Finding a shipyard that delivers reliable services with high-quality infrastructure located in an area ideal for crew can prove challenging, but Amico & Co are providing exceptional solutions to this while fulfilling captains’ refit and maintenance requests.

Located in Genoa, the northern Italian city famed for its long maritime and trading background, the full-service shipyard is renowned for its repeat clients. Of these is Captain Sean Wrigley from M/Y Megan, Captain Elwin Bosch from a 90-metre-plus motoryacht and Captain Dan Wicks from a 55-metre motoryacht, all having had work carried out at Amico & Co multiple times. These successive refit and maintenance projects are a testimony to Amico’s services.

For a captain to return to a shipyard, they need a project to be successful, delivered on time and within budget, while also in a favourable and accessible location for crew. Amico & Co are ticking all these boxes in Genoa through their high-quality service in an exciting city full of crew downtime opportunities.

The options in Genoa are ideal depending on the yacht’s varying requests. Together with the central Marina Molo Vecchio and Amico & Co’s shipyard facilities, Waterfront Marina opened in 2021 to further enhance the offering of Genoa’s refit giant. “The technical marina is perfect for extensive maintenance periods, while the Waterfront Marina is in a great location to get assistance from Amico if something unforeseen occurs,” explains Captain Bosch.

Bolstering Amico’s services is a vast investment in shipyard equipment. “Genoa has excellent overall infrastructure and facilities,” remarks Captain Wrigley. “With their new haul-out [4,000-tonne ShipLift] capability, the technical skills of their engineering department and the breadth of knowledge of their project managers,” Captain Wicks is always reassured that the work on board will be carried out to the highest standard. “The lift makes drydocking so much easier, and it provides a much more controllable method of blocking the yacht and ensuring she sits correctly on the blocks,” continues Captain Bosch.

Photo credit: Amico & Co / Julien Hubert

Aside from these established facilities, a successful working relationship between a captain and a shipyard is rooted in communication. When executing a refit and maintenance project, clear lines of communication to enable ease of operations are vital. Amico’s project managers are constantly on hand to expertly advise captains throughout the process. 

“A strong point of Amico is the resourcefulness and flexibility of the project managers when unforeseen problems arise, ensuring they fully accommodate the agreed schedule,” adds Captain Bosch. Captain Wrigley agrees: “If we ever encounter issues, Amico successfully overcomes them, and warranty work is always taken care of without judgement. The project managers understand the standard I expect, and I have developed a good relationship with them.”

Building a good relationship between project managers and captains is a high priority on Amico’s agenda. “The relationship I have built with our project manager and his team has been extremely beneficial, and with them now knowing the yacht, it makes future projects seamless as well as any remote trouble-shooting we may require. The quality of work is always very high and I can trust them not to cut corners,” reiterates Captain Wicks. “I always achieve a good result when working with Amico, they are accurate and reliable,” endorses Captain Wrigley.

With multiple moving parts, budgetary requirements and deadlines, project management is crucial. “Amico always provide me with detailed plans with progression and time scales for each job,” says Captain Wicks. “Budgeting and planning are done accurately and in a very timely manner,” remarks Captain Bosch.

Naturally, if the overall crew’s needs are met during a refit period, it will undoubtedly improve the overall experience; location is the key to this. Over the past few years, Genoa has moved into the limelight as a superyacht centre, further strengthening its superyacht offering through the Genoa Superyacht Hub project. The Hub provides a homeport for superyachts of all sizes seeking a well-equipped yachting centre, and offers all the necessary specialised services that an owner, captain, visitor, crew member or yachting professional might need.

The launch of the Hub coincided with the opening of Waterfront Marina and its significant and impressive crew facilities on offer. “Amico has made a big step in catering to the needs of crew, with the gym and various sports courts at the Waterfront,” explains Captain Bosch. “Amico’s interest in crew welfare is great, providing regular transfers to the ski resorts in winter and a shuttle bus for getting into the city. I am very impressed with the Waterfront Marina and its facilities. The sports courts, gym and barbecue area were a big hit with the crew,” continues Captain Wicks. From Waterfront Marina just a three-minute shuttle run takes you into the very heart of the metropolis – as well as the convenient location and crew facilities, Amico & Co’s historically active concierge team take great care of the crew members, also regularly organising events and entertainment.

Outside of the marina facilities, “The city is vibrant with a great selection of diverse restaurants, bars and shops,” explains Captain Wicks. “One of the best things about Genoa is the food; from homestyle and high-end Italian cuisine to sushi, you can find everything here at an incredibly low price,” says Captain Bosch. Not forgetting that Genoa’s nautical traditions ensure that the naval repairs area is a genuine ‘Aladdin’s cave’ for supply items.

With its airport and rail connections, logistically, Genoa offers many benefits. “It is a great place to be as it is central for travel in and out,” explains Captain Bosch. “With its connections, we can easily shop in Milan one day and the next head down to Florence or Rome for some sightseeing,” continues Captain Wicks.

While the advantageous location is essential for captains selecting a shipyard, the real value of this offering is Amico & Co’s unparalleled commitment to consistently improving their facilities.

Combining impressive technical equipment, superior service and breadth of knowledge and expertise at Amico & Co provides captains with a whole host of solutions for all their maintenance and refit requests, no matter the scale. Alongside this, they continue to nurture their professional relationships with captains, ensuring their trust and subsequent return.

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