Riviera hosts skills workshop for marine techs, engineers

The annual event, held recently and the first one to be held on this scale, aims to bring Riviera’s network of technicians and engineers from its R Marine dealerships together in one place to expand their knowledge via more than 20 workshops held at a three-day training and service academy.

Part of the experience is to gain knowledge of the latest systems and technologies being rolled out for Riviera’s 24-model range of luxury motor yachts.

It’s also a chance for the skilled staff to see how Riviera’s boats are built, with participants visiting everything from lamination to timber and varnish, stainless steel fit-out through to the final pre-delivery steps of waterfront quality control and audit.

They are also introduced to Riviera's latest safety systems, vessel care, maintenance and system connectivity.

A highlight of this year’s event was the ability to go back to their respective dealerships armed with more detailed information that they could relay back to owners to help them further enhance their knowledge of the yachts and their systems, Gold Coast-based R Marine Jones service manager Sharm Brown said.

"Perhaps the most important aspect of the course was learning new diagnostic skills and procedures across the current 24-model Riviera collection,” Brown said.

"I was also deeply impressed by the level of workmanship being put into the yachts."

Stuart Eddy joined the R Marine Perth team just prior to the three-day program after working for many years on superyachts around the world.

"It was an amazing experience for me," he said. "The entire program was very well organised. The presenters both within Riviera and among suppliers were very open and honest and their depth of knowledge was incredible.

"Listening to the other technicians during the many workshop sessions was very helpful as I learned about their experiences and outcomes.

"I was particularly impressed by the flexibility of the CZone technology [a system used to balance the electrical needs of a boat via a fixed or handheld touchscreen]. I had not come across so much programmability on superyachts. The fleet Siren Marine system will help us a great deal in supporting our owners."

Glen Secombe, service manager at R Marine Jacksons in Melbourne, was grateful for the detailed explanations of the new Siren Marine remote yacht monitoring system provided with every new Riviera yacht.

"Hearing first-hand from the Siren representatives gave us a new insight into this powerful technology.

"A very valuable insight was gained in one of the electrical workshops where we covered in-depth the various types of lithium battery technology and the specific lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries fitted to selected new Riviera models. 

“We did not know there were so many variations among lithium batteries and that they all serve different purposes. We have been able immediately to share this information with our customers.

"We all appreciated the openness and genuine desire to assist us in every aspect of our owner service delivery shown by every member of the team at Riviera. They were all very interested to hear from us as well, as we all wanted to learn and grow from the experience."

Sydney-based R Marine Dillon service adviser Josh Nash said it was encouraging to see every aspect of the Riviera build process so focused on excellence, “whether through new tools to enhance precision or processes like resin infusion which is directly used in all of our current models, decreasing weight and increasing strength and uniformity”.

Riviera will play host its international service managers for the same program in December.

Riviera marketing manager Stephen Milne said he believed Riviera's ownership experiences would be enhanced by maintaining such a high level of achievement for its service staff.