The industry flourishes despite restrictions - Australian MarineBusinessWorld.com newsletter
by Peter Rendle 10 Dec 2020 21:30 UTC
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We begin this week's newsletter with a bit of self-promotion. After a period of uncertainty and restricted movement here and overseas the Sail-World group has achieved record levels of reach.
In November 2020 we have seen record figures for all the titles within our network. Sail-World.com, YachtsandYachting.com, Sail-Worldcruising.com, Powerboat-World.com and MarineBusinessWorld.com's combined readership is now over 500,000 unique users per month.
With editors around the globe, we have our fingers on the pulse of sailing wherever you are based. We are continually researching and investing in our editorial, in our commitment to bring you the latest and best news on every aspect of sailing racing and boating, throughout the world. Managing Editor Mark Jardine said, "This is a real milestone for our network. We've been hugely active in promoting boating participation, especially in such a difficult year, and are delighted that so many people are choosing our channels to find their sailing, powerboating and marine industry news. We're continuing to invest in new features, editorial and multimedia content which I hope you all continue to enjoy!
"We would like to thank all our readers for being a part of our global marine network and we welcome your feedback. Please send your thoughts to mark@yachtsandyachting.com."
More positive news from the Australia's boat building industry is a report from one of Australia's largest boat builders. Maritimo has ended the year on a strong note, with a single shipment loaded with six luxury motor yachts, headed to their overseas owners who are eagerly awaiting their early new year arrival. The $15 million shipment left Brisbane last week and will be delivered over the next four weeks. Loaded aboard were models from Maritimo's M-Series and X-Series line-ups, bound for destinations In New Zealand and the United States. Maritimo General Manager Operations, Phil Candler, said all the owners were very excited that their vessels had left Australia and were on their way. "With COVID restrictions none of them have been able to visit the factory to personally see their boat's progress so all walk-throughs have been undertaken virtually," he said. "You could imagine virtually watching your luxury motor yacht be hand crafted, and the anticipation it creates. The feeling and excitement to see it and feel it for the first time is a really special experience for our owners."
Further evidence of industry buoyancy came from Peters and May. They report that it has successfully shipped the 31.4m Southern Wind 96 sailing yacht Ammonite between Cape Town in South Africa and Newcastle, Australia on the MV Sider Jasmin, a 138m cargo ship equipped with two 80 tons cranes. This latest successful shipment marks Peters & May's continuous expansion into Australian territories. Ammonite's owner and operators were delighted to confirm that the yacht arrived safely. Peters & May has extensive experience of transporting valuable and vulnerable yachts of this kind, overseeing, and closely monitoring every stage of the process.
Staying with this company and following the announcement of Simon Judson's appointment as Peters & May's new CEO, the global marine transport and logistics provider has revealed further changes to its senior management team as part of internal structural changes within the company and the strengthening of its business operations in response to changing industry demands. Based at the company's UK head office, Simon Judson will head up the new senior management team and oversee the company's wide range of services, which are currently delivered through ten company offices and a network of global agents.
Further news of industry people includes The Marina Industries Association (MIA) who have recognised a lifetime of service to the marina industry with awards presented to Jeff d'Albora and to Ian McAndrew (posthumously). Trish McAndrew and Jeff d'Albora accepted the awards at a special luncheon in Sydney hosted by MIA President Andrew Chapman. Collectively Jeff d'Albora and Ian McAndrew provided 70 years' service to the marina and wider marine industries in Australia and both have made a significant contribution to industry development on the international stage.
It is also good to receive news of marina developments. In a show of strong support, councillors at Bundaberg Regional Council have unanimously approved a major stage of The Gateway project, an integrated marina and resort development, set to transform the coastal town of Burnett Heads, four hours north of Brisbane and at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, into a vibrant tourism, lifestyle and leisure destination. When complete, The Gateway will be a high quality, mixed-use marina village located around the shores of the Burnett Heads Boat Harbour. With an estimated value of $50 million, the recently approved stage will deliver up to 140 marina berths and automated 24-hour fuel dock linked to a vibrant marina village offering water's edge accommodation, a boutique retail precinct, café and restaurant, gymnasium, offices and a yacht club.
New yachts launched this week include the Invincible 35. Boat Monster was appointed as Invincible Boat's distributor for Australia and New Zealand earlier in the year with plans to launch the brand at the Perth International Boat Show. The launch was quickly revised in light of the show's cancellation and a new plan is currently being rolled out in line with current restrictions. The first Invincible delivered to Australian shores is the 35' Catamaran which landed at Port Kembla, NSW, late last week. The boat went straight into the water and made its way to Boat Monster's new premises at Sydney's northern beaches with easy access to Pittwater and Broken Bay.
New products will interest the fisho's among us. Lowrance announced this week the most powerful EliteTM series fishfinder/chartplotter available - the new, Elite Fishing System (FS). The latest introduction in Lowrance's line-up of mid-range fishfinder/chartplotter displays, the Elite Fishing System combines a full line-up of fishfinding tools with a display that is easy to use and easy to install. From ActiveTarget™ Live Sonar and extreme high-resolution Active Imaging™ with Lowrance CHIRP Sonar to SideScan and DownScan Imaging™, Elite FS offers anglers all the tools needed to find and catch more fish.
But that's not all. The same company announced the launch of its new, high-resolution ActiveTarget™ Live Sonar system, revealing live-action views of fish moving in and around structure as they respond to lure presentations. This new technology delivers top-of-the-line live sonar functionality to the high-resolution HDS® LIVE Ultimate Fishing System, as well as HDS® Carbon and Lowrance's recently introduced Elite FS™ displays - providing ActiveTarget Live Sonar connectivity with a wider range of displays and pricing options.
And if you are looking for the perfect Christmas gift for yourself or other boating friends, look no further than the 2021 Mariners Diary. The Mariners Diary is a 427-page, ready reference book and is full of essential boating information and tips for boating in Australia and New Zealand.
The publisher is able to feature your club or company logo on the book cover to impress valuable clients or members. The book can then be on-sold, awarded as a prize or used in your office or on the boat.
Stay safe,
Peter Rendle peter.rendle@marinebusinessworld.com