Melita Marine Group

Melita Marine Group is a yacht yard, engineering business and superyacht agency whose head office is on the Bulebel Industrial Estate in Żejtun, in the south-east of Malta, close to the Marsaxlokk and Grand Harbour areas. It repairs, refits and maintains large yachts, services and distributes marine engines, and looks after the shore-side needs of visiting captains, owners and crew, from berths and customs paperwork to fuel, provisions and excursions.

The group was established in 1989 and now works in Malta, Spain and Greece. Most of its work is for large vessels, with its yards serving yachts of roughly 24 metres up to 100 metres. Its location in the middle of the Mediterranean lets the group link its facilities in several countries and plan work around the client's route and timing. In our directory it appears under boat repair in Malta and yacht brokers in Malta. This is a business-to-business and owner-focused operation rather than a day-boat hire company, so the page below is written for yacht owners, captains and managers, including those arriving from the UK.

History and how the group grew

Melita Marine Group began in 1989 by offering standard yachting services. Early success led to an expansion plan with a clear aim: a comprehensive range of yachting services in Malta. Today that covers yard facilities, agency work, yacht charter, customs clearance, duty-free supplies and bunkering.

Further steps followed. Melita Power Diesel was set up in 1998 after the acquisition of Marine Industrial Repairs, bringing engine repair, overhaul and reconditioning in house. The following year the group formed Melita Yacht Painters Ltd, a subsidiary working with AWLGRIP coatings and employing a full-time team of eight painters.

The group represents well known brands, including MTU and Detroit Diesel engines under Rolls-Royce Power Systems, Scania engines, Alfa Laval systems, AWLGRIP paints, Quantum stabiliser servicing and Prop Speed. Its trade recognition includes MTU Distributor of the Year in 2012 and 2017, a Captain's Recommended Service award in 2017, a UK Yachting Industry Service award in 2002 and a Ferretti Group Service award in 2008. The yard holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification from Bureau Veritas.

The shipyard in Malta

The Malta refit department brings together all of the group's supporting departments, including Melita Power Diesel and Melita Yacht Painters, under a team of project managers who are engineers by trade. They plan each job, control progress and aim to finish on time and within budget, from taking the vessel in to delivering it back to the owner.

Work ranges from out-of-water annual maintenance and dry-docking to large interventions: main engine work, generator replacement, painting, teak deck replacement and interior refurbishment, supported by an in-house drawing office. The yard has lifted vessels out of the water with a capacity of up to 5,000 tons, has quay space for works, can also carry out in-water repairs and has an area for storing tenders of any size. The dock is one of the largest yachting docks in the Mediterranean, and the yard directly employs over 130 people, plus approved local and overseas subcontractors.

If you are planning a trip to the south of the island while a yacht is in the yard, our guides to the Three Cities and the Grand Harbour and to the capital, Valletta cover the nearest historic sights.

Shipyard services and engineering

Beyond the main refit, the yard offers a wide list of trades. Carpentry and joinery cover yacht decking and hull planking, and painting and varnishing use airless spray, rollers and brushes. Metalworks include steel, aluminium and stainless steel fabrication, railings, stanchions and staircases, with pipework in carbon steel, stainless steel, galvanised steel, aluminium and copper-nickel. Other services include soda, garnet and grit blasting, osmosis treatment, thermo-tenting, scaffolding, upholstery and canopy work, sail repairs, and life raft servicing.

The electrical department designs, installs and maintains complete electrical systems, and repairs electronics such as radar and communications gear. An air conditioning and refrigeration team inspects and maintains systems, sterilises air handling units and ductwork, and can convert plant from R22 to R404A or R407 refrigerant, including new compressors, valves and pipe insulation.

Melita Power Diesel handles mechanical engineering: overhaul and repair of diesel engines and auxiliary systems, reconditioning of components, turbocharger work, supply of new and reconditioned parts, hydraulic repairs for bow thrusters, winches, gangways and cranes, and turnkey installation of marine and industrial machinery. A purchasing department sources spares to class society standards and works closely with project managers. Crew can use toilet and shower facilities during works, and the yard offers 24-hour security and surveillance, berthing afloat, and hard-standing storage with a travel hoist, water and electricity supplied. Staff are fully qualified professionals who keep up with new technology through continual training, and the approach is to deliver quality at reasonable prices.

Superyacht agency services

The agency department was set up to look after captains, owners and guests around the clock, seven days a week, either in house or through partner companies. It takes care of all the shore support a yacht needs while it is in Maltese waters, so the crew can concentrate on the vessel and its guests. Berthing is a core service: space is tight in Malta, and the agency keeps contacts at the island's marinas for short-term, long-term and overnight stays. You send the length, beam and draft of the yacht and your preferred locations, and a quotation follows.

Customs clearance, which can involve a lot of bureaucracy, is handled by the team from start to finish. It covers EU and non-EU goods by air, sea and land, with links to the Maltese customs department, document archiving and no-obligation duty rate checks. Bunkering supplies fuel, oil and lubricants to vessels in Malta and elsewhere, and the team can advise on bunkering and voyage planning. Chandlery orders from suppliers worldwide can be bundled so everything is waiting on arrival, and a courier and freight handling service moves goods to and from the vessel.

Emergency repairs inside and outside the port include electrical and mechanical faults, hydraulics, bridge electronics, steelwork, pipework, propulsion and auxiliary machinery, tank cleaning and weld testing. Safety and medical supplies cover life rafts, lifejackets, EPIRBs, VHF radios and pyrotechnics, with servicing and crew training, and a technical support team of former captains and engineers helps with safety audits, class surveys and flag inspections.

Concierge, excursions and engines

For owners and guests, the group also arranges the shore side of a stay: restaurant reservations, onboard events with catering and entertainment, private cruise planning, car hire at preferential rates, flights, private jet and helicopter bookings, and wider concierge requests. Exclusive excursions use chauffeur-driven cars or small groups instead of coaches, and tours can cover the old capital Mdina, the island of Gozo, Comino and the Blue Lagoon and the Blue Grotto. Our guide to things to do in Malta has more ideas, and for day trips under sail or motor you can browse Adventure Cruises Malta in our directory.

Melita Power Diesel has distributed MTU engines in Malta since 1993 and expanded to Libya and Greece, where MPD Greece runs a 3,000 square metre workshop and stores base in Koropi, Athens. In Spain the group operates a shipyard in the Port of Tarragona, next to the marina at Port Tarraco, which hauls out yachts of up to 50 metres and works on yachts berthed afloat up to 100 metres.

Finding the yard and starting a project

The head office is at BLB 45B, Bulebel Industrial Estate, Żejtun ZTN 3000. The group also runs a chandlery shop, and the agency and technical teams are available day and night. Because the group works on large vessels and every project is scoped individually, the group does not print prices on its website. When you contact us, describe the yacht, its length and the work or services you need, and mention any dates.

To ask about a refit, a berth, customs clearance or engine servicing, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the Melita Marine Group team.