Owner services
New build & refit advisory.
Owner-side advisory across new-build briefs, shipyard selection and refit programmes.
The relationship
Owner-side, not yard-side.
A new yacht is a project of years and a refit can be a project of months; both are largely decided at the beginning. The brief, the choice of yard and designer, the contract and the specification fix most of the outcome, the cost and the timing before the first plate is cut or the first panel removed.
For a new build, we work with the owner on the brief: size, layout, range, speed, the way the yacht will be used and by whom. We then compare the yards and designers able to deliver it, whether a semi-custom yacht on a proven platform or a fully custom one, and prepare the tender, the specification and the negotiation of the build contract with the owner's lawyers and with naval architects and surveyors from our network.
During the build, the owner's interests are represented at the yard: milestone reviews, change orders and their cost, quality and class inspections, sea trials and the delivery itself. An owner's representative, often with a technical team, follows the work, so that decisions reach the owner prepared and documented.
A refit follows the same discipline on a shorter clock: a survey of what the yacht needs, a scope of work, competing quotes from yards, a contract with milestones, and supervision on site. Major refits are often timed with the five-yearly class renewal survey, when the yacht is out of the water and the work can be planned around it.
Our advice sits on the owner's side, coordinated with the owner's technical, legal and family-office teams from the first brief to the end of the warranty period.
What we cover
What the brief covers.
01Step 01
Brief
Use, size, layout, range and budget, with the trade-offs explained before the yards are approached.
02Step 02
Yard and contract
Yards and designers compared, tender and specification, the build or refit contract negotiated with the owner's lawyers.
03Step 03
Supervision
Milestones, change orders, inspections and class, followed on site by an owner's representative.
04Step 04
Delivery
Sea trials, acceptance, delivery, warranty claims and the yacht's first season.
Related services
Related owner services.
Charter management
Positioning a private yacht into the charter market: itinerary, pricing, central agency and the season calendar.
Private owner support
On-the-day, owner-ready support during cruising weeks and major events.
Yacht management
Day-to-day yacht management: crew, accounts, technical oversight and ISM/MLC compliance.
Field notes
Related reading.
Events
Dubai International Boat Show.
In 2026 the Dubai International Boat Show opens the Dubai season: five days at Dubai Harbour, and how an advisor prepares a client to buy, sell or host during the week.
Sep 2026
Events
Monaco Yacht Show.
The Monaco Yacht Show is the one week of the year when Port Hercule is the exhibition: where owners, charterers, shipyards and brokers meet, and how an advisor prepares a client for it.
Jun 2026
Frequently asked
Practical questions.
- How long does it take to build a yacht?
- It depends on size and how custom the yacht is. A semi-custom yacht on an existing platform can often be delivered in under two years from contract; a fully custom superyacht commonly takes three to four years, longer for the largest. Yard slots for large yachts are often committed years ahead.
- Should I choose a custom or a semi-custom yacht?
- A semi-custom yacht starts from a proven hull and layout, which shortens the build and reduces risk while leaving room for the interior and many details. A fully custom yacht is drawn for one owner from the hull up and asks for more time, budget and decisions. The brief usually shows which one fits.
- Which shipyards build superyachts?
- Northern European yards such as Feadship, Lürssen, Oceanco, Amels and Heesen are known for large custom and semi-custom yachts in steel and aluminium; Italian yards such as Benetti, Sanlorenzo and CRN build in composite and metal; Turkey and other countries add capacity. The right yard depends on the size, the timing and the brief.
- When should a yacht be refitted?
- Major work is usually planned with the five-yearly class renewal survey, when the yacht is already at a yard and out of the water, and between seasons so that no charter or private weeks are lost. Smaller refits are timed each winter. Planning a year ahead secures the yard slot and the price.
- How much does a refit cost?
- It ranges from routine winter maintenance to rebuilds that cost a significant share of the yacht's value. The scope decides it: paint, engines, interiors and systems each carry very different costs. We price the scope with competing quotes before the owner commits.
- What is an owner's representative?
- A person or team who represents the owner at the yard throughout the build or the refit: checking work against the specification, reviewing change orders and their cost, attending inspections and trials, and reporting to the owner. On large projects, they are the owner's main safeguard on quality, time and budget.
Plan
Brief a new build or refit.
A private advisor returns a short, considered reply within the hour.