Small craft port design in Slovenia

Slovenia has eleven municipal harbors in Izola, Portorož and Koper, with 1442 berths for various types of pleasure boats on the northern Adriatic coast, which is only 47 kilometers long. However, there are not enough public berths for small boats. Some existing ports do not adhere to the guidelines for marina design, resulting in unconventional port infrastructure, mooring systems, and unused port water areas. There is a need to conduct marine studies for existing and new marinas following the Small Craft Berthing Facilities unified criteria of the US Department of Defense and PIANC Guidelines for Marina Design along with reviewing available standards for floating dock designs. Better planning and adherence to the guidelines will result in adequate maneuvering space for boats, appropriate size and type of pontoons, power, water and sanitary facilities in the marina, parking for boat owners and a docking area for boat maintenance with a sewage treatment system for cleaning dirty boat hulls. Safe mooring systems must be in place, considering the boats’ size and the marina’s location concerning wind, waves, currents, and tides. The logical arrangement of berths following the harbor planning guidelines will positively impact the use of the harbor as it will provide more berths for boats and more security, especially given the changing climate in which tides are rising and sudden storms are becoming more frequent and violent.