India’s first marina was inaugurated by Defense Minister A K Antony in Kochi on April 25th. This marina, located at Bolgatty Island in Kochi is run by the Mumbai based ‘Ocean Blue Marina’ who are the service providers and also marina managers for the ‘Kochi International Marina’. It has the capacity to accommodate 34 yachts and a 3 story Marina House.
The marina will initially have berthing facilities for 37 yachts and will increase to 50 in the second phase. The Kochi International Marina will also provide essential services such as fuel, water, electricity and sewage pump-out for boats. International safety measures and standards have been followed strictly during the construction of the marina. The prospective of this marina lies in the fact that even without any infrastructure, numerous luxury yachts call at Kochi every year, en route from the Gulf or West Asia regions to destinations in the Far East and vice versa.
The marina is near to the International maritime route at the south west coast of the Indian Peninsula. The Minister for Home and Tourism, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, said that the marina would be the new gateway for Kerala Tourism and would attract many seafarers from around the world
