All guides

The site's 109 guide topics, grouped by area. Each describes the methods and check points we use on site.

Prices

How survey and delivery prices are built up.

• Delivery Cost: How a yacht delivery price is built: distance, speed, crew, season, logistics and paperwork, plus owner's fuel and port costs. Worked…
• Survey Cost: How a yacht survey price is worked out: length, type, age, location, scope, add-ons and boat-side costs. Price bands and a worked example.

Buying

Decisions and documents when buying used.

• Documents from the Seller: Documents to request when buying a used boat: registration, HIN, authority to sell, encumbrances, CE/RCD, service records, insurance and…
• Negotiating with the Report: Using a survey report to negotiate a yacht price: which findings count, turning them into cost with repair quotes, the survey clause and…

Survey

Survey types and special cases.

• Classic Yacht Survey: Surveying classic and wooden yachts: planking, frames, fastenings, backbone and deck; originality, restoration records and method.
• Destructive Testing: Beyond the non-destructive survey: core samples, controlled openings and paint removal; when needed, written consent, repair plan and…
• Fast Boat Survey: Surveying a fast boat: bottom stress cracks, stringers, transom and console; outboards, sterndrives, hydraulic steering and trim; the…
• Haul-out Day: Hauling out for a survey: booking backwards, sling positions, the unwashed hull, blocking, one week of drying and who pays.
• Partial Survey: When a partial survey fits and when it does not; why it is not advised before a purchase; writing the scope and exclusions.
• RIB Survey: RIB survey: Hypalon and PVC collars, sun damage, seams and valves; the pressure-hold test; hull, transom and collar joint.
• Repair Plan: From survey report to repair plan: A, B, C priority, grouping work, quotes, scheduling and rechecking findings when the work is done.
• Survey for Finance: A survey for a boat loan: what lenders expect (condition, value, identity, independence), the order, report timing and insurance.
• Trawler Survey: Trawler survey: engine hours and records, large fuel tanks, cooling and exhaust, stabilisers, teak decks and windows; a long-run sea trial.

Measurements

Readings taken on site and how they are read.

• Borescope: The borescope behind linings, in closed compartments and bilges; when engine and tank interiors are viewed on the survey and when as a…
• Electrical Measurements: Charging, parasitic draw, leakage, overload, battery internal resistance and hot connections, measured with clamp meter, battery tester and…
• Hull Potential: Hull potential with a reference electrode: how it is measured, under- and over-protection, values that change with shore power, and broken…
• Moisture Readings: Moisture readings: the one-week drying condition, reference area, grid and pattern; how metal, carbon, copper antifouling and surface…
• Sounding Method: Sounding on survey: why a phenolic hammer, the grid and comparison method, areas listened to closely, its limit and reading with moisture.
• Vibration and Noise: Vibration and noise on a boat: measuring points, rpm steps, comparing engines, cabin noise, and a baseline for later years.

Sea trial

Planning the sea trial and its readings.

• Sea Trial Planning: Planning the survey sea trial: who does what, weather, ashore or afloat first, the day-before checklist and the safety decision.
• Sea Trial Readings: What is measured on a sea trial: cold start, speed, coolant, oil pressure, exhaust and vibration by rpm, and what smoke colour means.…

Systems

The boat's systems one by one.

• AC and Shore Power: The 230 V system aboard: shore cable, RCD, polarity, source selection, galvanic isolator and sockets; measured with clamp meter and thermal…
• Autopilot: Autopilot parts: drive unit, rudder linkage, rudder angle sensor, compass, course computer and power; five tests on sea trial.
• Batteries and Charging: Batteries and charging aboard: start and house banks, battery types and profiles, alternator, charger, solar, separation and ventilation…
• Deck and Core: Balsa, foam and plywood cores; finding wet core by walking, sounding and moisture readings; repair methods and sealing the entry point.
• Fresh Water and Watermaker: Fresh water aboard: tank, pump, accumulator, water heater and hoses; on the watermaker, output, salinity and membrane care.
• Fuel System: The fuel system aboard: fill, vent, tank, shut-off valve, ISO 7840 hose, filter and water separator; water and diesel bug in the tank.
• Hardware Bedding: Bedding winches, cleats and tracks: oversize, fill and redrill, backing plates and sealing; what the survey checks.
• Hull and Laminate: Single skin, sandwich and internal grid in a GRP hull; stress cracks, hard spots, grid separation and repairs; sounding and moisture…
• Hull-Deck Joint: Flanged, bonded and shoebox hull-deck joints; signs of leaks and damage, inspection, and rebedding the toerail.
• Saildrive Service: Saildrive critical points: diaphragm, aluminium leg corrosion, anode and water in the gear oil; service scope and diaphragm replacement.
• Sails: Sails on a survey: cloth, stitching, chafe, corners, batten pockets, UV strip and reefing; testing on sea trial and its limit.
• Seacocks: Valves and through-hulls below the waterline: bronze, DZR brass, ordinary brass and composite; a six-step check on survey.
• Shaft Line: The shaft line: coupling, stern gland, cutless bearing, P-bracket and propeller; survey checks and the steps of alignment afloat.
• Wet Exhaust: Marine wet exhaust: mixing elbow, exhaust hose, waterlock, gooseneck and siphon break; what the survey checks, and carbon monoxide risk.
• Windlass and Anchoring: Matching anchoring gear: chain calibration and gypsy, chain wear, anchor, bitter end; windlass electrics and deck mounting, chain locker.
• Windows and Portlights: Acrylic and polycarbonate glazing, sealing, aluminium frames, hatch seals and bonded windows; tracing leaks and repair.

Refit

Refit from planning to acceptance.

• Aircon and Heating: Yacht air conditioning and heating: seawater circuit, condenser, condensate and ducting; fuel-fired heater exhaust and CO; renew or repair.
• Antifouling: Antifouling types, copper-free paint and aluminium, compatibility with old paint, stripping and epoxy barrier; application sequence and…
• Collecting Quotes: How to compare refit quotes: one specification, itemised prices, material brands, schedule, exclusions and warranty.
• Core Repair: Repairing wet core: finding the boundary and source, repairs from above and below, the limit of injection, solid fill at hardware and…
• Energy System: Designing an energy system: load list, autonomy, battery bank, charging sources, inverter and protection; going lithium and acceptance.
• Engine Overhaul: Overhauling a marine engine: compression, blowby, oil analysis and sea trial as the basis; top-end, full rebuild and ancillaries; overhaul…
• Fire System: Yacht fire systems: detection, extinguishing, fuel and ventilation shut-off, escape; extinguisher choice, fixed systems and checks.
• Gelcoat Repair: Diagnosing chips, star cracks and parallel cracks; opening, colour matching, filling, sanding and polishing; oxidised gelcoat and topside…
• Handover File and Warranty: The handover file after a refit or new build: work, materials, serial numbers, diagrams and records; yard and maker warranties…
• Keel Drop: Dropping a keel: which findings call for it, the seven-step sequence, check points and acceptance; keel bolts and internal floor repair.
• Lay-up and Refit: Lay-up and refit in one plan: end-of-season notes, condition survey, lay-up sequence, refit and spring commissioning; location, insurance…
• Plumbing and Pumps: Bilge pumps and alarms, sanitation hose and tank venting, fresh and seawater pumps; hoses, clamps and access when renewing.
• Post-refit Acceptance: Accepting a refit: criteria written in advance, the order of the sea trial, the snag list and what the handover file should contain.
• Pre-refit Survey: The pre-refit condition survey: how it differs from pre-purchase, from findings to a prioritised work list, uncertain areas, specification…
• Re-rigging: Deciding to re-rig: terminal cracks, wire, age and tension; mast step, spreaders and masthead; six steps from unstepping to sail trial.
• Refit Budget: Building a yacht refit budget: firm work, work that clarifies once opened, wish list and contingency; the yard, time and insurance costs…
• Refit Contract: What a refit contract needs: scope, schedule, extra-work procedure, check points, insurance and acceptance; tying payment to stages of work.
• Refit Cost Mistakes: What overruns refit budgets: no survey, vague spec, unwritten extras, no check points, calendar payments, late parts and a growing wish…
• Refit Regions: Refit regions in Turkey: Istanbul, Didim, Bodrum, Marmaris, Göcek and Antalya; verified travel lift capacities and five criteria for…
• Refit Schedule: A refit schedule is built back from launch: sea trial, work, parts supply, haul-out and survey; how autumn, winter and spring divide, and…
• Refit and Value: Refit and resale value: how structural repair, engines, rig and electrics show in value; the effect of personal taste and undocumented…
• Repower: What a repower touches: beds, weight, shaft alignment, propeller, exhaust, fuel, cooling and electrics; paperwork, insurance and acceptance.
• Rewiring: Rewiring a yacht: when it is needed, marine cable, fusing, AC and DC separation, labels and diagram, ISO 10133 and ISO 13297, testing and…
• Rudder Renewal: Renewing rudder bearings: when it is needed, measuring play, dropping the rudder, inspecting stock and blade, new bearings and acceptance.
• Site Inspection: What to see before it is closed: after opening, before closing, lamination, paint, installation and before launch; how inspection works and…
• Stabilisers: Fin and gyroscopic stabilisers: surveying an existing system; retrofitting with structural calculation, location, power, cooling and sea…
• Tank Renewal: Renewing fuel, water and holding tanks: signs, stainless, aluminium, polyethylene and GRP choices, access plan, pressure test and bedding.

New build

New build from design to delivery.

• Aluminium Yacht Building: Building in aluminium: 5000 and 6000-series alloys, welding, galvanic isolation, electrical system, copper-free paint and cathodic…
• Building to Class: Building to class: plan approval, materials, production supervision, tests and certificate; why choose it, points to watch, and the owner's…
• Calculation Approval: Key calculations for a new yacht: structure (ISO 12215), stability (ISO 12217), weight, propulsion and rig; approval by class, CE and…
• Composite and Carbon: Carbon and advanced composites: prepreg and infusion, cores; galvanic corrosion with aluminium, hidden impact damage, measurement, bonding…
• Design and Project: Series, semi-custom and full custom routes; what goes in the brief; the roles of designer, naval architect, yard and owner's representative.
• Flag and Registration: What drives the flag choice: ownership, use, cruising area, tax and cost; the five steps of registration and specialist advice.
• GRP Yacht Building: Building in GRP: hand lay-up and vacuum infusion, series and one-off; osmosis resistance, core, internal bonding and shop conditions.
• Hull Lamination: Supervising GRP lamination: shop conditions, gelcoat, laminate schedule, resin ratio, voids, core and internal bonding; witness panels and…
• Interior Joinery: Yacht interior joinery: materials, weight, attachment, access to systems, ventilation and fire; check points before fit-out and at…
• Local Equipment: Turkey's local supply chain: stainless, joinery, upholstery, paint and switchboards; time, cost and service advantages; checks on…
• Material Acceptance: Material acceptance in a build: plate and EN 10204 certificates, resin, fabric, core, welding consumables and equipment; paperwork, checks…
• Mould and Frame: Moulds and frames in GRP, steel, aluminium and one-off builds; checks against drawings, symmetry, fairness, hard points and stage sign-off.
• New Build or Used?: Choosing between a new build and a used yacht: time, control, risk and total cost; which suits when, and refit as a third way.
• New-build Budget: Budgeting a yacht build: what sits outside the contract price, payments tied to production stages, and securing the payments.
• Paint and Surface: Painting in a yacht build: blast grade on steel, pretreatment on aluminium, preparation on GRP; dew point, overcoat times, dry film…
• Steel Yacht Building: Building in steel: when to choose it; designing against corrosion, paint system, condensation and insulation, distortion and mixed metals.
• Systems Installation: Installing electrical, fuel, gas, fire and bilge systems: ISO 10133, 13297, 10088, 10239, 9094, 15083; separation, securing, access…
• Tests and Launch: System tests ashore, launch steps, harbour acceptance tests, sea acceptance trials and the inclining test; criteria and records.
• Turkey Shipyard Map: Yacht-building regions in Turkey: Antalya Free Zone, Tuzla, Yalova, Bodrum and Bozburun; example yards with sourced facility data, build…
• Weld Inspection: Welding in steel and aluminium yacht builds: WPS and WPQR, ISO 9606 welder qualification, visual, penetrant, magnetic, ultrasonic and…

Delivery

Planning and rules for yacht deliveries.

• Charter Deliveries: Charter boat deliveries at season start and end: post-lay-up checks, calendar margin, handover records, recording the season's wear and…
• Clearance: Leaving Turkey by yacht, entering the destination and returning: port of entry, crew list, transit log, customs and passport; EU rules.
• Delivery Insurance: Insurance on a yacht delivery: navigation limits, who may operate, period and excess; written confirmation before departure and handover…
• Foreign Flag: Delivering a foreign-flagged yacht in Turkey: transit log validity, skipper entry, stay conditions, insurance and documents.
• Fuel Planning: Fuel planning on a delivery: consumption from the maker's curve and sea trial, per-mile figures, what increases burn, the rule of thirds…
• Leaving Turkey: Taking a boat out of Turkey: cruise versus permanent departure, exit formalities, the destination, insurance limits and required papers.
• Marmara and the Straits: Taking a yacht through the Bosphorus, the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmara: traffic separation, radio, current, poyraz and lodos…
• Med to Atlantic: From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic: western Med winds, the Gibraltar transit, orca advisories off Iberia, the Canaries; boat…
• Meltemi and Lodos: When the meltemi, lodos and poyraz blow, their direction and effect on deliveries; a month-by-month picture and planning with weather…
• New-boat Delivery: A new boat's first passage: snag list, commissioning, documents and insurance; engine run-in, passage records and warranty notification.
• Ports of Refuge: Ports of refuge on a delivery: shelter direction, entrance, depth, night and facilities; marking them along the route, matching to wind and…
• Post-sale Delivery: Moving a boat after purchase: ownership papers, the new owner's insurance, survey findings, a short trial, foreign flag and handover record.
• Skipper Licence: The skipper's licence and authority on a delivery: amateur licence versus yacht captain, STCW, the owner's written authority and the…
• Spares and Faults: Spares to carry on a delivery and a five-step fault protocol: safety, diagnosis, record, inform and decide.
• Watch Systems: Watch systems on a long delivery: two and three crew, night rules, when to wake the skipper, handover and the logbook.
• Weather Window: Weather windows for a delivery: wind, sea, duration and escape criteria; meltemi, lodos and poyraz in Turkish waters; three decision points…

Routes

Deliveries by route and region.

• Antalya to Mersin: Passage guide, Antalya to Mersin: the route via Alanya, sparse marinas and harbours, fuel planning and weather window.
• Greek Islands: From the Turkish coast to the Greek islands: port of entry, documents, Schengen, cruising tax and VAT; sailing between islands and the…
• Turkey to Croatia: Passage guide, Turkey to Croatia: via the Ionian and Otranto into the Adriatic, bora and jugo, EU entry, Schengen, charges and…
• Turkey to Cyprus: Passage guide, Turkey to Cyprus: the island's two administrations and choice of port, entry formalities, insurance limits and…
• Turkey to Italy: Passage guide, Turkey to Italy: south of the Peloponnese or the Corinth Canal, the Ionian, EU entry, Schengen, VAT, insurance…
• Turkey to Malta: Passage guide, Turkey to Malta: south of the Peloponnese or via the Ionian and Sicily, gregale, EU entry, Schengen, VAT…

Regulations

Papers, rules and registration.

• Builder's Plate: The builder's plate: design category, maximum load and persons; why it matters and how it is checked on a survey.
• CE and Design Categories: CE marking on recreational craft: wind and wave limits of design categories A to D, declaration of conformity, builder's plate and later…
• ISO 12215: The ISO 12215 series: materials, manufacturing, design pressures and scantlings, structural details, multihulls, rudders, keels and rig…

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