The cold weather has kept visitors away from the sea and almost all luxury boats berthed in the country's marinas are sitting idle at present, it is learnt.

Interactions with boat operators reveal that only one or two trips are being made in a month by most boats, and there are many vessels that have not made a single journey over the past 30 days or so.
It will be particularly cold in the country this weekend, the Met department has said.
"It's nothing surprising as every year, the two-and-a-half-month period from the start of December is considered a lean period for most operators. Bookings from customers are lower during this time of the year," an operator said while explaining the situation.
He noted that almost all boats berthed in a well-known marina in West Bay have made only one or two visits in the last 30 days.
Along with a drop in the number of revelers, strong winds have affected the operations of a number of luxury boats, according to sources. Usually, no boats are operated when the wind speed exceed 20-22 knots as a precautionary measure.
The weather office has issued a warning for high seas over the weekend, advising people to avoid offshore activities.
Boats berthed in marinas located in areas other than West Bay are also receiving few visitors at present, the sources point out. Most of them are likely to have a busy season starting from the third or last week of next month.
Industry insiders said there has been a significant rise in the number of luxury boats in the country over the last two years. Events such as the annual international boat show in Lusail have helped the industry record good growth in recent times, it is found.
It is estimated that the country has nearly 400 small and large luxury boats berthed in different marinas. Most of the new ones have been added in the past five years, according to some of the operators.

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