Integrated Marine Group (IMG) has reported a record refit season with larger yachts, and more of them heading to the country than in previous seasons.
The team capped off 2015 with work on a 140-metre Fincantieri vessel – the largest superyacht to visit New Zealand. 60-metre charter yacht Senses sought out IMG for an extensive refit which extended into 2016, as did work on a 91-metre Oceanco vessel.
The IMG team has been pleased to see repeat yachts, such as 73-metre Dragonfly, as well as 33-metre Claasen Classic, Shamoun, return to use their services.
“Yacht refit size has been trending up,” says IMG’s managing director, Mark Wightman. “We have to be ready collectively as an industry to cope with the challenges of larger ves-sels, different code compliance requirements and their more complex maintenance re-quirements; often working to a tight timeframe with no margin for error.”
“Dragonfly is an extremely busy yacht which operates without the limitations of seasons and schedule, of course this brings much freedom to the owner and a high expectation of readiness upon the crew,” says Fleet Captain Mike Gregory of M/Y Dragonfly. “In order to achieve this constant readiness, we need expert assistance when released for mainte-nance periods in order to remain on time and budget.”
Gregory adds to this in saying, “IMG have assisted us multiple times now and have always met our high expectations, often exceeded them. We cannot recommend the team at IMG highly enough.”
All work was carried out next to IMG’s central Auckland base, meaning the yachts were able to undertake work in the heart of the city - a factor which has proven very popular with crew. The company’s strong refit and project management branch works seamlessly with Spain’s Atollvic Shipyard with whom they formed a partnership with in 2012 to provide yachts with continuous care as they cruise between the Pacific and Mediterranean.
“In terms of vessel size and refit complexity, this season has been one of our most challenging but also the most enjoyable,” says IMG’s refit manager, Dave Low. “As our relationship and trust with our clients past and present grows we are beginning to see more of them make their refit base here in the Pacific; safe in the knowledge they have an ongoing and reliable place to service their yachts to the high standard they expect.”
IMG is dedicated to covering both the operational and maintenance needs of yachts. The shore support arm of IMG has played a crucial role in delivering easy refits, with assis-tance in operational requirements and highly-specialised repair needs, complemented by crew liaison and appointment, provisioning, itinerary support and guest services.
The IMG team will be found this week at Fiji’s Port Denarau Marina where they’ll be help-ing crew plan their time in the Pacific, as part of an NZ Marine/Fiji open day initiative.
