Discovery Bay Marina, Hong Kong. Time, Gentlemen, please.

Discovery Bay Marina Club © DBMC

Members of Hong Kong's Discovery Bay Marina Club, debenture holders etc, liveaboards and everyone else, have just been sent a very curved ball. Here it is:

“Discovery Bay Marina Club (“DBMC”) and DBMC Debentures

To: All Members

We wish to inform all members that the Marina will undergo extensive repair renovation and maintenance works at the start of 2019 to enhance our services and facilities.

Members are reminded that all debentures and memberships are due to expire on 31 December 2018, upon which the associated licence agreements for berthing shall also forthwith terminate.

Pursuant to the terms and conditions of DBMC debentures (“Debenture T&C”) and/or DBMC Rules, notice is hereby given to members that all DBMC debentures shall be redeemed when they expire and become repayable on 31 December 2018 and that all business operations of the Marina will also be terminated at 12 midnight on the same date. The Club’s related supporting facilities access to the marina and all other services will therefore cease accordingly.

Class A and Class B members whose vessels are placed or moored at the dry/wet berths at the Marina are requested to make arrangements to remove their vessels and belongings from the Marina by 31 December 2018. Any vessels or articles left behind after the said date shall be removed and disposed of at members’ costs in accordance with Debenture T&C, DBMC Rules and the terms of the licence agreement for berthing.

Members are also reminded to settle your accounts on time and any outstanding accounts as soon as possible in order to ensure a smooth closing process.

Official letters have been served to debenture holders individually regarding this matter For further details of departure arrangement, debenture redemption procedure or other settlement matters, please contact our membership department directly. If you are interested in staying in touch with us in future, please also let us know.”

The wording is oddly ambiguous: at the beginning it says that “the Marina will undergo extensive repair renovation and maintenance works at the start of 2019 to enhance our services and facilities.” And then (having thrown everyone out on their ear) it says “all business operations of the Marina will also be terminated at 12 midnight on (31 December 2018)”. Really, you don’t need to close a marina completely – stop all business and operations – to start a renovation programme. There’s something else going on, isn’t there?

Apparently this has been in the air for some time – about a year, in fact – since boat owners at DBMC realised that their debentures and memberships were not about to be renewed. Now it’s official, and they must be very happy to have been given three months’ notice – not!

Hong Kong is notoriously short of marina berths, and now this. Expect some cut-price liveaboard junks on the market very soon.