What to Consider in Planning and Managing Your Yacht Re� t

The number of superyacht re� t projects has been steadily increasing over the last decade. Many of the proli� c new builds of past decades have matured and are ready for major upgrades and re� nements. All indications within the industry show that these projects will continue to increase, both at shipyards here in the U.S., and inter-nationally. Industry estimates show that of the nearly 5,000 superyachts active around the world 1,000 will be scheduling re� ts over the next several years.

The reasons for these projects are varied. Safety and Class compliance requirements are primary. Owners’ preferences and captains’ condition reports and recommen-dations are also signi� cant drivers of re� ts. Additionally, many owners are addressing issues that were deferred due to the reces-sion. Some owners are now choosing re� ts over new construction, an approach which allows them to essentially build a new custom yacht, but with shorter timelines and with potentially smaller investments.

—Nick Boksa, BOKSA MARINE DESIGN

A Typical Re� t ScenarioClass compliance requirements, safety man-dates or upgrades will periodically require shipyard maintenance. Cosmetic maintenance or upgrades or performance and range con-siderations will also require shipyard resources. Additionally over time, both the owner and the captain will identify aspects of the yacht that they would like to change. The goal of

the changes may be to make the yacht more enjoyable and more operationally effi cient. They may decide that upgrades to electrical systems, galley appliances, guest accommo-dations, water toys or entertainment systems are desired. These considerations may be dis-cussed with an owner’s yacht management representative. A preliminary wish-list of

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desired changes may be drafted and priori-tized as the fi rst step in the refi t project plan.

At this stage, a naval architecture and marine engineering fi rm may be retained to address and quantify the changes. Some shipyards may provide this service or make recommendations for outside vendors. Some owners or captains may directly seek out de-sign and engineering fi rms before approach-ing the yard.

Planning Your Re� tA successful refi t project requires substan-tial amounts of planning, time, energy and resources. Regardless of the reason for the refi t, experienced owners, along with their

captains and their management fi rms, know the details of these projects are often com-plex. Detailed planning, communications and management of expectations is critical to successful completion.

Defi ning the scope of a refi t requires sig-nifi cant time and coordination between the owner, captain, crew and other parties. Owners’ wishes are of course paramount, but captains’ and crews’ knowledge of a vessel’s needs cannot be overlooked. Additionally, material scope of refi t specifi cations, class compliance and stability requirements re-quire qualifi ed naval architecture and engi-neering resources.

Management and communication be-tween the owner’s rep-resentative and the ship-yard chosen to execute the refi t work can will be quite involved. A captain’s relationship and rapport with his owner, his refi t experience and specifi c knowledge of his vessel are important prerequisite qualifi cations frequently resulting in appointment as the owner’s represen-tative. Alternatively yacht management or engi-neering resources may be designated as owners’ representatives. Most importantly, the owner should be in total agreement with the refi t plan before beginning.

Choosing the Right Shipyard is Critical to Achieving Satisfactory ResultsNaturally, as refi t projects around the world increase, there continues to be a related in-crease in the competition for quality shipyard time, vendor services and other resources.

Refi t experience, integrity, and reputation are critical factors to be considered in choosing the right shipyard. Initial build experience, previous refi ts of the vessel by a specifi c ship-yard, and availability of original or as-built drawings are advantageous to ensuring ad-equate knowledge and understanding of the vessel’s history and refi t scope.

Location of the shipyard relative to the ves-sel’s homeport, owner’s principal residence, and captain’s housing and accommodations are important considerations impacting convenience and frequency of on-site vis-its. Amenities, condition and cleanliness of the shipyard are indicators of the quality of work to be expected. Owners do not want their prized yachts to be impacted by dirty or poorly maintained shipyard facilities.

Managing Your Re� t PlanShipyard management and organizational structure should be clearly defi ned and docu-mented to ensure eff ective communications between on-site departments and sub-con-tracted vendors. Owners’ representatives should have knowledge and input regarding selection of sub-contractors. Accountability should be clearly defi ned and assigned to specifi c individuals with appropriate authori-ty to decide and act within the scope of their responsibilities.

A clear and concise contract and plan doc-ument should be required to include scope, cost and sources of services to be provided along with reasonable time schedules for all activities, communications protocol, and out-of-scope work and change order pro-cedures. Final acceptance parameters and approvals should be documented as well. A project management system should be specifi ed and mutually agreed upon to ade-quately manage activities and expectations.

What are the Bene� ts of Working with a Naval Architect and Marine Engineering Firm?Naval architects and marine engineers can provide a better understanding of what will be involved in the project. Owners general-ly know what they desire but may not fully understand what may be involved in fulfi ll-ing their desires. The engineers will ensure changes are safe, compliant and achievable.

Engineers can translate those desires to time and cost. They can identify optimum solutions and quantify costs to maximize time and cost benefi ts of alternative refi t

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scenarios. The engineer can quantify the im-pact of changes on performance and oper-ating costs as well as opine on impact of the changes to resale value. Requirements may be prioritized and segregated into phased plans over time to minimize down time and ensure maximum availability of the vessel for the owner’s use.

If desired engineers can act as owner’s representative to manage the refi t project to provide quality control, timeliness and com-pliance to plan and cost estimates. Addition-ally engineers may be best qualifi ed and able to assess unforeseen discoveries or events which may occur during execution of the

plan, identify alternatives and control cost overruns due to scope creep.

What to Consider When Selecting a Naval Architect and Engineering FirmSimilar to choosing the right shipyard, selec-tion of the right naval architecture and engi-neering fi rm is critical to enable fulfi llment of the expectations of the refi t plan regarding quality, timeliness and cost. The right fi rm will add professionalism, credibility and dis-cipline to the process. Reputation of the fi rm and its principals are the most important at-tribute of the right choice.

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The fi rm should possess appropriate edu-cation credentials, certifi cations and licenses. They should be members of appropriate in-dustry associations and exhibit passion for their endeavors. They should exhibit an ap-preciation of the pride of ownership of a fi ne yacht and the joy of cruising and entertain-ing aboard. Engineering staff should consist of individuals trained and experienced in var-ious disciplines to ensure complete under-standing of the entire scope of the refi t. Experience in design, new build and refi t of custom yachts is most important in under-standing the desires and needs of the yacht owners and captains. Experience in produc-tion boat design and production manage-ment is invaluable in determining the proper sequence, cost control and timing of a com-plex refi t project. Commercial and military experience can additionally ensure safety, compliance and durability of the end result.

Communications and interpersonal re-lationship skills are essential in establishing and maintaining long term mutually benefi -cial relationships with owners, captains and shipyards. The ability to be an eff ective and objective messenger when negotiating solu-tions to unforeseen problems can avoid ani-mosity when inevitable disputes arise.

Using naval architecture and engineering resources to draft a refi t plan and RFP prior to selecting and engaging a shipyard will enable objective review of shipyard respons-es and likely result in reduced costs and im-proved timeline.

About Boksa Marine DesignBoksa Marine Design is a naval architecture and marine engineering � rm located near Tampa, Florida. We specialize in all aspects of custom yacht, production boat and com-mercial marine design solutions for own-ers, builders and operators worldwide.

For more information about vessel design and building solutions, please contact our o� ce at +1 (813) 654-9800.