New marinas attracting superyachts to Asia
by Guy Nowell 5 Apr 07:48 BST
New marinas in Asia: ONE°15 Marina Panwa Phuket © (Supplied)
Big boat enthusiasts have long bemoaned the fact that Asia just doesn't have enough posh, large, full-service marinas of the variety that can accommodate superyachts, and look after them. "More marinas," was the cry, "and we'll have more visitors, more business, more..." There are some excellent marinas in Asia - One°15 in Singapore, Gold Coast and Lantau Yacht Club in Hong Kong, Ocean Marina in Thailand, just for starters. Now news reaches us of not one, but FIVE, big new marinas either on the drawing board or actually happening, and aimed at making Asia the 'Third Destination' for superyachts after the Med and the Caribbean.
Asia has enormous potential as a superyacht cruising and chartering destination. For a start, and depending on how you define 'Asia', it is a huge area. The Asia Pacific Superyacht Association aims to cover business from the Arabian Gulf to Japan, and Australia in the deep south. A somewhat tighter net enclosing India across to Hong Kong still includes Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and the Seychelles. In that area the diversity of landscapes and cultures is nothing short of phenomenal. If you have the boat, the means, and an inclination to explore, it is an occupation for a lifetime. The first two countries on that list claim 25,149 islands between them, and some of the richest areas of biodiversity on the planet. It's a marine and cultural playground. Go: explore - but you'll still need to call in somewhere for fuel and tonic water every now and again.
The 2024 Asia-Pacific Market Report notes a substantial increase in the number of 30m+ yachts visiting the area, with more than 400 paying a call in the region between 2022 and 2024. So who's building marinas?
Thailand. There's a new ONE°15 Marina Panwa Phuket taking shape near the Phuket Deep Sea Port, just around the corner from Capa Panwa. That should provide easy access to Phang Nga Bay and the Phi Phi Islands, jewels in Phuket's crown. Brought to you by the ONE°15 people who built the best marina in Singapore, “the new Phuket Marina Development is set to transform the Cape Panwa Peninsula at Ao Markham and the deep seaport”, reports Asia Pacific Superyachts co-founder, Gordon Fernandes. “The marina project includes 171-berths for superyachts up to 200 feet, 25 hard-stand spaces, and 80 dry-stack storage spaces. The integrated marina club, positioned as a nautical lifestyle resort, will be equipped with yacht chartering, a spa and wellness area, and hotel facilities.” Covering all the right PR buzzwords in one hit.
Indonesia. Benoa Port, Bali, is undergoing a major revamp. Soon it will have a brand new full service superyacht marina with 180 wet berths, including more than 50 for superyachts up to 90m. There will be a modern yacht service area with a 200-ton travel lift, and a high-quality fuel station. Captain Thomas Taatjes of APS Indonesia expects that “The new marina will attract even more global yachting enthusiasts wanting to explore Indonesia's natural beauty in the biggest archipelago in the world." Amenities will include a yacht club, luxury hospitality options, and commercial areas with extensive retail, offices, entertainment, and dining outlets. Not so long ago a charter professional in Indonesia reported to us, "when they talk about 'marinas' in Indo, whet they mean is a fish dock and a concrete wharf." Clearly, things are changing.
The Maldives is about to get its first-ever superyacht marina and 'fully integrated resort'. Considering the fact that practically everything revolves around luxury destination experiences, and superyachts are frequent visitors to this unlikely sprinkle of 1,192 sand bars clustered around the atolls of this archipelago nation, this may be surprising. However, Atoll Estates' new Zamani Islands development will be an exclusive resort destination that includes a yacht club and the 6,000sqm Zamani Islands Superyacht Marina, boasting 120 berths. Mohamed Hameed, Director and General Manager of APS Maldives says that “this cutting-edge project aims at transforming the superyacht experience into an exceptionally luxurious convenience."
Sri Lanka’s new Colombo City Marina is destined to become the country’s new luxury maritime destination, housing up to as many as 250 mid-sized vessels. It includes hotels, gourmet dining, retail outlets, entertainment centers, recreational areas, crew amenities, provisioning and maintenance facilities, and a yacht club", according to Priyantha Perera of APS Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is another glorious destination in Asia, and this development will provide facilities far and away better than anything that currently exists. Welcome to the island that gave us 'serendipity'.
In Hong Kong, the Government has suddenly become interested in boating, the marine leisure industry, marinas, and what they call 'yacht tourism'. A proposal to create a superyacht-capable marina at Hung Hom is on the drawing board, and the Airport Authority has aired 'plans' to add a marina to the never-ending expansion of Chek Lak Kok and its facilities. Aviation enthusiasts advise that the maximum polluting moments in any flight are at take-off and landing - do you want to park your US$25m baby right underneath the fall-out?
Lastly, a new marina development in Japan is already under development. Superyacht Base Kobe Marina is right on the Kobe waterfront, and when the Japanese say it will be operational in April 2026, you know they mean it. The development is being built by a consortium including GLION, Creation Marine, Horizon Yachts, Setouchi Brand Corp, and SYL Monaco/Japan. The facilities will include 1,400m of usable linear superyacht quays, 653m of floating pontoon dockage, and more.
Yukio Shintani, owner of Creation Marine in Japan for over 40 years and one of the spearheads of the project said, “We have been working very hard planning this marina for over two years. We will have a superyacht marina in Japan that has the facilities of superyacht marinas in Monaco, France, Italy, and south Florida that can accommodate any size yacht that has yet been built or even imagined.” Kobe is the marine gateway to Japan's famous 'Inland Sea', which is 280nm end-to-end and contains some 3,000 islands.
With editorial acknowledgements to Asia Pacific Superyachts (www.asia-pacific-superyachts.com), Superyacht Times (www.superyachttimes.com), and the Asia-Pacific Superyacht Association (www.apsuperyacht.org)