Refurbishment work at Gozo’s Mġarr marina is well advanced and the project’s initial capital investment phase is now completed with final works ending in the next couple of weeks, Harbour Management Ltd director Pierre Balzan has told The Times Business.
The two-year, €1.2 million refurbishment project at the marina envisages the creation of 100 additional berths bringing total capacity to 300, new pontoons and the replacement and refurbishments of existing ones. The agreement signed with the government last year granting Harbour Management Ltd a 25-year lease of the marina also provides for use of the area outside the north breakwater to accommodate marina ‘overflow’ and allow short-term berthing of superyachts of up to 50 metres.
This summer, Harbour Management Ltd is already able to offer full berthing and services, and Mr Balzan said the marina is enjoying high occupancy rates and considerable activity, despite being somewhat of a building site at the moment.
Harbour Management Ltd, a subsidiary of the Malta-headquartered multinational Melita Marine Group, is now awaiting planning permission to kickstart the project’s second phase which, subject to approval, will see the construction of a tower that will house the marina’s operations centre and administration office.
The next phase is planned to incorporate the installation of an additional pontoon and a permanent mooring for the cross-channel sea-plane, continued pontoon upgrades and maintenance. The target completion date is April next year.
“After bringing in experts to advise on the best way forward, we have so far replaced two pontoons and recycled as much material as possible to upgrade others,” Mr Balzan explained.
“All the other existing pontoons are being refurbished and the necessary equipment and lighting has been changed. Closed circuit surveillance cameras and automatically controlled gates have been installed on all the pontoons. Water and electricity supply to the pontoons is pre-paid so boat owners only pay according to usage, rather than a flat rate. We have also rehabilitated the underwater area and replaced all systems so the pontoons will not swing heavily in bad weather.”
Mr Balzan added the findings of a commissioned study had necessitated the installation of hammerheads on the pontoons to shield them better in bad weather, and had determined the pontoons’ optimal configuration.
“This is the only concentrated activity harbour in Malta where there is a commercial enterprise – the ferry service – yachting, and an aircraft taking off and landing throughout the day,” Mr Balzan pointed out. “The operation here is complex and required considerable planning. We are currently in the process of obtaining ISO 9001 and ISO 14002 certification, following which we plan to apply for Blue Flag status for the marina.”
Mr Balzan said Harbour Management Ltd planned an upmarket marina for Mġarr with a hotel-style offering and personalised service. After taking over the marina concession, an online system was implemented allowing boat owners to book berths. Berths now operate on a ‘check in, check out’ plan allowing for more efficient administration of pontoon activity.
Mr Balzan added the company had gone beyond the mandate of the agreement signed with the authorities and is to offer premier services to boat owners, particularly given the marina’s location away from Gozo’s village cores. Visitors are able to book taxis, hotel accommodation or spa facilities, and make restaurant reservations through the marina office. Additionally, there will be a morning delivery service for newspapers, and basic groceries and necessities.
Apart from the permanent berths occupied by Gozo-resident boat owners, Mġarr marina attracts visitor yachts not only from Malta but also from beyond our shores thanks to a carefully planned international marketing campaign. Mr Balzan said it would be a major feat to attract the smaller superyachts to the sister island and the facilities to accommodate them was a significant step forward.
Standards across the entire area will also rise considerably when the authorities complete the upgrade of the Zewwieqa waterfront and new parking facilities are available, he added.
And despite the misconceptions, Mr Balzan stressed, Mġarr marina would be the most accessible in the country. Harbour Management’s negotiated berth rates with the authorities have resulted in “the cheapest rates presently in Malta”.
“Under the agreement we signed with the government, these rates will remain unchanged for the first five years,” Mr Balzan said. “Compare rates for a 12-metre boat with those of any other marina in Malta, and is it obvious the Mġarr rates are the cheapest.”