At ICON YACHTS the main priority remains to protect the health and welfare of our team, our contractors and the wider community.
Therefore, we are adapting our normal routine and regular patterns of work for the greater good of the community and, in particular, to protect the most vulnerable within it, whilst continuing with business as usual with as little disruption as possible.
We are open and operational while following the government and local government guidelines.
At times such as these, it is vitally important that collectively, we work together to flatten the curve of COVID-19 and to enable social and economic recovery as soon as possible.
Returning from the Caribbean, what to do?
The ports of the Netherlands are still open
The Netherlands is one of the few countries in the EU that still has open ports for yachts.
As we have seen in Spain, France, and Monaco all ports are closed and no arrival nor departures are accepted, no anchorage is allowed in French nor Monegasque water, furthermore, no works are allowed to be carried.
However, Dutch Harbours are still open and welcoming yachts who have signed a Bill of Health (contact us to get a copy)
The nearest port to the shipyard is the Port of Harlingen which is still open, the staff is working from home and has rotational shifts, but otherwise, it is business as usual, 24/7 operational service.
Crew Arrival
Superyachts are free to enter the harbor provided there is an only crew on board, no guests.
Non-EU crew who are visa required workers (a.o. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) are admitted, but cannot stay and have to leave the Netherlands within 4 hours or stay on board and do not leave the yacht. In our case, they are free to move about on the sheltered and fenced ICON premises.
EU crew are free to move, but of course, have to adhere to the Corona rules and advice issued by Dutch government and ICON Corona Protocol.
Standard check-in arrival protocol following harbor procedures (copy of passports, crew list, entrance badges, etc.)
All new crew joining under normal crew rotation schedules need to be in quarantine for 5 days before entering the shipyard. If they have no symptoms and sign the protocol statement then they are allowed in our premises.
Safety
The shipyard is located in Harlingen, which is a rural area and it is still considered a safe area with a low rate of infections, if not one of the lowest in The Netherlands. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment states that the number of hospital admissions remains stable and low in the provinces of Friesland. So far no there have been no positive cases in our region, nor in Harlingen nor in the shipyard.
The Netherlands is known for its universal and excellent standard of healthcare and it’s rated as one of the best healthcare systems in the world. The local hopsitals are considered as top hospitals in the country. (tell me more about Leewarden or other hospitals?)
For more info on COVID-19 in the NL: https://www.rivm.nl/coronavirus-kaart-van-nederland-per-gemeente
Refit works
For now in The Netherlands, refit works and services are still allowed by the Government, under the condition to follow a strict health protocol which we have in place at ICON Yachts.
In fact, most super yacht shipyards and fellow builders are still open.
On the production side, we are still working, our subcontractors are still operational and motivated, and we continue to follow the Government’s guidelines.
We currently subcontractors in our facilities who say that they feel safer here than going anywhere else currently.
Employees at the yard
Our current priority is the health of our employees, our suppliers, our subcontractors and of course those crew members on our current projects. From our corporate offices, about 50% of employees are working from home. We have applied a rotational system, to make sure that all our key positions remain covered; maintaining the best protection of each other.
Moreover, office space has been rearranged offering wider spread out our work stations, maintaining separation. No handshaking, clean door handles etc.
We have canceled all visits that are not essential for ongoing production. We are doing video calls to replace face to face meetings.
Health Protocol
- We have a strict protocol in place for all of our employees and visitors. If the protocol is not met, then visitors cannot enter the shipyard.
- We have implemented a continuous thorough clean cycle of our offices, sheds, and yachts under construction to help minimize the spread of the virus.
- Our staff and outside workers have been issued with face masks and gloves and have to respect the basic rules such as maintaining a safe distance between each other, no handshakes, and washing their hands regularly, as well as before and after work.
Contact us . . .
for more info on arrival, port authorities, etc. we are happy to help!
sales@iconyachs.eu
Website to the port of Harlingen: https://www.portofharlingen.nl/en/
