| 17 T T Virginia Wright Superyacht servicing a skilled game Oceania are world renowned for their dedicated team of the most experienced paint managers and staff from around the wider region. Northland: Oceania Marine “We can comfortably manage a 60 metre boat on the bigger travel lift although the largest we’ve done to date is 55 metres and we have another 50 metre booked in a couple of weeks.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Found in the Heart of Whangarei Harbour with two shipyards close together within Port Whangarei, Oceania Marine has been servicing superyachts over the last 15 years with an impressive capability to service, refit, repair, extend or modify as required. Between their two yards they have an 800 tonne slipway, plus 560 tonne and 100 tonne travel lifts allowing a wide range of vessels to be moved safely and easily in and out of the water. “We can comfortably manage a 60 metre boat on the bigger travel lift although the largest we’ve done to date is 55 metres and we have another 50 metre booked in a couple of weeks,” says Yacht Support Agent, Nathan Tomlinson. Having the 800 tonne slipway means they can still offer their services to bigger boats or those with wider beams that don’t suit a travel lift, but the 560 tonne travel lift has successfully catered for most of the boats coming Oceania Marine’s way since it was built during Covid. It’s a highly specialised industry within which painting superyachts is an even more specialised subset and Oceania are world renowned for their dedicated team of the most experienced paint managers and staff from around the wider region. Their skills combine to deliver top quality work especially when it comes to the meticulous application of the metallic and pearlescent finishes which bring an eye-catching gleam to superyachts generally worth in the vicinity of $100 million. With money like that in play they don’t take any chances and if a boat is too tall for their refit sheds they shrink wrap it, always with an eye to the perfect outcome. “One of our recent clients commented on the meticulous repainting finish that reflects everything on the water which is exactly what that they were looking for and they’re recommending us to anyone looking for a refit,” says Nathan. Their recent approval by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) as a transitional decontamination facility means Oceania Marine can add an extra layer of convenience to what they offer yachts coming in from international waters. New Zealand’s marine biosecurity enforces strict procedures to manage the risk of biofouling. Depending on previous yard work, hull condition, and the vessel’s recent locations within the past 30 days, vessels may be required to haul out and undergo hull cleaning at an approved decontamination facility within 24 hours of arrival and completing customs clearance. This is particularly recommended for those coming in for refit or repair and having it available in-house at Oceania Marine Services means one less process eating up the time they have available to manage what is often a major refit. Being able to offer this additional service is already boosting the numbers of yachts looking to refit or repair with Oceania Marine, and with the numbers of vessels coming through Port Whangarei nearly back to pre-Covid numbers and expected to soon overtake them this is likely to increase. With two refit sheds and one of the few fully sealed hardstands in the region, systems in place to protect vessels from New Zealand’s erratic weather as needed whether for painting, boat-building or refabrication, and 60 highly trained staff plus a large number of subcontracters, Oceania Marine is well placed to keep up with the ongoing demand in the South Pacific. www.marine.gmts.io GETCONNECTED • AV, IT, Cellular & Satellite Systems • Starlink, OneWeb & VSAT Experts • • Project Management • Hire an ITO/ETO for a day • IT & Cyber Security Audits
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=