For many who serve in yachts whose cruising is confined to the Mediterranean, they have the perfect combination of work – life balance. The yacht works hard in the summer months and then during the winter any refitting work gets done inside the same area. But not every owner wants his boat to work one season a year and fortunately for those owners, there are always crew who enjoy the excitement of a winter season on the other side of the Atlantic.
Yachts that work two seasons need to have tighter controls over refit timings and expenditure than those working summer seasons only and while the double season yacht can refit in the Mediterranean, it is often beneficial to consider re-fitting in the United States or in the islands of the Bahamas and the Eastern Caribbean. There is no shortage of yards to choose from but they each offer the visiting yacht the same advice suggesting that good planning beforehand lies at the very core of a successful job.
But how to choose a reliable and experienced yard to carry out the works? We think your first port of call should always be word of mouth. Please do not rely on facebook, talk to crew that have actually been through a refit in the yard.
We think the following five point plan is a good start;.
1. CASH IS KING Financial stability is the backbone to what takes a project from start to finish. It allows material to flow, workers to work, and ultimately, the boat to be re-launched.
2. INSURANCE Does the yard have proper insurance to mitigate a potential claim? Although it is standard practice, it’s worth checking to make sure the amount of the coverage is worth the value of the repairs, if not more.
3. MANPOWER Does the yard have the man power to complete the job in the allotted time, considering other projects they have?” It’s one thing for a yard to say “we have 200 employees,” but can they access them when required?
4. DOES THE QUOTE SOUND TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? If you have four bids that all say it’s going to cost $100,000 in repairs and a fifth bid that says they can do it for half the amount, do not be afraid to ask for a detailed explanation of how they can do it for much less. This will flush out the real truth.
5. RESEARCH Go and talk to the crew on the yachts in each yard!
MARINE GROUP BOAT WORKS
SAN DIEGO
Marine Group Boat Works, America’s West Coast’s finest quality superyacht repair and maintenance specialist. Featuring two shipyards in San Diego, California and a third location in Los Cabos, Mexico, capable of hauling vessels up to 665 tons and working dockside on megayachts of up to 121m (400ft). The yard has a full-service team of over 195 in-house craftsmen, specialising in high-quality hull painting, propulsion systems, ABS-certified welding and mechanical work, plus a digital waterjet metal cutting machine, PropScan and a new superyacht keel pit to extend capabilities and increase efficiencyin production.
For more details Tel: +1 619 427 6767
or visit www.marinegroupboatworks.com
RMK MERRILL-STEVENS
MIAMI
RMK Merrill-Stevens is a full-service shipyard dedicated to the refit and repair of the world’s finest yachts and vessels. Work is of the highest international standards and meets Classification Societies requirements, including ABS, Lloyds, and US Coast Guard Regulations. RMK Merrill- Stevens has two yards co-located alongside the Miami River – with the vessels 30m or 100T and the north performing haul-outs for vessels greater than 25m, limited to about 235’ in length on the 2,700 gross ton lift. South yard dockage is about 6 acres including multiple 240’ covered slips, and North yard dockage is 1000’. Other amenities include; onsite project managers and onsite contractors. RMK MS is the south Florida dealer for Kymeta, Quick marine products and represents many other brands.
For more details Tel: +1 305 324 5211
or visit www.rmkmerrill-stevens.com
SAFE HARBOR NEWPORT SHIPYARD
NEWPORT
Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard, located in the heart of downtown Newport, oers many amenities to captains and crew including: refit and repair work, haul-out capability up to 500 tons, project management services, paint, carpentry work, rigging, engine repair and more. Within the Newport Shipyard Group are a number of trusted partners and sub-contractors that work within the yard. Other onsite amenities include Belle’s Café open for breakfast and lunch daily, ship store/chandlery, fitness centre, golf carts, laundry, and complimentary trash removal, water and WiFi. Guests can easily walk to downtown Newport for dining, shopping, museums and other local attractions.
For more details Tel: +1 401 846 6000
or visit www.newportshipyard.com
THUNDERBOLT MARINE
SAVANNAH, GA
Thunderbolt Marine serves yachts of all sizes for refit, repair, maintenance and paint. Serving the marine community for over 50 years, Thunderbolt Marine’s 100,00+ sqm. site on the U.S. Intracoastal Waterway is accessible from the Atlantic with no overhead restrictions. The facility boasts a state of the art, 60 metre, temperature controlled paint booth, three fully enclosed work bays withoverhead cranes, a centreboard pit and 1800+ m of wet slip space. The yard provides the following services using a pool of talented in-house sta and shops on site for cabinetry, canvas and upholstery, electrical, electronic, fine finish, HVAC ,hydraulic, joiner, machine, metal,paint, rigging, varnish and high speed composites.The addition of expert contractors supports their ability to meet their customers’needs.
For more details
Tel: +1 912 352 4931
www.thunderboltmarine.com
IMM
GUADELOUPE
IMM is an international project management team dedicated to superyacht repair around the world, with strategic bases across the Caribbean, including Guadeloupe and St. Maarten. The company was founded in 2007, but IMM’S principals Fabrice Maitre and Jean-Michel Beron have been in the luxury yacht industry for over 25 years. Alongside the firstrate project management skills of Norina Edelman, they offer the highest European standard quality in project management across a range of non-traditional locations. IMM’s headquarters in Guadeloupe offers a range of refit and maintenance services; in-water works can be carried out with minimal disruption to a Caribbean cruising schedule or more detailed refit projects undertaken.
For more details
Tel: +1 (202) 255 7488
or visit www.imm-yachting.com
LAUDERDALE MARINE CENTER
FORT LAUDERDALE
Lauderdale Marine Center’s 60 acres in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is America’s premier yacht repair and service facility. LMC spans 60 acres with over 200 slips, a capacity for vessels up to 64 metres and marine travel lift capacity of up to 485-tons, averaging 1600 annual visits. LMC is unique because it’s conveniently located and operates under a Marketplace Model where vessels choose the contractors they employ from any of LMC’s 20+ on-site and 300+ authorised off-site contractors without paying hidden fees or markups. In addition, LMC is a designated Marine Foreign Trade Zone and Production Authority, where foreign-flagged vessels can be shown and viewed without leaving U.S. waters, and parts can be imported duty-free for refit.
For more details
Tel: +1954 713 0333
www.lauderdalemarinecenter.com