Pick a Pier sees surge in Blue Flag marina sign ups

Pick a Pier, founded in 2017 by a team of passionate boating enthusiasts using technology solutions to connect boaters and marinas, has gained over 15 Blue Flag marina-sign ups to their AI-driven platform in 2022, offering hundreds of marinas on their platforms.

Marinas from across Europe have signed up to the Pick a Pier platform, including Blue Flag Italian-based Marina degli Aregai, Port de Saint-Cyprien from France, the Spanish Club Náutico de Águilas, and many others across the continent.

Pick a Pier’s digital transformation of the recreational boating industry is generating actionable data that helps get a clearer picture of boating’s impact on the environment. They use machine learning to monitor sailing traffic in real-time, and leverage user-generated input to understand and predict when, where and how people are sailing. They also optimise the utilisation of the existing berth supply so that marinas can do more with the resources they have, while protecting the ocean. Furthermore, in partnership with Blue Flag, Pick a Pier is asking new boaters to take the Sustainable Boating Pledge and adhere to eco-friendly practices at sea and on-shore.

Pick a Pier also launched an exclusive boater loyalty program - Popeye® Sail Club, the most advanced, rewarding and sustainable boating club. With a club membership, boaters earn points for online berth reservation and for reporting that their own berth will be vacant. They can redeem these points for discounts on future reservations through Pick a Pier. The earlier boaters take action, the more they earn points and discounts. Popeye® Sail Club promotes sustainable sailing, and allows marinas to reward their annual berth holders with best-in-class incentives at no additional cost. An additional benefit of the Pick a Pier platform for marinas is the inclusive payment service that makes the lives of both boaters and marina staff easier and enables the marinas to provide fast and smooth service.

Pick a Pier’s CEO Idan Cohen comments:

“Our mission is to make boating more accessible, convenient, and sustainable. Marinas using Pick a Pier are able to offer an increased level of customer communications and service, resulting in maximised profitability. It also allows Marinas to provide boaters with quick responses, excellent customer service and easy access to berthing.

We are excited to have new marinas onboard with Pick a Pier and know they will instantly benefit from optimised operations and unlocking berths to accommodate boaters. By joining Pick a Pier, these marinas have access to boaters and berth holders in real-time using our intuitive platform that provides a new level of transparency, communication, and profitability.”

The Pick a Pier platform is the innovative tool marinas need to make the most of their resources and embrace environmentally-minded business practices while providing a simple and effective option for boaters to plan their voyages.

About Pick a Pier

Pick a Pier was founded in 2017 to make sailing more accessible, enable boaters to get everywhere, and connect boaters worldwide. Optimising the use of marina berths through sharing economy principles to reduce the need for construction of additional berths, promote maritime tourism, and increase the profitability and sustainability of the marina industry. For more, visit https://pickapier.com a highly connected network of marinas and boaters. For additional information about Popeye, visit Popeye Sail Club.

Biodiversity webinars open to all Blue Flag members

As part of the Foundational for Environmental Education (FEE) GAIA 20:30 strategy for the next decade, a series of webinars focused on Biodiversity will be organised by the Blue Flag and Green Key teams in April and May.

Launched by FEE in 2021, the GAIA 20:30 strategy represents the organisation’s commitment to contribute to a more sustainable world. As part of this strategy, FEE will be focusing its resources for the next decade on three critical environmental increasing threats to our planet – climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution.

In 2022, the GAIA 20:30 will protect global biodiversity through different actions: promoting sustainable management of the coastal zone, combating pollinator and insect loss, preserving existing and creating new natural areas, and finally raising awareness of efforts to remove invasive alien species.

Several initiatives will be held within the year dedicated to Biodiversity, including a Biodiversity Competition, a course, and four webinars, conducted in April and May. The webinars, developed in partnership between Green Key International and Blue Flag International teams, will focus on different aspects of biodiversity. The first webinar will be held on April 5th and the last one, conducted in May (date to be confirmed), can be particularly relevant for the Blue Flag national operators and members since they will explore the importance of biodiversity for coastal areas.

Focused on the Importance of Biodiversity to the Tourism Industry, the first webinar hosted on April 5th will raise questions as such:

• What is biodiversity?

• Why is it important for tourism?

• What are the negative impacts of tourism on biodiversity?

More information will be shared in the upcoming weeks on the Blue Flag page and social media on how to sign up for the Biodiversity webinars.

Blue Flag and Pick a Pier partner to launch exclusive Popeye® Sail Club

With the increasing demand for berth space, industry leaders are finding new ways to sustain our marinas while continuing to adamantly protect the ocean. Blue Flag’s digital partner, Pick a Pier, is at the forefront of this mission and has just introduced an exciting new initiative — the Popeye® Sail Club.  

Pick a Pier is a leading online platform that connects boaters and marinas, streamlining the berth reservation process and simplifying communication. Now it’s becoming even stronger with the launch of Popeye® Sail Club.

Popeye® the Sailor Man, the tough, loveable seafarer from the comics is now more helpful, more intelligent, and even stronger with technology — the perfect mascot to champion an international sustainability initiative.

 “We’re excited by the incredible opportunity to engage directly with boaters to promote sustainable boating practices,” said International Blue Flag Director Johann Durand. “With Popeye at the helm, we can make the message of responsible sailing far more memorable.”

 Here’s how it works

 For every sail, boaters earn points, which can be redeemed at participating marinas as credit towards reservation fees. By reserving berth space in advance on Pick a Pier’s platform, boaters can now sail with ease while maintaining the flexibility to change their reservation up until the day of arrival.

 Knowing with certainty exactly where to dock in two weeks is reward enough. But with a Popeye® Sail Club membership, boaters will be further rewarded for those advance reservations. Boaters can book a berth with priority access at some of the most sustainable marina destinations and get points for every USD/Euro spent. They’ll also get points for reporting that their own berthing space will be vacant when they sail away from their home marina. The programme encourages boaters to plan ahead by giving up to 3 times the points on early reservations.

 Points can then be redeemed for discounted reservations and other marina services. On top of that, Pick a Pier will have special offers and promotions just for members that make points even more worthwhile.

Popeye® Sail Club is launching by invitation only and boaters at participating marinas will be the first to get their exclusive membership. Other boaters can be added to the waitlist at www.popeyesailclub.com

“We are extremely proud of this one-of-a-kind programme. Popeye® Sail Club is taking the Pick a Pier experience one step further. The club is designed for the most passionate boaters, empowering them to easily sail in a more sustainable way — and rewarding them along the way,” explains Idan Cohen, CEO of Pick a Pier.

Promoting better sustainability practices 

Popeye® Sail Club is built around sharing economy principles that promote better use of existing resources and sustainability.  

Pick a Pier is already helping Blue Flag marinas optimise their resources without compromising the environment or creating more work for their staff. Allowing marinas to do more with what they have reduces the need for marina construction or expansion. 

But working with marinas and incentivizing boaters to plan ahead to increase sustainability is just one piece of the puzzle. In partnership with Blue Flag, Pick a Pier will ask that new boaters take the Sustainable Boating Pledge and adhere to eco-friendly practices at sea and on-shore. 

 The five basic principles are simple and incredibly effective in raising awareness among boaters and promoting a healthy ecosystem. 

1. Protect the Waters
   Refuel with care and never dump waste into the ocean

2. Safeguard Marine Life
   Anchor and fish only in permitted areas 

3.  Minimise Waste
   Avoid single-use plastics and use eco-friendly cleaning products when possible. 

4. Be More Considerate
   Be mindful of other boaters in your vicinity. Dump sewage only where permitted. 

5. Stay Watchful 
   Report violations and inform authorities about hazards. 

Blue Flag is committed to ensuring a resilient ocean, and Popeye® Sail Club will help us reach more boaters, showing everyone that ease of use, profitability and sustainability go hand in hand.