The quality of the boat repair and maintenance services available is partly the reason why the Canary Islands are visited every year by hundreds of boats preparing to cross the Atlantic on their way to America. The archipelago has developed a significant industry composed of companies and professionals specialising in nautical work.
A natural port of call for repairs and provisioning
The Canary Islands are famous as one of the best sailing areas in the world due to the sailing conditions and warm, stable climate throughout the year. Their strategic location in the Atlantic Ocean, moreover, has earned the archipelago a place on one of the most consolidated routes between Europe and America, thanks to the trade winds that connect the two continents.
The islands are a natural port of call, both for repairs and for suitable provisioning when en route to other destinations. And also for spending longer periods of time on board ship, enjoying incredible crossings between the eight islands. Sailors who visit the Canary Islands have the peace of mind of knowing they will find everything they need to give their boat an overhaul.
Internationally-recognised nautical services
For years the nautical repair and services sectors of the Canary Islands has been highly professionalised, meeting the increasing demand the archipelago has seen. Which is why the islands can boast numerous prestigious marinas which offer first-class services and professionals. Each marina’s website gives precise details of the type of services customers can expect, and of how to contact them in order to book the work even before they arrive in port.
Marinas usually offer rigging and tackle repairs, sail maintenance, electronics, electricity, dry dock (with the full range of hull treatments) and mechanics. The highest demand among visitors, however, is for rigging and sail repair - the parts of the boat that suffer the most on these crossings. The main makes of engines, electronics and nautical products have a presence on the islands as well, through their official services. The big nautical companies and boatyards know that the Canary Islands are a natural port of call and a world leader in services, which is why they are present on the islands via official distributors.
A network of connected services and professionals
Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Tenerife are the islands with the most complete range of services in terms of repairs, and the first two listed have the largest dry docks with the machinery needed to haul out longer and heavier boats. The Marina de Las Palmas is the harbour with the largest number of moorings of all the islands. And also one of the marinas that offer the most complete services through the dry dock operated by the company Rolnautic next to the beach of Las Alcaravaneras. Its geographical location, in the very heart of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with a large port as its economic driving force, has been decisive for its development. The Port of Las Palmas provides other complementary services to the marina, such as nautical workshops for manufacturing specific stainless steel parts or hydraulic work.
But if there is one thing that makes the Canary Islands a competitive destination, it is ease of mobility between the islands. If one marina or company is unable to provide a service, a team of professionals will travel from another island to carry out the work that is required, within a reasonable period of time and at an equitable cost. The specialist companies here support each other, offering a well-connected network of installations and services.
Dry docks with capacity for superyachts
Over the past two decades Lanzarote has seen huge development in its large-capacity marinas, both in terms of the number of moorings and in services. Marina Rubicón, Puerto Calero and Marina Lanzarote are three strategic points, equidistant from one another on the island’s east coast, which can accommodate a high number of vessels throughout the year.
Marina Lanzarote, in Arrecife, currently has the archipelago’s largest dry dock with 15,000 square metres of surface area, where cleaning and antifouling work, painting, osmosis treatment and soldering are carried out, among others. But the most outstanding feature of this port is that it has the largest boat crane or travel lift in the Canary Islands, weighing 820 tons and with capability for lifting multi-hulls and superyachts.
Two new projects
For years now the Canary Islands have experienced continuous growth in this sector, in response to the exacting demand. Along these lines, two new projects are already underway, rounding off the broad range of marinas and boat repair services even further.
Marina Jandía will bring Fuerteventura a marina it had been demanding for years, in order to take full advantage of the yachting tourism potential the island is capable of developing. The project is being developed in Morro Jable, in the south of the island, a traditional fishing harbour with a location that is perfect as a shelter and stopover between islands. The new port will considerably increase the number of moorings, for both small vessels and 50-metre yachts. It will also be accompanied by a modern area designed for leisure, shopping and restaurants.
The second project is in progress in Gran Canaria, inside the port of Las Palmas, to be more specific. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will have a new dry dock, to be built on a plot of land with a surface area of 20,000 square metres, providing capacity for superyachts and catamarans, similar to Marina Lanzarote. The space will contain two boat cranes, one 850-ton and another 120-ton travel lift, as well 2 extremely wide pits designed with the catamaran market in mind.