Refit Revelations: Yacht Captains Tell-All

Refits can be challenging at the best of times. Several seasoned yacht captains share their insights and advice to help make your next refit easier.

What was the biggest lesson learned during refit?

“Not so much a lesson learned, but more of a reaffirmation. As cliche as it sounds, communication, communication, communication. This was a large and multifaceted project, so it was important to communicate effectively and often. Also, relationship building is so important. I was surprised to hear how many people weren’t always kind to contractors and vendors, and that is so counterproductive. Also, it always takes longer and costs more.” — Capt. Kelly Gordon

“Get quotes and time estimates for EVERYTHING prior to going into the yard. In a yard period, management of time and expenditure are the most important common denominators. As we all know, unforeseen issues arise, taking time away from the job at hand, and this often comes with a bigger price tag. Owners would rather hear it cost a little less than initially expected. So be realistic with yard budgets given the scope of work.” — Capt. Ryan Moore

“Don’t take on more than you can handle, as you will always find unexpected issues.”— Capt. Rodd Taylor

Would you do anything differently?

“As the captain, yes. I think I messed up a bit during this refit. It was such a long yard period that it became somewhat discouraging. It seemed like it was often one step forward and 10 steps backward. And I don’t think I realized how much of an impact that not being able to do our jobs (going to sea and entertaining guests) was having on the crew and me. As much as I pride myself in being so connected to my crew and us being such a happy boat, I didn’t realize that we were slowly getting a bit bummed out. However, we realized it, overcame the obstacle, and became much stronger as a team. The silver lining through such a tough yard period is to see how resilient and even closer we are as a team.” — Capt. Kelly Gordon 

“As most boats do, we constantly want to cram three months of work into one month. Be realistic with timeframes to get the job done right. When a boat goes to sea trial after a yard and items are unfinished, this will always become an issue down the road.” — Capt. Ryan Moore 

What was the toughest job during the refit? 

“Staying motivated and keeping the morale high.” — Capt. Kelly Gordon 

“The schedule is always the most difficult portion to control. Unexpected findings, weather delays, and owner changes play a part, but as these items present themselves, the timeline stays the same. The owner may agree to a higher budget but rarely provides more time as the use of the vessel has been planned months in advance.” — Capt. Rodd Taylor

“Coordination of contractors and crew. In a yard period, you need someone with boots on the ground who can oversee the entire project, making sure contractors stay to schedule or shuffle them around so they do not impede each other. An example of this could be while guys are doing bottom paint, make sure your polishers are not working around them as they often get in each other’s way and the polish job would not be great if contaminated by bottom paint sanding.”
— Capt. Ryan Moore 

What is the best advice you’d offer other captains heading into refit? 

“For any captain heading into a refit as extensive as this, my best advice is to stay immersed and connected. Check on your engineer, as it is a lot on him or her. It’s hard on the entire crew not to be able to go to sea and do your job, but the pressure on the engineer is immense and can ultimately affect the entire crew.” — Capt. Kelly Gordon

“Be organized. In a shipyard, the fastest way to frustrate the owner is by 1) running over schedule and 2) running over schedule and budget. For example, if you start sourcing parts and building work lists only after arriving in the yard, you have already missed the schedule. Refits are ruined by disorganization. When you rush, quality drops, costs rise, and it ultimately takes longer. You can only control three things: quality, time, and money. Remember, quality always takes time and money. The boss’s time on board is precious; it’s time he has carved out of his schedule to enjoy his boat. No one likes to pay more than expected for anything. Budgets can get out of control due to unforeseen issues and discoveries. Preplanning helps create a more accurate budget from the beginning. Tracking expenditures throughout the process and keeping the owner updated on changes and new findings allow him to understand the project’s financial status. This also offers the chance to defer ‘not-so-critical’ items to the next yard period if necessary, preventing a huge financial surprise at the end. Hire a trusted, local project manager. A skilled management team with knowledge of the yard and local contractors will have greater influence than a captain who may be overseeing their next refit halfway across the globe.” — Capt. Rodd Taylor

“Stay on top of it! Make sure you know what contractors are coming and going, and make sure they are still within the estimated ranges. Have all project managers and contractors on speed dial.”
— Capt. Ryan Moore

Images by Derecktor.

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