The accolades keep piling up for Rivergate Marina and Shipyard on Australia TradeCoast.
Rivergate was recently listed in superyacht industry bible, The Crew Report, as one of the top three refit destinations in the world and by Boat International USA’s readers as one of the top three superyacht marinas in Australia and the South Pacific.
Added to this Rivergate have also been designated as the Quarantine Clearance point for all vessels entering Australia through South East Queensland.
Rivergate General Manager Steve Fisher said across all of these wins for the business, it was their facilities and service that set them apart in the eyes of industry and crews.
“We’re designed for traveling vessels and offer free laundry, male and female ablutions, on site café, freshwater supply, high-speed fuel wharf, pump out facilities and power supply to each berth,” Mr Fisher said.
“Rivergate staff members are on hand to help tie up after long sea journeys and provide assistance to reprovision, refuel and help crews settle into marina life.”
The other two top-rated refit destinations were MB’92 in Barcelona and Rybovich in West Palm Beach.
These yards and Rivergate have each invested time and money to create something above the ordinary for crew, which is a big pull for captains when considering where to refit.
This, Mr Fisher said, would have flow on effects for Rivergate and the Australian Superyacht industry into the future.
“The superyacht industry, although huge in terms of dollars, is small in the number of decisions makers,” he said.
“This recognition makes us stand out from the competition. Industry accolades from captains and crews will flow on to other skippers.
“As I said, it’s a small industry in terms of the people making the decisions. Skippers talk to other skippers and let them know exactly how they have found each marina.
“This alone could be the reason for them choosing ‘yard A’ over ‘yard B’.”
Mr Fisher said as more superyacht captains and owners ventured into Australia and the South Pacific, they had realised that six months was not a long enough stay.
“They’re indicating that they need 18 months or two years in our waters. It stands to reason, that if they are hearing from their contemporaries that there are quality marinas capable of doing major engine work, at a cheaper price than many other parts of the world, they will feel confident in staying for longer.”
He said parallels between the superyacht industry and the Queensland mining industry were in large part responsible for Rivergate being able to do major engine work that could not be done in many parts of the United States.
When it came to being designated as the Quarantine Clearance point for all vessels entering Australia through South East Queensland, Mr Fisher said it all came down to location, location, location and the standard of the facility.
“They (vessels and crew) can be isolated here until they’ve cleared customs,” he said.
Mr Fisher said credit should be given to the job the Customs and Quarantine officers did also.
“A lot of vessels are commenting on the hospitable and professional experience they have when clearing into Australia,” he said. |
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