Petecraft's New Premises

[skip]

I had the opportunity to visit the Petecraft Boats factory at their new premises in the Marsa industrial estate, just round the corner from Bortex.

Well what can I say!! A big well done to Petecraft who have invested in premises that should truly enhance their boat production capacity, allowing them to work on more boats at the same time. The factory has excellent access and a large open area directly infront of their production floor that has an incredible frontage allowing boats to be lined up side by side for installation and finishing.

Behind this line of boats are the various models under production, whilst the offices and stores are also located on site and it was a pleasure to see around 8-10 boats being produced with a large percentage of them being their excellent new 20 foot model.

Petecraft informed me that they are continuing to invest in new equipment that will further enhance the factory, whilst there are also plans to start working on some new deck layouts for their boats this winter which will allow them to offer various layout options.

They had a custom 20 foot Open boat being produced for a customer that uses the hull of their Fast Fisher 20, with a custom top deck built and made the 20 footer look massive complete with the engine mounted on a rear platform extension. I understand that there are future plans to create a dedicated 20 Open Centre Console dedicated for fishing.

I also had the opportunity to check out their new 16 Open as the first hull was out of the mold and this looks to be an extremely attractive boat that will complement various enhancements to their existing range.

The factory is completely ventilated and extremely well laid out, and if anyone is passing through the area do stop by to check out all the boats under production. These are exciting albeit challenging times for Petecraft, however their constant innovation and dedication to not only produce new models but enhance existing ones, explains why these guys are considered to be one of Malta's top boat builders.

Petecraft also recently appointed their first overseas dealer in Sweden; CBS Trading AB are their authorized dealer for the Nordic Area a fine example of the level of interest shown in the high quality boats they produce.

If you're interested in having one built, I advise you plan well ahead! These guys have an extremely full order book and they build each boat with care and dedication so plan well in advance to avoid disappointment especially if you're after a Fast Fisher 20.

Petecraft Boats
MRA 13B Industrial Estate Marsa
MRS 3000
Tel 21498113
www.petecraft.com
info@petecraft.com

[SEAFOX]

Skip - Very interesting and quite a promotional script which I suppose Petecraft deserve following their boat building expertise which goes back several years. I did have a look at the new premises just after they opened. It is the very opposite of what they had in Qormi!

[baghira]

I am was a member of Calypso subaqua club and they are very organized in every aspect. One of the various ongoing activites organised was tours in such locally manufacturing industries, both for enthusiasts, and also for those who want to purchase their products, which would obviously be disounted for the visit.
It would be nice to invite members of this forum for a guided tour on such occasions.

[malvizzu]

Fantastic review Skip. I've been to Petecraft's new premises a couple of times now and I must say they have plenty of space to work. I always wondered how they used to work in the previous premises in Qormi due to the limited space but they used to do miracles there, especially when building the 35 and 47 footers.

According to Petecraft, there are also plans in the futue for a section within the premises which houses finished boats for display purposes.

Petecraft's appointment by a Swedish dealer shows the quality of these boats, which now are also being much appreciated overseas. Another achievment was the production of a 35ft fishing vessel purchased by an Italian fisherman which was launched last August. Another 35 footer was commissioned by another Italian and which is under construction. She will be launched in the coming months. Later on this year, another two contracts would be signed for the construction of boats for the Italian market.

The new premises at Marsa consists of more than 2,000 square meters and would definitely help in increasing the production from the 30 to 40 boats yearly produced at Qormi. Also the waiting time to have the boat ready would drastically be shortened due to the ample space and more manpower.

This month, Petecraft will also be marketing their 14 Open, 17 Open, 17 Sports and 20 Sports on the Swedish market in a boat show in collaboration with a Swedish company.