Editorial

The latest in the long list of recommendations aimed at keeping shipyard workers gainfully occupied is the idea of Malta Drydocks setting up a facility for the maintenance of superyachts. The announcement was made earlier this month by Economic Services Minister Josef Bonnici who pointed out that there was as yet no such facility in the Mediterranean.

"We are looking at this niche market which pro-mises to be quite successful if handled correctly," he said. The minister said he was talking about superyachts costing between Lm20 million and Lm29 million. So, on this basis, it is a lucrative market indeed.

The minister did not elaborate and one is not in a position therefore to know just how much thought Malta Drydocks has given to this project.

Ironically, Prof. Bonnici's announcement was followed by reports of "the sudden and forced closing down of three yacht yards used for boat storage on Manoel Island".

This move did not go down well with the yachting community with one of their representatives comparing the situation with "having an airport without a runway". And they are quite right. What exactly is the situation with regard to these yards? Have alternative arrangements been made for them?

Malta's geographical location is certainly ideal for the setting up of a superyacht maintenance base, especially given the fact that in this part of the world such vessels usually conglomerate around the south of France and also considering that three of the main superyacht builders in Europe are located in Germany, Holland and Italy.

There are quite a few superyachts, usually exceeding 40 metres in length, plying the seas but not that many either, even if we are speaking in terms of hundreds. Thus, the competition to attract such vessels to one's maintenance bases is evidently cut-throat.

Malta Drydocks has to have the skills available to go into the business of superyacht maintenance. For even though the yard has its own yacht yard, superyacht maintenance requires specialised skills that may not yet be available. If this is in fact the case, then we would have to start thinking about this well in advance of the implementation of the project.

Superyacht owners are very finicky when it comes to the building or upkeep of their expensive toys. In fact, they also send out experts to shipyards in order to supervise the work being done, even if it is just a coat of paint being applied to the hull.

Thus, it is not enough for Malta Drydocks to seek superyachts in need of maintenance. It must first ensure that its workforce is able and willing to work in perfect harmony with the team of project managers likely to be present throughout such work.

To be fair with 'yard workers, this is exactly what happened when the USS La Salle was here. Both sides worked very well together, so much so that personal friendships were forged. No doubt the 'yard may quote other instances when they had similar experiences.

However, if Malta plans to go into the superyacht maintenance business, the 'yard's management and the workers' representatives must not leave anything to chance. Here is an opportunity that should be grabbed. If the project is taken up professionally the yard would be diversifying further its commercial activities, something that could help the enterprise become more financially viable.