Sydney's Rozelle Bay - New Magnet for Superyachts
by Des Ryan on 12 Feb 2008
Rozelle Bay, as seen from dog heaven SW
In the near future Sydneysiders may notice a greatly increased number of superyachts sliding under the Bridge and disappearing on past Darling Harbout. Where will they be going? To Rozelle Bay, that waterway past the Anzac Bridge and beside the dog heaven of Jubilee Park.
Construction has commenced to build Australia’s most technically advanced environmentally friendly shipyard for the refit, repair and maintenance of vessels:
The Sydney City Marine (SCM) site located at Rozelle Bay has the key constituents that lend itself to making it ideal for ship repair activities and includes deep water access of 8 meters at low tide, excellent road access, ample space for off street parking and good air draft with the only restriction being the Harbour bridge at 49m above sea level.
The shipyard is the conception of the company founders Tony Ellis and Brian James. Tony is an avid sailor with 40 Sydney to Hobart races under his belt. He is a prominent figure in the marine boating scene along with his tenacity and eye for detail developed through years of running his own successful business, makes him well placed to oversee the construction of the facility.
Brian has owned and operated a number of highly successful businesses ranging from marine and aircraft container repair activities to petroleum distribution. Brian has been a Board Member of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, and for the last 35 years, Brian has been a member of the CYCA and a boat owner of many yachts and cruisers on Sydney Harbour.
Their strategy for success is to make the site a “one stop shop” marine industry cluster to cater to the boating needs of the local pleasure boat owner, the Sydney charter fleet, commercial vessels, Royal Australian Navy and Superyachts. Their philosophy is simple; every customer is important and their customer service will be the best on the waterfront.
To head up the operation, SCM have appointed Jonathan Toomey. Jonathan, a qualified Naval Architect, engineer and ex superyacht Captain has been employed in senior management positions with other successful shipyards and brings to the table a raft of expertise that will ensure Tony and Brian’s vision is achieved.
On the boat owner side of things there will be a 150 seat restaurant located in the sites main office building offering a high quality menu and with expansive sweeping views across the Harbour and the Bridge. The main office is set apart from the yard work area and is intended to house mixed marine professionals such as surveyors, brokers, insurers, Naval Architects etc
A number of additional innovations to provide boat owners with a pleasurable experience are in foot.
As their logo states, “Lifting Expectations”, I have no doubt SCM will lift the expectations of any customer as they are already well on course to doing so.
The only drawback to this site is its remoteness from the heart of things in Sydney. So they have decided on a “Luxury Car” service at a price that is comparable to market rate. – yes, they seem to have thought of everything, so Sail-World, along with members of the Sydney sailing scene, will be watching.
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