Superyacht Malta facility to be launched next month

The Palmer Johnson Malta facility in Malta Shipyards is expected to be officially launched next month.

The partnership between American yacht builders and refitters PJ and the Malta Shipyards, as the Maltese 'yards are now to be known, was finalised last September, and since then it has already won seven contracts, including the prestigious Alexander, putting it on track to reach its projected annual turnover of Lm1.5 million, the commercial manager for yacht services, Joseph Degabriele told The Times.

Other contracts have already been lined up and inquiries are also coming in.

"Having an internationally recognised brand name has already made a difference, and we have been marketing the facilities at boat shows," he said.

The partnership is based on developing Dock 3, which nestles underneath the picturesque bastions of Senglea, into a superyacht facility. The dock will be able to take two 40m+ yachts under a retracting cover, with another two in the dock not under cover, and another three alongside the quay.

The cover is an integral part of the facility as the high standards demanded by superyachts require strict cleanliness, and sometimes even control of temperature and humidity.

Until now, yachts requiring exterior work had to be temporarily covered with plastic over scaffolding, which was both costly and wasted precious time.

"When you have a yacht which charters for $25,000 a day, it is easy to see why every second counts," Mr Degabriele said.

"A number of other places have tried to offer a superyacht facility, but they just did not bite the bullet. You have to spend the money, and get the facility, and then get the contracts."

Rail on which the telescopic cover will run was laid over the past weeks along both sides of Dock 3.

The cover itself is made of thick plastic, the best grade available in this system, ensuring a life span of over 20 years. This is stretched over arches in three separate sections, which are being unloaded from 17 containers and assembled by drydocks workers.

The new facility goes well beyond having a covered dock. Decrepit changing rooms have been transformed into smart new offices, with all the aluminium and tiling work also done by drydocks workers. Other buildings are being converted from half-abandoned stores into workshops for joinery, spraying, and machine and electrical work.

The facility is to be surrounded by a fence, complete with its own gate, to provide the security demanded by the superyachts.

There are also higher environmental standards, which will benefit the whole 'yard as well as residents of the area. The need for cleanliness will affect the rest of the 'yard: dry grit blasting will eventually have to be phased out, replaced by more environmentally friendly forms of blasting. The water in the dock, which takes around four hours to empty out, will also be filtered to remove any chemicals from the antifouling.

The approach towards the clients is also different. An air-conditioned site office is available for the project manager, and the superyacht captains will also have an office and communications facilities.

The 'yard is also making available containers where equipment from a boat can be stored safely while work is underway, or pending its installation.

The human resource side also required a new approach. The facility will be run by a core team of 30 people, with up to 50 more brought in from the 'yard, depending on requirements.

Thirteen of the core team have already been to PJ's 'yard in Savannah, Georgia, for training, and a second group should be going over the next few months. A Dupont consultant also gave a seminar in Malta on safety.

Mr Degabriele explained that the management side was also gearing up and it had already been complimented on its quick response time to enquiries. PJ Malta will also be responsible for each project, liaising with subcontractors, ensuring that deadlines are met, for instance.

"One of the problems that captains complain about at our competitors, for example in Palma, is that they have to waste so much time dealing with several local subcontractors."

Mr Degabriele is currently drawing up a list of approved subcontractors, and has also spent three months compiling a list of suppliers for all the specialised materials and services.

"A superyacht paint contract, for example, needs a type of masking tape which is not available in Malta. We needed to have a database of all these materials."

There is an audible buzz across the whole area, and the rhythm of progress is noticeable. The chief engineer on superyacht Samax, which had been to Malta before, was full of praise, saying that he could see progress each time he came.

The positive buzz has also infected the workers. One of those who had been to Savannah for training, proudly explained that he was helping with the assembly of the arches.

"In the past, we stuck to our job descriptions, but now we are working as a team and we appreciate how much faster things are done if we are flexible," he said, enthusiastically pointing out some of the work he had done.

"On the last contract, we needed to do some work in the engine room and two of us just got on with it, instead of getting around six or seven people involved, as would have happened elsewhere in the 'yard. The engine room on superyachts just is not big enough for all those people in any case," he joked.

However, the new approach works both ways. He explained that he was now respected as an expert in his subject.

"I explain to the captain how I think something should be done, and he accepts my advice. I have been here for almost 20 years, and I never spoke directly to clients before," he said, bristling with pride.