Hay Wharf or Haywharf ( mt, Xatt it-Tiben) is a

naval base A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that u ...

Marsamxett Harbour Marsamxett Harbour (), historically also referred to as Marsamuscetto, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It is located to the north of the larger Grand Harbour. The harbour is generally more dedicated to leisure use than the Grand H ...

, in

Floriana Floriana ( mt, Il-Furjana or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. The wharf has been the main base of the

Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta The Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta ( mt, Skwadra Marittima tal-Forzi Armati ta' Malta) is the naval component of the Maltese military. The Maritime Squadron has responsibility for the security of Maltese territorial waters, ma ...

since 1977, and a new facility was built between 2015 and 2016.

History

Hay Wharf is situated along the Marsamxett side of the

Floriana Lines The Floriana Lines ( mt, Is-Swar tal-Furjana) are a line of fortifications in Floriana, Malta, which surround the fortifications of Valletta and form the capital city's outer defences. Construction of the lines began in 1636 and they were nam ...

. The wharf is located between Msida Bastion and La Vittoria Bastion, and is overlooked by the Polverista Curtain, a long casemated curtain wall completed in 1722. The wharf was probably named "Hay Wharf" since it was used to store

forage Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. Historically, the term ''forage'' has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used ...

in the 19th century. It has also been proposed that the wharf was named after Lord John Hay, who was the Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet based in Malta between 1883 and 1887. The Club House of the

Royal Malta Yacht Club The Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC) is a yacht club in Ta’ Xbiex Marina, Ta' Xbiex (Malta). History The date of the first establishment of the Royal Malta Yacht Club has not been ascertained, although there are rumours as to the existence of a ...

was located at Hay Wharf until 1970. The 1st (Maritime) Battery of the Armed Forces of Malta moved from

Senglea Senglea ( mt, L-Isla ), also known by its title Città Invicta (or Civitas Invicta), is a fortified city in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It is one of the Three Cities in the Grand Harbour area, the other two being Cospicua and Vittorios ...

to Hay Wharf in October 1977. The battery became the

in 1980, retaining the same base. Hay Wharf is also Malta's main search and rescue base, and all rescued illegal immigrants land there. The ''Swift''-class patrol boat ''P23'' has been laid up at Hay Wharf since its decommissioning in 2010. The patrol boat is to be preserved as a memorial for the seven soldiers and policemen who died when it exploded in 1984. In November 2014, it was announced that the base will be upgraded in a €5.5 million project. The upgrade includes the building of a border control room, a rapid deployment launching facility, training facilities, and better staff accommodation. Construction of the new base began in mid-2015, and the new structures are controversial since some feel that they hide the bastions behind them. The new base was inaugurated in January 2016.

References

Military installations of Malta Military installations established in 1977 Buildings and structures completed in 2016 Naval installations Wharves Floriana {{Malta-geo-stub