Publication date: 07/09/2024
Modernizing ports and marinas Port Adhoc
Always keen to welcome all our customers in the best possible conditions, the Port Adhoc group continues to improve the infrastructures and services offered in the different ports of the network. The facilities providing access to water and electricity in our harbors and marinas, with their limited functionality, merit our attention.
To modernize our facilities, upgrade existing equipment and, above all, offer boaters greater accessibility and comfort, our teams have chosen to move towards “smart marinas“, or “connected marinas“. With the latest generation of equipment on our pontoons, we will soon be able to offer users of our facilities high-quality, easy-to-use and practical equipment, as well as optimized port services.
To assist us in the transformation of the Port Adhoc spaces and equipment, we chose to call on the company YouNav. YouNav is a renowned specialist in the digitalization of marinas, regularly supplying marinas with hardware and software solutions. YouNav has the necessary expertise to support all our teams in this project.
To date, over 2,500 smart meters have already been installed in our Dutch marinas. In our marina on Lake Grevelingen, for example, 1,000 electrical outlets have been fitted with meters, directly connected to the Younav system set up for Port Adhoc agents and users. The consumption indexes of boaters who have chosen Jachthaven Bruinisse to moor their boats are now automatically transmitted to the port agents, who no longer have to take readings manually.
Previously, reading all the meters, entering the data without error, making deductions for consumption and generating the various invoices to be sent to boaters mobilized Port Adhoc agents in each port and marina for a minimum of 4 days!
In the Netherlands, work has also begun on other ports and marinas in the network, again with the help of YouNav. At Jachthaven Naarden and Lelystad Haven, work is 40% and 30% advanced respectively. Modernization work will also begin shortly at Cape Helius marina in Hellevoetsluis, and at Deko Marina in Lelystad.
The modernization of our facilities is in line with the values of the Port Adhoc group. Our aim is to “evolve” rather than “replace”: we therefore favor refit operations, to reuse existing equipment whenever possible.
New harbor facilities for boaters
Thanks to the smart pedestals that will soon be installed in the harbors of our network, it will be possible to collect data on the personal consumption of each boater. It’s not a question of monitoring your use, restricting or controlling your consumption, but of differentiating between boaters who use their unit all year round, often staying on board, cleaning their unit excessively… and those who only visit their boat a few times a year, using very little water and electricity.
We’ve opted for this new configuration in the ports of the Port Adhoc network to enable you, the boater, to contribute only as much as you actually use, and no longer “share the bill” with your pontoon neighbors. Perhaps they use these resources much more than you do?
With these new water and electricity terminals in our ports, you’ll be billed only for the amount you actually use. With recent increases in the cost of water and electricity, this could make all the difference!
Finally, knowing more about your own consumption will also give a clearer picture of your needs in terms of on-board equipment and energy generators: even if life in port and at sea are often very different, it’s always useful, when preparing your future cruises, to know how much water and electricity you use usually.
Simple, easy-to-use equipment for every user
To secure the use of the bollards and avoid conflicts between boaters, each harbor user will have a specific box connected to his or her electrical cable, between the quayside socket and the on-board socket. This box, fitted with a unique identifier, will enable the user to be identified.
So, wherever the boater is plugged in, the YouNav system will keep track of his or her consumption, with no risk of “theft” by neighbors. User identification requires no special action on the part of the owner, as recognition is automatic.
This small, easy-to-use piece of equipment has been specially invented and patented by the YouNav company to enable everyone to freely consume the water and electricity supplied by ports, with the assurance that no one else can make any expenditure on their behalf.
Port Adhoc’s teams are very proud to have chosen this innovative solution, which is much less restrictive for boaters than the other usual systems – using badges, codes or padlocks.
Uniformity across the network
Our project to transform our port facilities also aims to standardize operations across the network. Until now, the ports and marinas in the Port Adhoc network in France and the Netherlands each had their own unique system, making it difficult for boaters to get around when calling.
With the smart pedestals in our various marinas, sailors will benefit from easier mobility, thanks to a system that will work in the same way in all the Group’s ports.
As an annual subscriber to Jachthaven Bruinisse, for example, you’ll be able to use your own box or adapter to connect to the power supply when you call at Hellevoetsluis, in the Cape Helius marina. Your boat will be automatically recognized thanks to your equipment, and you’ll be billed for all your consumption, wherever you are.
The boating experience at the heart of our approach
Finally, in addition to the new functions offered by the connected terminals, the new facilities in our ports and marinas will also facilitate the work of our port agents.
Across the network, Port Adhoc teams will now be able to focus on the needs of boaters and provide you with the highest quality assistance.
Do you still have questions about the modernization of our marinas, about the connected terminals chosen by Port Adhoc, or about how our new equipment works? Don’t hesitate to contact our team!
