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The south
Marsaxlokk is Malta’s fishing harbour, full of luzzi and working boats. When they come out for repainting or sit out the winter, a fitted shrink wrap cover keeps the paint, the wood and the decks protected.
Marsaxlokk takes its name from the xlokk, the south-easterly wind — the harbour of the sirocco. It’s Malta’s main fishing village, and its harbour is packed with luzzi, the painted wooden boats with the eyes on the bow, alongside larger fishing boats, gulets and tour boats. There’s a haul-out yard here that deals with exactly those boats, and the waterfront market fills the quay every Sunday.
Wooden boats and painted boats have their own problems. Paint and varnish need dry, dust-free conditions to cure, and the xlokk that gives the harbour its name brings Saharan dust and damp, warm air. A luzzu being repainted in the open is at the mercy of both. A shrink wrap enclosure around the boat gives the painter a clean, sheltered space; a cover over a boat laid up for winter stops the wood drying, cracking and opening up in the sun.
Around Marsaxlokk
The usual problems
A shrink wrap enclosure around the boat keeps dust off the wet paint and keeps the wind out, so each coat cures properly.
A cover over a wooden boat ashore keeps the sun off the planking and the decks, which slows the drying that opens up seams.
Larger wooden and passenger boats can be covered ashore or afloat, with the decks, rigging and seating protected until the season starts.
The approach
A luzzu or a gulet isn’t shaped like a modern yacht. High bows, open decks, masts and awnings all need their own framing. We shape the frame to the boat so the film sits clear of fresh paint and carved or painted detail, then weld and vent the cover so it breathes.
For repainting work we build the enclosure with enough headroom and working space inside for the painter, a door for materials, and white film for daylight. When the paint has cured, the enclosure comes down and the film is taken away.
Before we quote
In Marsaxlokk we survey at the haul-out yard or on the quay, with whoever is doing the painting. We measure the vessel, work out the frame, the film area, the vents and the doors — and the number you get back is the number you pay. No provisional sums, no “subject to access”.
Illustrative of a typical repainting enclosure. Your own survey happens in Marsaxlokk — or starts from photos, if you’d rather.
Start from your phone
Not every Marsaxlokk job needs a visit to get going. Send a couple of photos and tell us whether she’s ashore or afloat, and what painting or work is planned, and an installer will tell you what’s involved — including when shrink wrap isn’t the right call.
Whole item in frame, plus one close-up of the access side.
WhatsApp or email, with whether she’s ashore or afloat, and what painting or work is planned.
Approach, timescale and a price, in plain English.
Finished covers
Tight, smooth, framed clear of the boat and welded into one skin. This is the standard every Marsaxlokk cover is fitted to.
Questions from Marsaxlokk
Yes. We build a frame around the boat on the hard with working space inside, wrap it in white film for daylight, and fit a door for the painter. It keeps dust and wind off the paint while it cures.
Not when it’s framed and vented properly. The film sits clear of the boat and the vents let air move, so the wood isn’t sealed in damp.
Yes. Larger wooden and passenger boats can be covered ashore or afloat for the winter, including decks, seating and rigging.
No. We cover the whole of Malta, and travel is included in the quote. Several boats at the yard can be done in one visit.
Send a photo, the length and where she is. You’ll get a straight answer on the approach, and a fixed price after the survey.
Quick quote
Tell us what
needs covering.
