A refit guide from one of the world’s largest sailing yachts
A refit ultimately starts from a vision. It’s translating the evolving needs of the owning family into practice. The shipyard understands how to technically execute the project, but it’s the captain and crew who know precisely the needs of their specific owners, and the designers who can anticipate desires the family hasn’t yet realised they have.
Success is a team effort, and the captain sits at the centre of it all – balancing owner expectations, crew capabilities, and shipyard realities. We spoke with the captain of one of the world’s largest sailing yachts to learn more about the core drivers for refit success from a captain’s perspective: what works, what doesn’t, and the hard-won lessons that only come from experience.
To respect confidentiality, the yacht and captain remain unnamed. Images show the World Superyacht Award-winning 64.52m Mikhail S. Vorontsov, built by Balk Shipyard in 2013.
What are your priorities when choosing a shipyard for refit and planned maintenance?
The team. Without a great crew, the quality and budget will always suffer, irrespective of the shipyard.
How do you prepare your crew for a successful yard period?
Open communication and involvement in planning are key. Listen to their needs for the refit and deliver them the support they require.
Any lesson you’ve learned from overseeing a refit that every new captain should know?
Create a crew-shipyard team with mutual respect for the shipyard as a business, while respecting the budget of the Principal client. It is not an us-against-them scenario. With this mentality, hard and honest conversations become easier.
The best negotiation is where both parties are equally happy. Indecision is expensive.
How can the crew-shipyard experience be strengthened?
Work together, find out what the strengths are within “the greater team,” then focus on the strengths and support the weaknesses. Transparency from both parties will relieve a lot of stress and assist with clear, immediate decision-making. Remain flexible in a rigid environment.
What is the best way to communicate budgets vs. maintenance requirements?
Honesty, Expectation, Realism, Planning, and Compromise.
Which country do you consider the superior yacht manufacturer or refit provider?
It’s all relative. You need to ask yourself: what do you need to achieve in the set project versus the budget & logistics? There are many great shipyards around the world!
