In 1979, PIANC's International Commission for Sport and Pleasure Navigation completed a report on the rules for the construction, equipment and management of yacht harbours and marinas, mainly from the environmental point of view, PIANC (1979).
As the next step, the Joint Sub-committee for Advice on Sport and Pleasure Navigation set up a Working Group to investigate the importance of marina facilities. Such facilities include ship-to-shore services, shore equipment and ancillary services, as well as management, comprising maintenance, security and reception.
Furthermore, the development of the international market for pleasure boats and pleasure navigation services, including the growth of chartering and hiring of boats, made a common specification of user requests desirable.
The terms of reference were approved in September 1986.
It was decided to extend as widely as possible the research, in order to reach the target of the working group, aiming to draw a general picture of the demands of yacht harbour and marina users all over the world, with particular attention to the differences within relevant international boundaries.
