Westhaven Yacht Refit Destination Group members serviced many self-sail cruising vessels less than 25m long and 43 professionally crewed yachts longer than 25m during the 2006-2007 summer refit season. According to Craig Furlong, manager of Viaduct Harbour Marine Village, it was the busiest big-boat season since Auckland hosted the 2003 America’s Cup Regatta.

Although the number of vessels undertaking South Pacific maintenance and refit programmes remained high, the season was abbreviated, with a higher than average number of vessels leaving early, primarily to begin repositioning voyages to the Mediterranean, to take advantage of a Dock Express sailing in February and to venture back into the southern tropics before the end of the cyclone season.

Members of the Westhaven Yacht Refit Destination Group, which form the nucleus of the Westhaven marine cluster (109 marine companies), were able to meet the peak demand generated by the compressed season. Geoff Green, the group’s facilitator, says members generally operate at maximum capacity during the height of the summer season, but spare capacity is always available during the shoulder seasons and throughout winter.

“Cruisers requiring an immediate turn around at the apex of their 2007-2008 South Pacific cruise, and those planning extensive maintenance or refit programmes, should consider arriving in Auckland during September 2007, or departing in May 2008,” he says.

The work undertaken during the 2006-2007 summer season ranged across all service and refit spectrums and included vessels between 11m and 55m. Most notable was a major refit carried out by Orams Marine Services on the 34m Dubois ketch Beagle Star V (rig overhaul and repaint, hull and superstructure repaint, teak deck re-caulk and comprehensive servicing of all systems), a maintenance and systems refinement programme on the 55m Vitters-built ketch Adele, and an extended maintenance programme and comprehensive stabiliser upgrade on the 46m Sorcha (carried out by Integrated Marine Group).

Further information is available from www.westhavenrefit.co.nz