Photo Credit: Timeless Yacht Services
On a recent inspection our clients classic 23m Italian built Arno Leopard yacht at Malta. We noticed a sleek super yacht that appeared to be abandoned with deflated fenders, split teak decks, dirty dull exterior and nobody onboard.
We were interested to find out the story of MIMA and what went wrong. Over the course of the the working trip we tried to piece together what apparently happened to this once show piece super yacht.
Super yacht MIMA started life as a flagship model for the Egyptian shipyard SHAMA YACHTS in 2008 premiering at the Cannes boat show, however she now lies in Malta in a sorry state of disrepair.
Photo Credit: Superyachttimes.com
The 36 meter 190GT yacht sports three Caterpillar C32 1840HP totalling over 5500HP jet propelled drives that comfortably reach a top speed of 35knots with a cruising speed of 31 knots.
Photo Credit: Shama Marine.
She would have had a full time professional crew of up to 6 and able to comfortably accommodate up to 10 guests with her luxury onboard space.
The yacht has previously been regularly spotted cruising in all the exclusive millionaire playground locations including Monaco and Antibes.
Photo Credit: Superyachttimes.com
So, What happened to MIMA?
After speaking with local yacht agents, the marina and locals the history of this yacht piece by piece became clearer.
From the locals story's gathered approximately 10 years ago the Captain and crew of MIMA were left unpaid and jobless after a pay dispute with the publicly unknown owner.
The crew who were in dispute with the millionaire owner were apparently left without pay, and as a result they vandalised the designer styled modern interior and disabled the mechanical components in the engine bay. Resulting in easily hundreds of thousands of euros worth of damage onboard. Since that day MIMA has lied at Manoel Island Marina to deteriorate into what appears to be a sorry state of disrepair.
The vessel was rumoured to be listed for sale with an unknown brokerage for approximate £3,000,000 Euros however no buyers were found. The vessel is not openly listed for sale in 2023.
Photo Credit: Superyachttimes.com
We spoke with a local Maltese charter company who viewed the vessel several years ago with the idea of refitting this yacht and returning it to its former glory. However they said that “MIMA was beyond economical repair, and the engine bays were flooded knee high with sea water and plants were visibly growing from the teak decks”.
A spokesperson from the marina mentioned although MIMA looks abandoned, the mooring costs have always been paid costing in excess of €55,000+ a year, meaning that she has since racked up over €550,000+ alone in birthing costs since being left to deteriorate ten years ago.
MIMA’s future is unknown, the owners are unknown, and she doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere anytime soon.
Although this would appear to be a rarity, leaving multimillion pound assets to rot into disrepair, it is becoming more and more popular in marinas across the globe for a variety of reasons.
For owners who are left with spiralling costs and fees for damaged, poorly maintained, unsold, or bankrupt vessels, there are only a few options available. Brokerage at a fraction of the value to compensate the condition, Yacht Auctions and in some cases salvage and ship breaking
yards.
Photo Credit: News24.com
The importance of proper yacht maintenance and taking care of your crew has never been higher. This will not only protect the future resale opportunities and also avoid any costly legal crew disputes.
We hope that this magnificent Egyptian flagship will be lovingly refitted and return to the busy Mediterranean high seas!
When it comes to boat maintenance we always recommend a monthly management plan to keep on top of all those little and big jobs that need routinely completing.
If you prefer to roll up your sleeves and break out some elbow grease read below for some of the best DIY products online to help you maintain your boat!
Teak Decks
Is the teak deck or bathing platform on your boat lacking lustre and damaged from UV and lack of proper monthly maintenance?
Restore your decks and furniture with a three step process:
Step 1 TEAK WONDER - TEAK CLEANER - Available on Amazon
Step 2 TEAK WONDER - TEAK BRIGHTNER - Available on Amazon
Step 3 TEAK WONDER - TEAK SEALER - Available on Amazon
Washing your Boat
Its very important to wash and rinse down your boat after every use! Failing to wash your boat on a regular basis will also promote corrosion, fading, black streaks, mould and moss growth.
When selecting a "boat wash product" it's very important to consider the marine life around you so always choose a product that is Biodegradable!
One of the most popular Boat shampoo products is Meguiar's Marine Gel Wash - Available on Amazon.
If you are looking for a new water fed boat brush have a look at the 2M Heavy Duty Marine Wash Brush. - Available on Amazon.
Cleaning the Engine Bay
Often missed out is the dirty job of cleaning your engine room and bilge areas. Although a very dirty and time consuming job its very rewarding once its all degreased. It's also a a great way to get to know your motors, is anything leaking or about to cause concern?
By keeping that engine bay in pristine condition not only are you enhancing the value of your investment but it also makes short work of identifying a engine fault should one occur!
One of the most cost effective engine room degreasers is a firm favourite known as Elbow Grease All Purpose Degreaser. This universal spray is a safe and easy way to move stubborn oil stains, grease, mould around your boat.
If your bilges haven't had a clean in a very long time you may want to try Star Brite Bilge Cleaner White - Available on Amazon.
When cleaning your boat don't forget to have a large quantity of clean large microfiber cloths at hand.
Keeping your engine room bilges clean from grease, fuel and oil is easy with using Premium Oil & Fuel absorbent mats. These disposable mats are perfect to leave in bilges and areas where spillage may occur. They are also a boaters best friend when refuelling with Diesel around the Decks.
We will be writing a full detailed Blog about the best products to use onboard your boat in a future post.
Photo Credits: Super yacht Times & Timeless Yacht services.
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