Sovereign Harbour Marina, Eastbourne
Client: Sovereign Harbour Marina
Contractor: Cherry Gates & Barriers
Type of works: supply of eight FAAC 640 barriers.
Sovereign Harbour Marina, part of the Premier Marinas Group and one of Europe’s busiest marinas, has installed FAAC barriers to ensure the safety of pedestrians crossing the entrance from Eastbourne harbour, across the largest automated lock-gates in Europe.
The eight FAAC 640 barriers control pedestrian access to the gates that open every half-hour to let yachts pass through, and maintain constant water levels in the marina.
Cherry Gates & Barriers of Eastbourne previously installed FAAC 640 barriers on a lifting-bridge in another part of the marina. The company's expertise made it the ideal choice to replace the existing lock-barriers which didn’t provide the required level of safety when the gates started the opening and closing cycle.
Shaun White of Cherry Gates said: “FAAC was the obvious choice as we needed 100% reliability. The lock-gates are operated frequently all day and night for regular marina traffic, but have to be opened at short notice when the lifeboat is called out.”
The FAAC system includes flashing lights and audible warnings to alert pedestrians to the imminent lowering of the barriers, prior to the opening of the lock-gates. If anyone attempts to pass under the lowering barriers, photo-optic beams ensure the barriers’ descent is halted immediately. When finally down and magnetically locked in place, the barriers’ safety interlocks, allowing the lock-gates to begin their opening cycle. Keeping a close eye on the proceedings, operators using touch screen controls in the harbour office monitor every opening cycle of the lock gates.
Andy Osman, General Manager at Sovereign Harbour Marina, is delighted with the installation and said: “This system of access-control is ensuring public safety on the largest locks in Europe. A significant number of people come here to enjoy the boats so the barrier system had to be special. The FAAC equipment installed by Cherry Gates is the perfect solution for us.”