Despite the current circumstances, the superyacht industry has soldiered on and the supply chain has remained, for the most part, strong and intact. A refit shipyard such as Monaco Marine represents one strong link in the industry supply network, and after speaking with the company’s CCO, Tanguy Ducros, it is clear that the pressure to keep moving didn’t go unnoticed - especially since promising clients that they would be back on board their yacht this summer. The Monaco Marine team achieved their goal and so, SuperYacht Times found out how the company went about their grand operation to get 350 yachts back on the water during a global pandemic.
Monaco Marine reopened at the end of April 2020, what has occurred in this time?
On the day of the lockdown, we had 350 yachts spread across our seven shipyards and one marina. When our activities resumed in April, we had to complete these projects and make space for the other boats which had previously booked their places at our shipyards. Currently, we are channelling all our energy into ensuring our clients are able to cruise this summer, and I am happy to announce that that will be the case! At the moment, we are at the peak of the year in terms of activity, our teams are taking care of 50 superyachts relying on our services across our yards in Marseille, La Ciotat and La Seyne. The other five locations are also running at full-speed with 300 projects.
We do appreciate that we were able to keep some staff at the shipyard thanks to our service being regarded as maintenance and therefore, essential. We made the most of our time during the lockdown and certainly benefited from the opportunity to review our production schedule and as a result, accelerated some projects without financial impact for the owners by organising our workforce to work in two shifts. Otherwise, this sanitary situation has highlighted some of our weaknesses as a company and have been able to observe, modify and apply innovative solutions. For example, we received continuous requests for work during the lockdown, but the complications were in how to deal with new arrivals at the shipyards. Also, with the uncertainty of navigation laws and permissions, our clients had to readjust their plans to the new rules and restrictions, thus making the decision process quite difficult.
Work work work! The lockdown was difficult for everyone and we are more grateful than ever to be back in action. With our number one priority being for clients to be able to enjoy their boat this summer, we will have a busy summer! As we look forward to responding to the demand with enthusiasm, we have also begun to prepare signed projects for this autumn.
We will not exhibit this year at international events such as FLIBS, Dubai and Singapore Boat Shows. Our travels will be limited to technical interventions and inspections onboard. More than ever, we think that we should do our best to protect the yachting supply chain, starting with our clients. Plus, we are looking to allocate the budget we would normally spend at these events to a noble cause such as ocean preservation and to assist in hosting various charity events.
At our shipyard in La Seyne, the visiting yachts tend to be between 40 and 55 meters, whereas in La Ciotat, they are 50 to 90 meters. On top of that, we have unlimited capacity afloat for superyachts which is the main advantage for our clients. The scope of works across the yards are pretty similar, for example, class surveys, repairs, paint jobs and interior refits. At the moment between La Seyne and La Ciotat, we have 10 painting projects in their final stages but, naturally, our projects vary depending on the client, the size of the vessel and the scope of work. Even though our facilities share the same DNA, each one of them is targeted towards a different segment of clients. This allows us to be flexible and responsive to our clients’ needs. 
Like most, I am concerned about the current socio-economical and political situation that the world is in. At this time, I believe it is an opportunity to make the right changes towards improvements in our industry to protect our clients. I strongly encourage the industry leaders to continue to invest in their staff, infrastructure and technology. I trust people will do the right thing and collectively, we can emerge stronger. The most important part of it all is to stay positive, observe opportunities and seize them!
During this time we are grateful to our clients for their confidence in us. By visiting us regularly they have made Monaco Marine a well-established company that remains financially strong. We are here with open arms, welcoming opportunities and learning from our new way of working, which I’m sure will reveal new and innovative traits among us, as well as enforce our passion for the industry. Our baseline is and will always remain “pleasure is a serious matter".
Monaco Marine
14 Quai Antoine 1er
98000 Monaco
France
W: monacomarine.com
T: +377 97 97 02 20
E: [email protected]