Saunders Yachtworks Named Alabama’s First Clean and Resilient Marina

Gulf Shores, Ala., Sept. 28, 2021—Saunders Yachtworks, a full-service yacht yard in Gulf Shores, is the first facility in Alabama to earn the Clean and Resilient Marina certification. The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium awarded this designation to Saunders for its use of best management practices to protect and promote clean water and reduce water pollution. 

 

For Saunders, a company-wide commitment to keeping a squeaky-clean boatyard was key to landing this achievement.

 

“We are honored to be recognized for our efforts in the Clean Marina Program,” Facilities and Safety Manager Greg Lindell said. “The sustainability of our industry relies on the protection of the resources that feed it. We take great pride in maintaining clean facilities and implementing protocols that reduce water pollution.”

Saunders Yachtworks, located on the Alabama Gulf Coast, has been in business for 62 years. Saunders believes that the natural resources provided to the boating community must be preserved and maintained. Their boatyards exceed all EPA requirements for effluent control and runoff elimination, and their field service teams are careful to contain all toxic or potentially harmful materials when repairing boats in the water.

 

“We’ve been keeping things clean since the beginning with Saunders Engine Company in Mobile (Ala.),” Chairman Emeritus Andrew Saunders said. “We continued that tradition by engineering our facility in Gulf Shores with environmental sensitivity in mind, making provisions to decrease our impact on the local waterways.”

 

Beth Gendler, Chief Operating Officer for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, joined in presenting the award to Saunders Yachtworks and says this certification plays a key role in the destination’s overall focus on environmental sustainability.

 

“Locals and visitors along Alabama’s Gulf Coast choose our area because of our natural environment – the beaches, waterways and bays, and all the outdoor activities those provide,” Gendler explained. “For us to maintain these environmental resources, it is vital that our businesses and industries make protecting the environment a top priority as well.”

 

The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium created the Clean and Resilient Marina Program – a voluntary program that is being utilized by the five Gulf states in the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) – to encourage boaters and marinas to use strategies and standards that employ best management practices on the water. This improved program complements Clean Marina practices already in place and provides additional recommendations to strengthen local marinas’ ability to withstand natural and man-made disasters. 

 

Areas for certification include Marina Design and Siting; Emergency Preparedness; Evacuation Procedures; Storm Water Management and Erosion Controls; Climate Adaptation and Sea Level Rise; and Outreach and Education for Marina Operators and Boaters.

 

Those who participate in Clean Marina Programs in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas are helping protect clean water and control pollution that can harm fish, wildlife and the families enjoying recreation on the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico Alliance promotes regional collaboration on the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico and made supporting Clean Marinas and promoting their resilience to natural and man-made disasters a top priority.

 

For more information on the Clean and Resilient Marina Program visit:  https://gulfofmexicoalliance.org/2013/05/gomas-clean-resilient-marina-initiative/

 

For more information on Saunders Yachtworks visit:  https://saundersyacht.com/