Doing hard labor. Putting in all-new piers at marina is a Swift family project

By SUZANNE MARINO
Staff Writer
MARGATE – With a built-in workforce of five sons, buying an older 60-slip marina for $250,000 in 2004 seemed like an easy decision for James Swift of Margate.
And in the long run, it will probably prove to be a great choice. But right now, it is downright hard work. John Swift, his son, may be an attorney by education and a Margate City Commissioner by virtue of the voters, but when it comes down to brass tacks, he is a member of the Swift family work crew.
“We are doing all the work ourselves, my brothers and I,” said John Swift, “except for pulling the pilings -- and for that we are using Blue Water,” a piling and marine construction firm out of Egg Harbor Township.
After the Swifts purchased the marina, they discovered that all four of the piers where boats are moored had to be replaced.
One by one they are replacing the old piers, removing the wood, the pilings, and putting in new. The cost of each of those piers is running roughly $100,000, which is more than the Swifts had anticipated when they made the purchase.
The old wooden piers are being replaced by synthetic ones, made from a plastic that lasts longer and is better able to withstand the elements without breaking down, explained Swift.
“The pilings are interesting,” Swift said. “On the surface, they were rotted and certainly in need of being replaced. Right at the water line, they are really attacked by marine life, and the tides take their toll. But the portion of the piling that remains underwater is nearly perfect.”
Though they may be in good shape down below, the pilings have to be replaced. Removal is a big job that necessitates a barge-mounted crane operating from the bay.
The pilings that are visible above the water are maybe eight feet, but to make sure they are secure, the pilings have to be set very deep into the water. And they are creosote coated, so once they are removed they have to be treated as hazardous and disposed of as such. Swift explained that the pilings are taken to the ACUA, where an additional fee is charged for disposal.
The new piling is fitted into place with the help of a water jet. The pipe goes down into the water, and using a high-pressure stream, it opens the path for the piling, and then the sand cinches it in place. Swift said the pilings can be as long as 60 feet, and all but the top is buried in the sandy bottom of the bay.
Swift chuckled about some of the things he has learned since reporting to the marina on an almost-daily basis.
“Twelve months a year, I wear sunscreen. Working outside is a constant battle with the elements,” said Swift.
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