cruising boats, complete with up-market retail areas, cafes and restaurants.

"Let's describe it as extremely up-market, quality all the way," he added. Barry-Cotter acquired the land from the Thompson family, well-known local landholders and the same family from which Barry-Cotter acquired the site now occupied by The Riviera Group.

The land had never been advertised for sale, Barry-Cotter's acquisition coming together after nearly three-years of extensive negotiation with the Thompson family.

Barry-Cotter's companies own additional land along Waterways Drive, some occupied by the $10 million Maritimo HQ opened officially in May, others with several purpose built factory and warehouse units let to a range of 'blue chip' tenants.

The intended development is another rung on the ladder of astonishing successes enjoyed by the former Sydneysider who established Mariner Cruisers and started building timber boats at North Narrabeen 40-years ago. Barry-Cotter made the initial move to Queensland in 1980 and formed Riviera Marine at Labrador, eventually forming the two brand names into The Riviera Group and moving into a new $22 million purpose-built facility at Coomera. Over the intervening years, Barry-Cotter established himself as an industry legend, earning accolades at both government and industry levels.

In 2002 he surprised industry observers by selling The Riviera Group to a combined management/finance group and established Maritimo Offshore, a company carrying the same name as his successful offshore powerboat racing team.

Further success was not long in again coming Barry-Cotter's way when the new company's first model, the Maritimo 60, was named Cruiser of the Year and all-round Australian Boat of the Year for 2005.

Since then, Maritimo has gone on to release its Maritimo 52 (winning a Commendation Award in the 2006 Boats of the Year honours) and the eagerly-awaited Maritimo 48, for which the company already holds an unprecedented number of firm orders.