For those interested in superyacht marinas in Asia Pacific regions, there are now more berthing options, reflecting the rising affluence of Asia.
Luxury yacht marina in the popular Asia yacht charter location - Malaysia
“Unlike Europe, marinas in Asia are more about safe berthing for your vessel as opposed to a destination in its own right”, reports Captain Nick Coombes, head of Asia Pacific Superyachts Malaysia based on Langkawi Island.
“Very few marinas are located in popular tourist areas in Asia Pacific regions – thus the idea of sitting on your yacht and watching the world watch you, is not an option. As a result most Superyacht visitors and charters here never see a marina, but instead spend their entire journey cruising from beautiful anchorage to beautiful anchorage”, says Captain Nick; “It is a lot more about exploring the natural splendor of South East Asia, than cruising from town to town.”
“There are now world-class marinas and accommodation in nearly every sailing region”, notes Captain Nick: “There’s Phuket, providing hundreds of berths for everything from Superyachts to small cruisers. To the south Malaysia’s Langkawi Island is a popular winter destination as are the chain of facilities that run down the Malacca Straits to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and heading east into the vast Gulf of Thailand. And, coming on board with APS in 2013, is New Zealand, which can boast of excellent marinas and anchorage options in the Pacific region.
There’s no doubt Superyachts are being challenged in finding places to stay as the world’s fleet of Superyachts has ballooned in the past five years by 25 percent, to around 4,600, according to Marina Projects, a U.K. consultancy firm as excerpted from an article by Jason Chow in the Wall Street Journal Asia: “Owners of the world’s Superyachts are running into a new problem as they set sail across the crowded seas: finding a place to park. In the Mediterranean, which is where most of the yachts are located, there are an estimated 3,000 superyacht berths. Shortages in some countries mean opportunity for other aspiring yachting centers. But will boat owners want to broaden their horizons?”
For those interested, Asia Pacific Superyachts New Zealand director Jeanette Tobin talks about specific places where Superyachts go and the berths she puts their boats onto in Auckland when they visit New Zealand. Tobin reports, “Two marinas for Superyachts, Viaduct Harbour Marina and Silo Superyacht Marina, are located in downtown Auckland and have full power and water. Vessels can clear customs and biosecurity in/out from both marinas and there’s easy access to all local contractors, chandleries, supermarkets and Auckland’s leading restaurants and bars.”
“Viaduct Harbour Marina in downtown Auckland was built for the 2000 Americas Cup and is surrounded by leading bars & restaurants. Viaduct provides: 1 x 60m side-to berth; 4 x 50m berths; 4 x 40m berths; 8 x 30m berths; and full power & water facilities + Wi-Fi”, Tobin adds.
500m west of the Viaduct Marina in the newly developed Beaumont Quarter is the Silo Superyacht Marina, a new facility built to cope with the growing demand from larger vessels and an area where new bars and restaurants have opened. Viaduct and Silo Marinas are near Auckland’s central business district where visitors can enjoy the entertainment planned throughout the summer which includes outdoor movie theatres, wine and food festivals, seafood festivals, music concerts plus much more… offering crew a real taste of New Zealand.
As reported in SUPERYACHT Business, Silo Marina announced it has increased its capacity to accommodate vessels. Jeanette notes Silo currently has mega yacht “A”, superyacht Nahlin and luxury yacht Pacific enjoying the facilities.
Construction has seen a new 90m dock added with a 1m freeboard, making it the biggest pontoon in New Zealand. Adjacent to the new pontoon, dredging has been carried out to provide ease of access to the dock and to open up access to a 64m berth adjacent to the new premises of Rig Pro which is an exciting feature of the new development – the improved ability to carry out mast stepping.
In addition to the development on the southern end of the marina, a new extension is about to be added to the existing docks on the northern end to create two new 65m (213ft) berths. With the new developments, Silo Marina will move from 535 linear metres to 874 linear metres of available space, doubling capacity and creating 10 berths in total to make boat movements easier.
Jeanette explains there’s a third option nearby, the Nelson Marina: “Port Nelson at the top of the South Island has a Superyacht berth for larger vessels. The Port has a 40m pontoon for Superyachts visiting the Port – and is in excellent, safe facilities and offers the attractions of the Nelson region. The marina’s central location is in a sheltered area and one not subject to sea surges.”
These marinas for Superyacht berthing in New Zealand come hand in hand with a wealth of information on stunning itineraries and anchorages from Jeanette Tobin and her team at Asia Pacific Superyachts New Zealand. They can take care of all your needs and arrange a truly memorable Superyacht journey in and around New Zealand.
