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Yacht service: getting your sailing yacht ready for the season

A guide to luxury yacht servicing with oyster yachts

Maintenance is a vital part of yacht ownership, but here at Oyster, we recognise that time spent on pre-season checks can make all the difference between a frustrating start to the season, and a perfect start to the season.

Yacht service: getting your sailing yacht ready for the season

With that in mind, we’ve put together our guide to servicing and getting your Oyster ready for the season ahead. From the water maker to the sail checks, to the winches and the main engine service, this is our owner’s handbook. Following our advice will allow you to stay on top of the annual maintenance and ensure you are ready to enjoy a great season of sailing.

Trust your yacht maintenance log

At Oyster, every owner receives a maintenance manual and a logbook when they take ownership of their yacht, which allows you to easily track your yacht’s maintenance history. Your Oyster logbook contains a weekly, monthly, bi-annual, annual, five-year and ten-year servicing checklist, which you can use to ensure you’re properly caring for your yacht.

Oyster owners have the added benefit that we keep all the original plans and build logs on file, so buyers can refer to the original intentions when your yacht was specified and built. Keeping your logbook updated will also help increase the residual value of your yacht, as new buyers prioritise well-maintained boats.

Trust your yacht maintenance log

How long does a yacht service take?

When carried out by Oyster, an annual yacht service takes two weeks with the yacht out of the water. This allows for the application of new antifouling paint and servicing of the rudder, propeller, seacocks and thrusters. It is also a good time to polish the hull and superstructure.

Each Oyster yacht service is unique to the boat, and it depends on its current condition and your plans for the season ahead. Our service team will create an honest list of requirements, scoping everything from canvas work to winches, meaning you can set sail for the season, confident in the knowledge you are ready to take on anything.

How long does a yacht service take?

What to expect from your pre-season check and annual yacht haul-out

Annual pre-season checks and preparations for an Oyster may include:

  • Sails valeted
  • A visual check of your rigging or official survey of your yacht rig, if in commercial use
  • Engines and generators serviced
  • All systems checked over – air-conditioning, refrigeration, LPG, electrics, and electronics
  • Annual safety equipment checks


And once she’s lifted out of the water for her annual haul-out:

  • Antifouling, repainting, polishing
  • Service of propeller, shaft, and cutlass bearings
  • Rudder and keel checks
  • Replacement of anodes
  • Service of seacocks and thrusters
What to expect from your pre-season check and annual yacht haul-out

Where can my sailing yacht be serviced?

Our Oyster Service Centres are in the most popular sailing destinations. In the Mediterranean, our base in Palma de Mallorca offers a range of yacht services, repairs and maintenance work. For those in the US, Oyster Yachts Newport is your go-to yard for anything from a general health check to an emergency repair and everything in between. In the UK we have Oyster Service Centres in Southampton and Ipswich, both of which offer a broad range of services from refits through to annual maintenance and storage.

Everything on your logbook checklist can be carried out by our dedicated teams around the world, and where necessary, we can come directly to you to carry out the required yacht maintenance work.

The Oyster Difference 

At Oyster Yachts, we understand our boats and the build process inside out. Our sailing services stand out because of our in-depth knowledge of each boat, our access to trained Oyster technicians, manufacturer’s parts, validation of warranty and an up-to-date maintenance log. All of these factors together have a profound impact on your yacht’s residual value if you decide to sell her.

However, if you don’t have an Oyster yacht, this shouldn’t stop you from booking our yacht repair or maintenance services. With a team of experts that are extremely knowledgeable and highly respectful of every boat they visit, we’ve worked on some of the world’s best yacht brands from Wally Yachts to Sunseekers. No matter what you sail, we will endeavour to service your yacht to the highest standards.

Every owner we work with, whether Oyster owners or not, value our trusted team, quality workmanship and unsurpassed reputation to ensure their yacht maintenance is up to date and completed to the highest standards.

Where can my sailing yacht be serviced?

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