Source: SuperyachtNews.com | 20 August 2010.

International Marine Management (IMM), specialists in managing refits for yachts greater than 80 metres is opening a repair base for megayachts in Guadeloupe.

The company says that with its mega yacht technical base it aims to bring European-standard repairs to the heart of the Caribbean. The Guadeloupe facility will be able to accommodate the largest megayachts alongside its clean, well-protected, safe and secure quay, which meets ISPS standards. From the base IMM can provide any repairs afloat, including painting, hydraulics, electronics, electrics, piping, tank/duct cleaning and interior work. It can also cater to the needs of the crew and vessel including customs/immigration assistance, concierge services, spare parts dispatch throughout the Caribbean and provisioning.

IMM’s quay in Guadeloupe has 300 metres of quay space available for alongside berthing and eight places with mooring buoys for yachts up to 130 metres. The company also has dry dock space available in Martinique, which can accommodate yachts up to 140 metres, for any work that requires dry docking of a vessel.

IMM is a team of project managers with collective expertise in all major areas of yacht maintenance and repair. Each project manager is selected for a breadth of knowledge, experience and expertise.

IMM has created a model of megayacht refit that takes into account the refit of large yachts requires specialised skill, care and attention. The company is able to manage any refit project anywhere in the world by creating a temporary yard for each specific project. It manages the whole project; beginning with the technical specifications, following on a day-to-day basis the technical and financial sides of the project, publishing a technical report and covering the warranty period.

IMM says the primary benefits of this process for large refits are overall cost reduction because the client is not subsidizing the overheads of a classic yard, the open book system where a fixed markup is agreed prior to the commencement of the yard period, eliminating the need for financial negotiation during the project, having only one client on-site means the vessel gets the full focus and attention of all IMM staff and that every contractor working on the refit is jointly selected by IMM and the client.

IMM’s founder and president, Fabrice Maitre, personally manages IMM’s team and has been working in the yachting industry for 25 years. For over 15 years he has specialised as a project manager in the refit and maintenance of yachts and for the past five years has developed a particular speciality in managing the refit of yachts over 80 metres.