The installation of the biggest floating dock in the Adriatic signifies the beginning of a new era for Bijela shipyard, which is being transformed into a superyacht service facility
Adriatic42, located in the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, is a joint venture of PM Holdings LLC, an Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) and Drydocks World Dubai. The shipyard with the facility for the overhaul and repair of the largest yachts in the world started with work in October 2022.
The first yacht overhauled on the new floating dock was the Black Pearl, the largest sailboat in the world. In the coming years, Adriatic42 plans to completely redesign the old shipyard Bijela into a premium superyacht refit and maintenance facility poised to become the location of choice for the highest standards of quality and services.
In one of the safest natural harbors in the world, Adriatic42 promises to be the core of the Adriatic superyacht hub, with its exceptional and excellent surroundings, such as Porto Montenegro’s superyacht marina.
Beginning of significantly operations
The shipyard is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul that will transform it into a premium superyacht refit and maintenance facility, positioning it as the preferred location for services. The new refit shipyard is part of Drydocks World, a DP World company that has been a prominent provider of marine and offshore services to the shipping, oil, gas, and energy sectors over the last four decades. Drydocks World undertakes over 300 repair projects each year and has handled 42 refurbishment projects at the same time.
The newly founded company in Montenegro’s historical Bijela offers the next level of refit service operations, backed by the world-renowned Porto Montenegro marina and the arrival of the new floating dock
Customers rely on Drydocks World to perform flawlessly in the finest tradition of engineering and ship repair expertise, with a wide choice of high-quality, warranty-protected, and cost-effective services. What is notable is that the new shipyard will be supervised by international and local experts, along with their project teams, providing a significant opportunity for the local community to cultivate highly competent experts in the field of yacht repair and maintenance. Bijela’s proximity to the marinas of Porto Montenegro and Portonovi makes it an ideal location for the maintenance of local yachts, but it will also draw many more yachts from all over the world looking for premium services in both the Adriatic and Mediterranean regions.
The Next Level Refit at Adraitic 42
The Floating Dock that arrived in June started with work in October 2022 and is the cornerstone of the new project, with massive lifting capabilities compared to the rest of the Adriatic region. The floating dock is 180 x 37 metres and has two 10 t cranes with a lifting capacity of 10.000 t. Additionally, the shipyard will include a large travel lift with a capacity of 720 t, and a Syncrolift with a capacity of 6400 t is planned for 2024. With 186.000 square metres of hard stands and 8.000 metres of workshops for 2022/23, as well as floating and fixed jetties, it will be one of the most prominent refit points in the East Med.
The new project is led by international experts in close collaboration with the local workforce
It’s no surprise that major subcontractors from around Europe are ‘joining the party,’ and it will be fascinating to watch this transition unfold. They have previously stated that they will be able to provide superyacht finish paint at very competitive rates. At the same time, due to the partnership with the marina, yacht crews will be able to enjoy the facilities of nearby Porto Montenegro (only 1.2 km away), backed by a shuttle service, featuring a large leisure program all year round.
Paul John Gray, CEO
We are committed to transforming the local community’s industrial and commercial shipyard into superyacht and mega yacht facilities. We pride ourselves on many years of industry experience and mentoring skills and we look forward to bringing this to Bijela. We place great value on being able to count on the support of our local community, and we eagerly anticipate passing the torch to the next generation of shipyard workers and their families. My ambition would be to have two or three generations of the same family working in the shipyard.
Photos Adriatic42
