Dockwa, Inc., the slip and mooring reservation platform which boaters use to connect to marinas online and by app, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Marinas.com, the world’s most extensive online marine directory of more than 75,000 marine locations, including 15,000 marinas, yacht clubs, and shipyards. Marinas.com was the first online resource of its kind for the marine industry, pioneering a comprehensive guide for boaters worldwide and amassing more than 100,000 users. Marinas.com solves the challenge marinas face in reaching new customers by providing online and digital tools to communicate.
The acquisition solidifies Dockwa’s position as a leader in marine technology and expands Dockwa’s already growing footprint of marinas. Dockwa’s marina network and boater community tripled in size in 2016, resulting in a 1,766 percent increase in nights served. Incorporating Marinas.com into its portfolio demonstrates the startup’s continued commitment to advance the marine industry as a whole.
“The company vision of Dockwa is highly aligned with the vision of Marinas.com,” said Mike Melillo, CEO of Dockwa. “Both connect marinas with boaters and provide marinas with the online tools and data necessary to make informed decisions about their business strategies. By unifying these platforms, we can more rapidly advance technological adoption in the industry and help our customers achieve their growth goals.”
Marinas use Marinas.com’s online tools to advertise, generate sales leads and implement digital marketing campaigns. These efforts help marinas drive new business and foster brand loyalty with repeat customers. The application of both Marinas.com and Dockwa’s product offerings extends beyond a marina’s management team, proving a powerful tool for dock staff who manage daily operations.
“After more than two decades of steady growth and customer loyalty, we’re passing the helm of Marinas.com over to the talented team at Dockwa,” said Pam Harris, Owner at Marinas.com. “Since 1995, Marinas.com has been the gold standard representing the marina industry on the web, and Dockwa is poised to take it to the next level.”
The acquisition of Marinas.com also encompasses the domains reservenow.com, marinafinder.com, boatbuzz.com, and geowake.com. With this acquisition, Dockwa grows its marina partner network to more than 500 businesses and further expands its international footprint to Central and South America, and parts of Europe.
“With the wealth of engineering, marketing, and business strategy expertise on our team, we’re uniquely positioned to continue the development of the Marinas.com platform,” said Melillo. “Our primary goal is to increase the value for Marinas.com clients and empower marinas to reach the next generation of boaters.”
