"My Girl" docks in Port d'Andratx – a luxury-class visit

"My Girl" docks in Port d'Andratx – a luxury-class visit

In the early Tuesday morning, when the first coffee was still steaming in the harbor cafés and seagulls circled over the fishing boats, a snow-white silhouette slid into the berths of Port d'Andratx: the yacht "My Girl". The 50-meter vessel flies the Cayman Islands flag and, with its clean lines, looks like a polished piece of furniture you can hardly miss in the marina.

A few facts up front: "My Girl" weighs around 492 tonnes, was completed in 2016, accommodates twelve guests in six cabins and is powered by two powerful diesel engines. The hull and the interior were designed by Donald Starkey; the owner is US entrepreneur Gary Chouest, who is active in the maritime industry. The market value is quoted at about 35 million euros, and annual maintenance costs are reported to be around 2.6 million euros.

On site, visitors like this always create a small, friendly stir: dockworkers bring extra mooring lines, the crane hangs quietly nearby, and the crew appears routine when casting off and securing the yacht. Strollers stop, photographers adjust their telephoto lenses, and the servers on the promenade serve tapas with a little more attention – tourists and locals alike enjoy the scene as if it were part of the weekend program.

For Port d'Andratx this is not just a postcard: visiting yachts of this size bring short-term income for the marina and surrounding service providers. Yacht brokers, maintenance firms, divers, laundries, provisioning suppliers and restaurants feel the demand when such a vessel calls. Taxi drivers waiting for customers and the small shops along the harborfront also benefit when crew or guests go ashore.

There is a mixture of calm and professional routine. The atmosphere is not ostentatious; rather everything has a practical, almost craft-like touch: motions are practiced, blinds are adjusted, oil levels checked. This is not show business but a working day that provides employment across several trades. As the sun sinks, the harbor restaurants fill; voices, clinking dishes and the occasional horn of a workboat compose a typical evening backdrop on the west coast.

Why are such visits good for Mallorca? Simply put: they bring money into the local economy, create orders for specialized businesses and help keep maritime expertise on site. Those who offer yacht services, upholstery workshops or suppliers of fresh food are often busy in summer. Longer stays by international owners are also an invitation to think about more sustainable supply and maintenance concepts – an opportunity for local providers to distinguish themselves with eco-friendly technology and regional products.

A brief outlook: in the coming weeks more large yachts are expected as the Relaxed summer temperatures - a perfect day at the harbor. Port d'Andratx has established itself in recent years as a popular berth for owners seeking privacy and good infrastructure. This means the town should continue to prepare for professional services – from certified maintenance companies to providers for ecological disposal and local food services.

Walking along the quay, one notices not only the shiny hull of "My Girl" but also the many hands needed to keep such a ship lying smoothly: boatbuilders, electricians, cooks, cleaning staff, helmsmen. A small maritime economy spins around a visit. When a million-euro ship comes into port, it is therefore not just a photo opportunity – it is an impulse for work and exchange.

And for those who prefer it a little more romantic: it is a beautiful, quiet spectacle, the sun bleeding slightly orange over the mountains, the seagulls screeching, and in the small bars on the mole stories are exchanged. This is Mallorca on a normal day in May – a place where luxury briefly docks, people continue to drink their coffee and in the evening the lights of the marina look like small promises of more summer.