Yacht transportation is more than just an eye-catcher for MPP and Heavylift shipping companies, it is an important revenue segment. The logistics company Peters & May sees and expects an increase in demand[ds_preview].
Following the recent upheavals caused by the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, this year has already seen “strong demand from owners” who want to have their yachts transported to other maritime regions of the world. “The feedback from customers at numerous boat shows indicates that there will be even more activity in 2022,” says Peters & May in a kind of summary after the important industry trade fair “Monaco Yacht Show”.
Yacht transportation is an important and high-revenue segment for MPP and heavy-lift carriers, some of which have dedicated departments just for this business. Among others, the shipping companies BBC Chartering and Ems-Fehn from Leer or AAL Shipping, Spliethoff and Wagenborg are among the active players in this sector.
Despite the hurdles caused by the pandemic, the year got off to a “surprisingly strong start” with numerous departures, Peters & May has now announced. The popular routes between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean have been regularly sailed again in recent months, and inquiries from customers wishing to ship their yachts in the Mediterranean have increased significantly. “A recurring motive in this context is that the boat owners often do not have the time to carry out the trip themselves or have difficulties finding a qualified crew,” it continues.
Decline due to US tariffs
“Our route from the Mediterranean back to Northern Europe has been very well used this year, as many of our customers want to have their yachts closer to home or are interested in exploring the North Sea and Baltic Sea areas,” said Inge Valk, Managing Director of P&M in the Netherlands and Germany. “This has helped to offset the significant drop in imports of US boats caused by the introduction of American tariffs, which are traditionally handled by our Dutch office. However, we hopefully expect positive news in this regard in the coming months as the retaliatory tariffs may be lifted.”
With regard to industry events in Cannes, Genoa, Southampton, Monaco and La Rochelle, Stefano Grotti, Regional Manager, P&M Europe, said: “The trade fairs were well attended.” Encouragingly, discussions with customers on the manufacturer and brokerage side revealed an increase in demand for both new and pre-owned yachts. “On this basis,” says Grotti, “we are confident that we will be able to meet the growing needs of new and existing customers for the rest of the year and especially for 2022.”
