Covid 19 coronavirus: superyachts entering New Zealand border may be quarantined at sea, if they spend millions on repairs ahead of America’s Cup

Our borders are closed and guarded by the military, but if you have enough money, you can have your superyacht and an international crew enter the country courtesy of a boat repair lagoon.

An exemption from the Ministry of Health is opening the border to superyachts as long as they spend a “minimum dollar threshold” to be refurbished or repaired at a New Zealand shipyard.

Your crew can also bypass quarantine at a managed isolation facility in New Zealand, meaning that once a superyacht docked in Tahiti is cleared for repairs in Auckland, they can count the eight-day sea voyage here as quarantine.

At least six superyachts and large ships have entered New Zealand waters and docked here since the maritime border was closed on June 30 and about 20 more are waiting in Tahiti and the Mediterranean on request.

A 55-meter boat that arrived in Auckland in July is being refurbished for $ 7 million at Orams Maine Services.

The only problem for millionaire and billionaire yacht owners is that they cannot enter themselves because they are not considered a crew.

But it’s something the maritime industry is campaigning to change before the America’s Cup events kick off in December.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) told the Herald that “New Zealand’s maritime border is closed to foreign vessels” and that “the closure applies equally to superyachts.”

But there are several exemptions to entry that include “if the ship is in dire need of … carry out a refit, remodel or repair that is more than minor.”

The Health Ministry insisted: “The key word in the above is ‘compelling’. The bar for qualifying for an exemption is necessarily high, to avoid creating an unwanted ‘back door’ in New Zealand.”

Yet within New Zealand’s marine industry, there is no question that the exemption is being treated as a business opportunity for agents, shipyards and boat builders who are financially on their knees after visiting millionaire yachts stopped coming to Kiwi marinas after the border closure.

Auckland superyacht broker Duthie Lidgard says “100 per cent” he is trying to secure wealthy international boats for the America’s Cup through the repair and repair exemption.

He says six have already come across it, but two have left because their owners didn’t want to fly and quarantine for two weeks. These superyachts usually have between five and 18 crew members.

Lidgard says it has “numerous” superyachts waiting in Tahiti for Health Ministry approval.

Once their entire crew gets approval from the Health Ministry, they take a Covid-19 test and can depart and count the eight-day sea voyage to New Zealand as quarantine time.

They then dock at one of New Zealand’s two large quarantine berths, one at Opua, the Bay of Islands, and another planned for Queens or Princes Wharf in Auckland ports, to complete the 14-day quarantine.

They perform a second Covid-19 test on the 12th and, if they are negative, they can leave the quarantine dock directly and enter New Zealand soil after the 14th day of total quarantine.

“We have numerous requests with the Ministry of Health for superyachts to enter through our border. Last week we got approval for three superyachts to enter New Zealand for overhaul and repair. There is a minimum dollar limit that they review.” said Lidgard, who runs Catalano Shipping Services New Zealand, said.

“We are responding to a lot of requests with ships that are now aiming to arrive here in early February and it is based on what we are seeing regardless of [who’s in] government, there is a great call to open the borders for the luxury sector.

“Customs has been incredibly helpful. Immigration has been incredibly helpful, but they can only govern around what the law says.”

Currently, the maritime industry is campaigning to allow superyacht owners to navigate New Zealand waters with their vessels.

NZ Marine CEO Peter Busfield negotiated with the government to allow the overhaul and repair waiver, and the quarantine at sea waiver for the crew, which was only implemented on September 6.

“If the America’s Cup was not on, we would continue to do the same representation. Now, the owners cannot come,” Busfield said.

“Actually, it has nothing to do with the America’s Cup, technically. It’s just a coincidence that some owners might think ‘oh, we will send our boat for a refit and repair, hopefully the Government changes its mind and allows the owner to come. down too. That has not happened, we would like it to happen.

“They can’t fly on a corporate jet or on an airline and fly to New Zealand right now. We’d like them to, because that would add additional business if the owner could come.

Busfield said NZ Marine “has a bit of frustration with the delays” until the Health Ministry approved the superyacht exemption, but that five or six ships arrived in New Zealand “under this regime.”

“Those ships have brought in more than $ 20 million in work, which is currently being done. We are very grateful that Cabinet issued that government order. I don’t think they have made too many changes for other industries. I am very pleased with that. “.

Busfield said that some 20 international superyachts and large cruise yachts were in the application process to arrive in New Zealand.

Busfield said he “would like to think” that the government could change its stance on allowing superyacht owners to sail to New Zealand ahead of the America’s Cup.

Chief Health Officer Dr Ashley Bloomfield may grant permission for a ship to reach New Zealand waters for refueling or refueling, deliver the ship to a company, perform a refit, remodel or repair that is more than minor and humanitarian reasons.

The first superyacht to enter the New Zealand post-border blockade

Captain Chad Thieken brought the first superyacht to enter New Zealand waters after the border was closed on June 30.

The 55-meter sailboat is receiving a $ 7 million repair job at Orams Marine Services in Auckland.

“I think we were the first yacht to be allowed to do the overhaul and repair work. We have been here since mid-July,” Thieken said.

“We have what is called our 10 year overhaul and overhaul that we have to do. The ship has been here once before and I have spent time here in this shipyard. So we have literally been planning this for two years.

“We are only two months away and Covid arrives and all of a sudden we cannot get to New Zealand. We have paid our deposit, we have scheduled work lists, we have riggers flying to do the job. Everything is organized and all of a sudden, New Zealand government says ‘sorry we’re closed.’ So oh my, now what? “

But the eight-person crew got exemptions under the Ministry of Health’s repair and refurbishment waiver and made it to Auckland.

The yacht is currently out of the water at the Orams shipyard in Wynyard Quarter, and is being refitted in a large tent with multiple levels of scaffolding. The process will take months.

Thieken said the yacht owner “has a great interest in seeing the America’s Cup and loves that kind of thing” and had planned to fly to Auckland after refitting his yacht to see the event.

“It was definitely a hitch. They definitely wanted to cruise the South Pacific,” Thiefken said.

However, if there are no more exemptions for superyacht owners to enter New Zealand before the America’s Cup begins, Thieken says they will likely sail out of the country.