Nautical Marine Malta

Nautical Marine Malta Ltd is a Gozo-based maritime company that combines three jobs that are usually split between different firms: it surveys and inspects boats, it trains and qualifies people to run them, and it takes passengers out to sea in its own vessels. The company's postal address is on January Street in Xagħra, on the island of Gozo, and its crews work around the Maltese coast and further afield on delivery passages.

For a British boat owner, a prospective buyer or a visitor who simply wants a day on the water, that mix is unusually useful. The company appears in our directories of boat repair and marine services in Malta and boat charter in Malta, and you can reach it through the enquiry form on this page.

Government-appointed surveyors

The company's surveyors are appointed by the Maltese government and are licensed to survey personal craft and commercially registered vessels under the authority of Transport Malta. That means a report can lead to certification and registration with the regulator, for private boats and commercial vessels alike.

The same reports are used by insurers, who commonly ask for a survey before they will cover a vessel. Examples of craft surveyed include jet skis, sailing boats, yachts, cabin cruisers, fishing boats, rigid inflatable boats and other commercial vessels. The company also arranges registration inspections and annual inspections for commercial and fishing vessels, and the survey work covers the Maltese flag register and the small vessels register.

Ordinary boat owners can also use the company's consultancy service. Its team of experienced maritime professionals advises boat and yacht owners, and offers consultancy to operators running commercial vessels in Malta.

Pre-purchase surveys and underwater inspections

Anyone thinking of buying a boat in Malta, whether a commercial vessel or a personal one, can ask for a pre-purchase survey. The surveyor acts as an independent fact finder who inspects the hull, deck and superstructure, interior, electronics and navigation aids, electrical systems and propulsion, and reports on what is seaworthy and what is not, so the buyer can decide with confidence. A survey ideally includes an underwater inspection and a sea trial to check the steering and drive gear.

The underwater inspection service uses qualified divers and high quality cameras to assess the general condition of the hull, propellers and other underwater parts. Divers can also clear ropes and cordage tangled around propellers and rudders, both in marinas and at sea, and check equipment such as echo sounder transmitters, bow thrusters and inlet and outlet valves.

Charts and Admiralty publications are another specialist service. The company corrects paper charts and publications to the latest Notices to Mariners, including temporary and preliminary notices, either aboard your vessel or at its own offices, with pickup and delivery available.

Boat delivery, skippers and tuition

The company delivers boats to and from overseas countries. Its crews of licensed skippers, engineers and deckhands include people with experience on commercial vessels abroad, so long passages in international waters are familiar territory. They can also advise on routes, ports and weather, which helps keep a delivery safe and efficient.

Any fault that could seriously affect the voyage is reported and fixed before departure, in agreement with the owner, and small repairs are done along the way. On arrival the client receives a full delivery report with the complete passage log, and a check of the yacht and its systems. The skipper's priority is the safety of the people aboard and the vessel, and the skipper decides whether conditions are safe to sail.

For local cruising, a skipper can be assigned part-time or full-time, including year-round care of a boat. The crew's knowledge of the Maltese coastline and its hazards helps owners who prefer not to handle the boat alone. Private tuition is available for less experienced owners, covering berthing in different weather, boat control at different speeds, manoeuvring, and understanding your own boat's equipment and machinery.

Families who spend time on private yachts can also book an onboard nanny service, using a qualified nanny with more than 25 years of experience with children, who runs games and activities, plans and supervises meals and watches children swimming. A towing service and a 24-hour emergency response unit with a rescue boat built for adverse weather completes the line-up.

Marine courses and qualifications

Nautical Marine Malta runs a full range of recognised marine courses. On the deck side, these include Basic Seamanship and Safe Boat Handling, the nautical licence course for skippering a pleasure boat up to 24 metres within Maltese territorial waters, and a Recreational Skipper course for the Mediterranean Sea. Commercial courses run from Commercial General Purpose Hand and Boatman through Boatmaster Grade II and Grade I to a combined Commercial Vessel Mate and Master course, and there is a VHF Short Range Certificate.

On the engine side, courses include Commercial Vessel Engineer, Engine Driver Grade II and Grade III, and a short Marine Outboard Engine Operator and Maintenance course. Supplementary courses cover basic first aid, rope work, fire prevention and fire fighting, and an introduction to VHF for shore personnel. The company also offers PADI Open Water and CMAS one star diving courses.

The Basic Seamanship course, for example, is 28 hours of theory over seven sessions plus six hours of practical sea training, with a minimum age of 18 and a clean police conduct record. Class sizes are capped, usually at ten students, and each course lists its own prerequisites. Check the details for your own situation with the company before booking, since this page cannot confirm eligibility.

Private charters and boat trips

The company's fleet gives visitors a way to see the coast. The motor yacht Mirador is a Princess 415, 12.27 metres long with two cabins, each with its own bathroom, an air-conditioned interior and a fully equipped galley. She suits celebrations, lunch, dinner or a barbecue on board and an overnight stay.

Azure Glory is a classic locally built motor boat of 8.15 metres with a sunbathing foredeck, a shaded aft deck and a galley, ideal for lunches and barbecues afloat. A small Bombardier rigid inflatable, X-Knots, is 5.3 metres long, and its size lets the skipper enter caves around Comino and Gozo that larger boats cannot reach. All three are insured and meet the safety code for commercial vessels.

If you are planning a day around Comino, read our Blue Lagoon guide, and compare other operators such as Aloha Boat Charters Malta and Amazing Boat Trips Malta. The Gozo guide and our page of things to do in Malta give wider ideas, and the Malta weather guide shows the best months for the sea. Divers visiting Gozo might also look at Apnea Total Malta freediving.

Insurance, location and how to start

The company has partnered with a marine insurance broker, Edward William Marine Insurance, and its website carries a quote form asking about the vessel, engines, mooring and cover wanted. Cruising-area options on that form range from three miles off the Maltese coast to worldwide cover.

Nautical Marine Malta Ltd is at January Street, Xagħra XRA 1168, in Gozo. If you are travelling from Britain, see our flights to Malta page, and use the where to stay in Malta page to choose a base. Prices, course dates and charter availability are agreed with the company directly.

To ask about a survey, a delivery, a skipper, a course place or a charter, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the business.