MARCELO PENNA DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF A PRE-SEASON MAINTENANCE PLAN FROM THE ENGINE ROOM TO THE INTERIOR AND FIXTURES AND FITTING ON DECK
Whereas the services we provide are focused on interior and exterior design, engineering, refit and supply, while chatting with a superyacht Captain regarding pre-season maintenance he brought to the table how important it is, first of all, to builda good, solid crew on which you can rely for the shipyard or off season period. The work list has been prepared during the season and lots of boxes need to be ticked, specially focusing on engines, electrical and hydraulic systems, painting and interior touch ups.
Nevertheless, the Captain insists on the preparation of the coming season which is not related to the shipyard and that is all the season logistics: Fueling dates, locations and pricing, routes based on guest’s preferences including ports to be visited and finally all the equipment required by the in-house team to be functioning at its highest level (galley equipment, guests needs, etc.).
On the other hand we discussed the same issue with a management company which enhanced the importance of all the paperwork and certificates to be up to date: The season can not only be long but stressful and very problematic from a logistical point of view. To avoid any surprise all must be done before hand and that includes all the authorities paperwork related to developing an economic activity on their waters, Crew and Yacht certificates which might require renewal in the middle of the season, safety equipment reviews and finally arranging all the berthing and concierge services which might be required. That is a quick sum up from the two biggest pillars concerning the functioning of a superyacht during the season: Crew and Management.
On our side, we will assign a level of importance to each part of the yacht obviously depending on its functionality: We will start by the main and secondary engines, electric and hydraulic systems and then check the aesthetic side of the yacht. As naval architects and designers we can run several checks at once while improving the boat efficiency and comfort for the coming season. We are currently finishing the installation of a new hybrid system for a 42m sailing yacht which will reduce consumption, noise levels and simplify the whole installation and maintenance works for the coming seasons. At the same time we have refreshed the interiors developing a totally new Owner’s cabin, guest-friendly galley and Owner’s office together with a full carbon light Bimini top for the aft cockpit covered with solar panels.
This a bigger step than just a pre-season maintenance but will combine all the past requirements to improve the guest’s comfort onboard as well as the yacht efficiency in terms of cost for the Owner. To top that we focus on the smaller but equally important details on the interior and exterior which go through periods of intensive use: Exterior loose furniture, cushions, tableware, dinnerware and bed linens. We recommend some of them to be renewed every two years, forgetting four seasons in one day.
Even if those seem to be the smaller part from an operational point of view, let’s not forget that what we are looking for is that first impression, which will, with the correct crew combination, make the guests feel at home for some days.
For more details Tel: +34 932 210404 or visit www.mpyachts.com
