The Working Waterfront Series #3

Posted by Gino Penasa on August 17th, 2026

Working Waterfront Report — Marina Operations & Management

The Hidden Revenue Streams Most Marina Operators Are Missing

Most marina owners can recite their slip rates from memory. Fewer can tell you, without pulling out a calculator, what percentage of their gross revenue comes from anything other than slips and fuel. That gap is where a lot of value quietly leaks out of an otherwise well-run marina.

Slip fees and fuel margins are the visible economics of a marina, and the numbers everyone benchmarks against. But in property after property, the ancillary lines are where the real upside sits. They’re also the lines most operators under-manage simply because they’re not the first thing anyone looks at.

Here’s where that upside tends to…

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The Working Waterfront Series #2

Posted by Gino Penasa on July 9th, 2026

Working Waterfront Report — Market & Investment Insights

What Makes Marinas Strong Commercial Investments in 2026?

Tight boat spacing maximizes revenue potential.

Waterfront real estate has always carried a certain mystique. But beyond the scenic appeal, marinas represent a distinct and often underestimated category of commercial investment, backed by real data behind its durability.

If you’re a commercial real estate investor, developer, or marina operator trying to understand why capital continues to flow toward working waterfronts, here’s what the numbers and the fundamentals actually show.

A Supply-Constrained Asset Class

One of the most compelling characteristics of marina properties is simple: you can’t build more coastline.

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The Working Waterfront Series #1

Posted by Gino Penasa on June 16th, 2026

Policy, Preservation & Community  |  The Working Waterfront Report

What Is a Working Waterfront? A Guide for Investors, Developers & Communities

A working fishing pier — the kind of commercial maritime infrastructure that defines a working waterfront.

When you stand at the edge of almost any harbor, you see two waterfronts at once. One is the version that gets the headlines — condominiums with water views, restaurant rows, hotel terraces, kayak rentals. The other is quieter, grittier, and increasingly rare: the working waterfront. It’s the same when you drive by a local marina: you see dozens of masts jutting up from sailboats and the shiny conning towers of yachts. But it takes a little closer look to see the charter boat that’s a…

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