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Port Sidney Marina will not make waves

Wave attenuators to be installed to prevent damage to docks
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A sample of what a wave attenuator looks like. Port Sidney Marina will install them at the north end of their facility to reduce wave damage.

In an attempt to prevent ongoing damage to the Port Sidney Marina, its owners are going to anchor wave attenuators to the north side of the facility.

Wave attenuators are, essentially, floating platforms designed to prevent aggressive wave action from entering a marina. they act as a sort of buffer between the waves and marina infrastructure.

Duane Shaw of the Mill Bay Marine Group, owners of the Port Sidney Marina, says the attenuators will be installed as a temporary measure at the north end of the marina, where there is an oping between the existing rip rap breakwater and the shore.

“North outflow winds get into that gap … and can cause damage to docks in the marina,” Shaw said to Sidney Town council Tuesday night. “It’s a safety hazard and a capital problem and we find that unacceptable.”

He added an attenuator is anything put into the ocean with significant enough mass to block wave action. He said they will be installing attenuators once belonging to BC Ferries, or even concrete blocks, to just outside of the marina’s breakwater. they will be well-anchored to the bottom to prevent drift and will avoid nearby eelgrass beds.

The work is being done as part of the Port Sidney Marina’s ongoing, long-term construction projects.