JACK McKAY, CAPTAIN OF THE YACHT HARMONY
The captain has become a regular at Arenys de Mar shipyard, which he has visited it in four occasions already.
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Jack McKay was born in New York 70 years ago and has dedicated practically all of his professional life to the sea. He has been a captain for the passed 30 years, 11 of which at the helm of the Harmony. An, as he explained, he is not planning on going anywhere: “I am not tired, sailing is my passion, and with a great crew everything is easier”, he said.
This man, with his calm and kind gentleman’s look, is in love with the Mediterranean, where he spends sis months a year. While on board the Harmony and the other boats he has sailed during his career, he has had to deal with many shipyards, in Europe, in the America and in other continents, and some of his experience have been quite disappointing. “In the United States they inflate prices to avoid risks in the event of any complaints, while in Europe they tend not to be very flexible on certain things and sometimes don’t take responsibility for certain errors, which is a serius problem”, said McKay.
Having dealt with shipyards in the Bahamas, Palma, Malta, Barcelona, the Caribbean, France and Italy, to mention just some, he had never experienced the “collaboration, kindness and good service I was offered at Varador 2000”. Since he first discovered the shipyard in Arenys de Mar five years ago, McKay has had complete faith in it. He has already visited it four times, the last time this year, when the Harmony underwent three months of paint, antifouling, mechanic, interior, carpentry and other maintenance works.
McKay is extremely satisfied with the work and will make sure to go back at the end of his journey across the Mediterranean this summer. “I appreciate a job well done and dealing directly with the shipyard. At Varador 2000 I got both.” he said, then added: “here I can talk to Xiqui, Raül or Alessandro who can solve any problem, even the most complicated”.
McKay also appreciates the shipyard’s flexibility. At “Varador 2000 they are happy for my crew to deal directly with minor work, which helps us save some money. This is something totally unacceptable in other shipyards, while to me this is very important, as I am the captain as well as a manager who has to keep everything in running order and within budget”.
In his opinion, it could improve only one aspect, work speed, “even if, to be honest, work is carried out with great confidence and if it requires more time than scheduled, the cost does not increase, and the prices are very competitive”. When it is not in Arenys de Mar, during the winter the Harmony is based in Mataró Marina Barcelona, the marina for superyachts managed by Varador 2000, in Mataró’s port.
“This marina –McKay explained– makes our lives easier. It is quiet and located not far from Barcelona, which is a huge advantage. As we live on the boat, for me and my crew privacy, security and good service are esential. Not having to put up with the inconveniences of a crowded and busy large city and port is great”. When the yacht is in the Caribbean, it is based in Saint Vincent, the largest island of the Grenadines archipelago.
The Harmony, a 35 m yacht with a 7,5 draft built in Canada in 1999, will spend the summer sailing across the Mediterranean. The Balearic Islands, France and Italy are just some of the places it will visit before going back to Mataró Marina Barcelona or at Varador 2000 for a new refit.
