Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard announces new services for superyachts, forming a refit hub as more private and charter yachts head to Australia.
The Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard (GCCM) has announced it will now be the official agent for Seal Superyachts on the East Coast of Australia. The announcement comes as the marina furthers its facilities to meet the demands of the increasing number of superyachts reaching Australia.
“With extended cruising ranges and the rapid increase in popularity of the Asia Pacific region as a cruising destination, we are starting to see a slow but steady increase in international superyachts heading in our direction,” said chief executive officer, Trent Gay.
Seal Superyachts is the premier superyacht support agency spanning the Indian Ocean, Asia and Pacific regions. The GCCM business philosophy, onsite facilities and wide network of industry contacts made it the obvious choice for Seal Superyachts on Australia’s East Coast.
“We’re really excited to be representing Seal Superyachts in Australia. Our award-winning facilities, strategic partnerships on the East Coast of Australia, and our vast experience with superyachts will ensure that clients receive first class service in Australian waters. We are well prepared to provide refit, maintenance and shore support services for vessels up to 2,500 tonnes,” said Gay. “We are equally excited that our Aussie clients will also now enjoy a fantastic service network across these regions,” he added.
To meet a growing demand from larger vessels, works will soon commence on the installation of eight additional 65m superyacht work berths with vehicle access, water and power up to 400 amps. Most of this power will be supplied by the marina’s solar facilities. GCCM lays claim to being the largest solar power marine facility in the world.
“Australia is rightly being recognised as a more cost-effective option for superyacht maintenance and refit, with the added benefit of owners being able to enjoy the great diversity and unspoilt beauty of the southern cruising grounds. We’ve also got some big events coming up which are attracting both charter and private superyachts, such as the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Our planned site upgrades and new strategic alliances will ensure that we are able to keep up with demand and continue to provide unparalleled service to visiting superyachts.”
Additional refit sheds will also soon be constructed and GCCM is set to become the first marina in Australia with a dedicated on-site recycling yard in late 2016. The facility already boasts a hardstand that is over 50,000m2 in size and eight dedicated superyacht refit sheds. Proposals for future improvements and expansion of the current facilities also include the development of GCCM Stage 2 on a 20-hectare site with planning currently underway.
The GCCM team are committed to ensuring visiting superyacht crew are well catered for with onsite customs and shipping agents at GCCM to provide assistance to vessels. There are free courtesy vehicles and vessels available on request, plus a complimentary shuttle bus service to and from Brisbane and Gold Coast International Airports, both within 50-minutes’ drive. Accommodation requirements and provisioning advice can also easily be arranged via the administration office.
Customer focus, collaboration and innovation are central to GCCM’s future plans that also include enhanced project management capabilities in order to take away the stress of deadlines, budgets and quality control.
“While some superyacht captains prefer to come and utilise our facilities and onsite trades themselves, others want the complete service from our team including project management. We are happy to help either way. We are able to offer project management services better than any other boatyard in Australia due to the combined experience of over nine highly qualified and internationally accredited project managers operating here on site,” said Gay.
In 2014, the Gay Group Of Companies took sole ownership of the Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard. The newly consolidated team have since been pleased to achieve a raft of industry accolades, including Best Marina & Boatyard Facility 2013/2014, Best Marina & Boatyard Facility 2015/16, Best Dry Storage Facility 2015/16 and Superyacht Australia Business of the Year.
