Since January 2021, they have completed thirty-two operations of this type, which need specialist equipment and expertise.

Porto Itapoá has earned a reputation for operations involving luxury yachts

Porto Itapoá has earned a reputation for operations involving luxury yachts The Terminal has long been known for its expertise in this area, but it has strengthened its reputation since 2021 as one of the principal players in Brazil. There have been thirty-two operations involving transfers of yachts, since January 2021.

Twenty of these were OOG (Out of Gauge) transfers, i.e. larger than a conventional container, and 12 were Break Bulk shipments, which also require a different type of approach. Roberto Pandolfo, the Director of Business Development and Customer Experience for Porto Itapoá stated that the Terminal had planned for this demand. “These are operations that require specialist equipment and labor and, for this reason, we decided to create a specific structure dedicated to them”, he explained.

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Nautical sector growth

With the constant development in this area, the demand keeps growing, according to Pandolfo. “Now we have an extensive and busy schedule, which naturally encourages us to continue development and increase our capacity further”, he said. 46 yachts have been shipped during this period, in all.

The historical trend for the boat business is encouraging: it grew 10.3% in 2021, compared to 2020, and 20% in the previous year, according to data from the Brazilian Association of Boat and Maritime Equipment Builders (Acobar). “The main vector for this development is exports, which is responsible for over 90% of operations”, explained Pandolfo.

Main destinations

The main destinations, since 2021, have been Fort Lauderdale, in the USA, Sidney, in Australia, Valencia, in Spain and London, in England. However, Brazilian destinations are also common. One such case was a yacht of around 50 metric tons – the largest ever handled by the Terminal – which was shipped out in July 2022, heading for Manaus.