GCCM Marks Upgrade with Haul Out of 55m M/Y Oceana

Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard is one of the Southern Hemisphere’s principal destinations for innovative superyacht refit and maintenance projects. Last year, the shipyard was commended for its on-site capabilities and trades by the Captain of 63m M/Y SuRi, as his vessel completed a revolutionary in-water refinish at the facility.

Adapting to cater to a growing demand for larger yachts visiting the yard, GCCM has upgraded its ASCOM mobile boat hoist to accommodate vessels of up to 300-tonnes. The straddle carrier is also the city of Gold Coast’s widest boat lift giving more capacity for larger beam yachts visiting the region.

55m Oceanfast superyacht M/Y Oceana was the first official vessel to take advantage for the increased haul out capacity. At nearly 290 tonnes, the lift of Oceana marks a significant milestone for superyacht refit, repair and maintenance in the Gold Coast.

“The size of vessels visiting GCCM has grown exponentially in recent years,” said GM of Operations & Business Development, Kevin Altera. “Now we are able to continually service longstanding customers who have purchased larger vessels and further assist and support vessels who were previously only serviceable on-water.”

GCCM’s enhanced lifting capacity complements the current on-water service berths for vessels up to 75m, which have recently attracted high-profile international yachts including 73m Dragonfly, 68m Lady Christine, and 43m Playpen for on-water refit and refinishing projects.

The Gold Coast is a key hub for superyachts cruising in Australia and the wider South Pacific. The city has benefited from investment in infrastructure at key facilities, increasing its capacity to welcome larger superyachts.

Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard is set to enhance its current 17.5-hectare facility with a A$108 million 20 hectare expansion, while its on-site marine businesses now encompasses over 800 top-quality specialised contractors. The development will double GCCM’s footprint and increasing its lifting capacity by 400 percent to over 1200 tonnes.

Elsewhere on the Gold Coast, Australia’s largest superyacht berth, at 160-metres, is in construction at Southport Yacht Club and due for completion later this year.

Australia’s superyacht industry has doubled in size over the last year, a testament to the world-class shipyards that have made the country a major refit destination for the Asia-Pacific region. With new charter legislationenabling foreign-flagged yachts to charter in Australia, this is  a new frontier for adventurous owners and charterers to discover.