The construction of a new marina at Sa Maison is being eagerly anticipated by stakeholders in the yachting sector, who believe that it will stimulate demand for boats as well as for all the services and products they require.

For years, the lack of berths throttled the sales of boats but this has changed significantly, thanks to the opening of marinas at Portomaso and Vittoriosa, and the extension of the Creek Development marinas following privatisation. Seasonal pontoons were also set up at Kalkara and the Royal Malta Yacht Club, with another taking shape by the Ta’ Xbiex waterpolo club.

In fact, the number of berthing spaces increased from 1,511 in 2009 to 1,904 in 2012, according to Transport Malta, and is set to be boosted by another 240 berthing spaces and six floating pontoons at Sa Maison, following a government tender.

A report commissioned by TM and compiled by Adi Associates said the Sa Maison project would meet “some of the demand” for berthing facilities, but the waiting list pressure has undoubtedly slackened and Creek Developments said that, thanks to skilful management of its marinas, it was now “very rare” for a visiting yacht to be turned away – even in peak season.

Creek Developments has carried out a complete infrastructural overhaul of its marinas since it took over in 2011

There were five bidders for the 25-year concession at Sa Maison: Marina di Valletta Consortium, Harbour Management Ltd, two bidders called Valletta Marina Consortium and CGS – owned by the General Workers’ Union through one of its commercial companies in partnership with Creek Developments Ltd, which already operates the Ta’ Xbiex and Msida Marina, and another company controlled by the owner of the Paparazzi restaurant in Gżira.

The number of berths is not the only improvement for yacht owners. Creek Developments has carried out a complete infrastructural overhaul of its marinas since it took over in 2011, introducing comprehensive safety systems as well as maintenance schedules.

Another re-organisation is planned for winter 2015-2016 to optimise the available space even further, while the company will soon move to offices closer to the pontoons, offering greater convenience and a five-star service to residents and visitors alike, with offices, club house, business centre, laundry and sanitary facilities under one roof.

In the marina itself, Creek’s focus is on preventive long-term maintenance and improving the environment by prevention of pollution and the active encouragement of good practices.

CEF Trading, which imports Nubian antifouling to Malta, believes that there is considerably more awareness about the environment.

“In modern times, antifouling paints are formulated with either toxic copper, or other biocides – special chemicals which impede growth of barnacles, algae, and marine organisms. Some innovative bottom paints that do not rely on copper have been introduced in response to the increasing scrutiny that copper-based self-leaching bottom paints have received as environmental pollutants,” a company spokesman said.

Creek also invested in the power supply at the marina, which was being put under pressure as boats added more and more equipment, especially power-hungry air conditioning.

Fabian Enterprises, which provides electrical and electronic equipment, is concerned that boat owners are not aware of the loads being added to their electrical systems.

“When working on your boat’s electrical system, apart from costs you should also take into account the load that the electrical system will be handling. Plan ahead and other loads that might be introduced later on – like a fridge, extra lights, entertainment system, etc.,” a spokesman advised.

The saying is that a boat is a hole into which you pour your money. Sailpower warns that this is not just a figure of speech but does reflect the real situation.

“To keep a boat in good working condition and looking good you must do regular maintenance which costs money. However, the better you maintain your boat the better the resale value will be, so it is not all a loss.

“The market value of a boat starts going down as soon as it hits the water and by the third year it may be down by as much as 30 per cent. If anything, the resale value in the current situation is worse than it used to be due to the number of second-hand boats for sale for very low prices in countries like Italy and Spain, which have affected our market. The trend this year is for owners to go to Sicily to buy their second-hand boat from there,” the company said.

It is highly recommended to weigh out the options prior to any purchase

Another expense associated with boat ownership is insurance, and the lack of understanding about what policies do and do not cover is a headache for Mapfre Middlesea.

As with cars, boat owners can choose either third party only or comprehensive insurance – and also as with cars, the policy has to cover them both while in use or stored, in Malta or overseas, and whether being used recreationally or for racing or charter.

Because of seasonal weather patterns, boats also have a period during which the owners have unrestricted use of the boat – as long as the boat afloat is on an agreed mooring.

“If the vessel is berthed in a safe port, the in-commission period provided is usually from April 15 to November 15. The remaining period is usually the laid-up period, which represents the period when the boat is not in use and is stored in a safe berth or ashore.

“Most policies will permit limited navigation during the laid-up period meaning that the boat may be used during daylight hours and subject to the weather not forecasting a wind speed in excess of force four on the Beaufort scale for motor vessels or force six in the case of sailing boats,” it advised.

The cost of running a boat is not limited to maintenance, berthing and insurance, of course. The cost of fuel is also a major consideration, and Sailpower reported that it has had an impact on the way boats are used.

“Owners travel shorter distances to anchorages especially with a motor boat and trips to Sicily are now mainly restricted to the nearest point, i.e. Ragusa. There have been some motor boat owners who have switched to sailing boats because of the cost of fuel,” it said.

International Marine Centre – one of the first chandlers to target the leisure market – has seen massive changes since it first opened in 1958.

“Yachting chandlers have flourished since those times but, as the saying goes, time flies and things change, or rather, evolve. Since Malta’s EU membership 11 years ago, most well-established chandlers had to adapt to compete with newly-opened parallel importers who might not possibly offer the same standard of after-sales.

“In addition, most marine equipment is readily available for purchase online. Unfortunately, most of this equipment comes without a regular warranty,” manager Paul Farrugia said.

“It is highly recommended to weigh out the options prior to any purchase. It is not always a matter of getting the lowest and best retail price. Check whether the source of your purchase can offer you a high standard of aftersales service, a reliable warranty period and, last but not least, a good and ready supply of perishable spare parts – especially prior to a long cruise to another country with little or no local marine outlets available close by.”