Yacht Maintenance Tips

What to expect in service and costs

Pre-Purchase Tips

Always ask the previous owner, yacht broker, or sales agent about the past service and maintenance history for your vessel. Knowing the schedule for your boat can make sure you aren’t surprised by regular maintenance costs or inconveniences. Obtaining a good owner’s manual for your model will provide great information about the kind of maintenance schedule your boat needs. It is helpful to create a plan for cleaning and maintenance, whether you plan to do it yourself or provide to a yacht management company.

General Yacht Service and Maintenance

If your yacht is over 40 feet, it will have to sit in the water most of the time, and so ensuring the corrosive effects of salinity are kept to a minimum. First off, regular washing and hull cleaning are required anywhere from every two weeks to at least once per month. Upholstery and canvas need regular cleaning, metal needs polishing, and wood needs scrubbing and conditioning. This kind of cleaning service costs on average $2-$3 per foot. Hull cleaning needs to be done at least once per month, and more frequently the warmer the weather, and the more rapid the water is moving. Having the hull smooth is essential for long-term maintenance, and overall performance. For the electrical system, this needs to be checked regularly, once per month during regular use, or less often during the off season. Technicians will test the A/C, pumps, air-intake, batteries, exhaust intake, fuel lines, engine maintenance, anode condition, and many other critical systems. This service can cost $200-250 for 40-50ft yachts, and provide a service report you can use for your own records.

Once per year, the engine, drivetrain and generator should be serviced, which is similar to regular auto maintenance, which will inspect the engine, transmissions and generators, costing somewhere between $2,500 and $3,500 depending on the size of the yacht and the extent to yacht services needed.

Once every 3-6 months, you will need to receive a wax coat on the topside of the boat to the waterline. Once about every 2 years, the bottom will need to be painted to replace the deteriorating paint layers that have slowly worn off. The price for this service generally costs around $50 per foot.

Every six months, the A/C lines should also be flushed, especially in hot, humid climates like those in Florida or on the Gulf.