Commissioning a new boat carries a different risk from buying an existing one: you pay before you see the product. By the time the boat exists, the money is spent.
1. Contract Stage: the Cheapest Place to Intervene
The most valuable work in a new build happens before signature. Everything corrected afterwards is expensive.
Technical specification
The specification is the heart of the contract, and it belongs at make-and-model level. "Quality generator" is not a specification; make, model, output, quantity and location is. It should cover:
- Main engine, gearbox, drive system, make, model, output, rated speed
- Generator, air-conditioning, watermaker, stabilisers, make, model, capacity
- Electrical system, battery type and capacity, charging sources, panel and protection, cable standard
- Rig and sail handling, manufacturer, wire diameter, terminal type, winch models
- Laminate schedule (composite) or plate thicknesses and profile list (metal)
- Paint system, manufacturer, number of coats, dry film thickness
- Safety equipment, scope and quantities
- Interior, materials, veneers, hardware brands
Payment plan
Tied to stages, not dates: hull out of mould, deck joined, engine installed, launch, handover. A condition of independent verification at each stage goes into the contract, that stage's payment follows verification. A front-loaded plan increases your risk, not the yard's.
Other essential clauses
- Declared standards: what she is built to, ISO 12217 design category, ABYC for electrical, the conformity route if RCD/CE is the target.
- Weight commitment: light displacement and tolerance, and the consequence of exceeding it.
- Performance commitment: maximum and cruising speed at a stated load, fuel consumption.
- Delay terms: the consequence of late delivery, daily or weekly.
- Warranty: period, scope, obligation on defective work.
- Title and insurance: who owns the boat under construction, who carries fire and damage risk at the yard, and at what limit.
- Variation procedure: how extras are priced and approved.
- Disputes: governing law and forum.
2. Stage Inspections
| Stage | What is checked |
|---|---|
| Materials in | Certificates for resin, fabric, plate, profile or timber; batch numbers; data sheets compared with the specification; storage conditions and shelf life |
| Mould and lamination | Ply sequence and orientation, thickness readings, resin-to-glass ratio, cure conditions (temperature and humidity logged), vacuum records where infusion is used, core placement and bonding |
| Welding on metal hulls | Welding procedure (WPS) and welder qualification, visual weld inspection, non-destructive testing (NDT) coordinated with an accredited provider where required, distortion control, plate thickness verification |
| Structure | Bulkhead bonding and tabbing widths, keel seating and bolt arrangement, engine beds, hull-to-deck joint, before anything closes |
| Systems | Cable sizing and colour coding, protective devices, fuel line material and venting, raw water circuit and seacocks, bonding continuity, sealing at bulkhead penetrations, before linings |
| Weight tracking | Weight recorded stage by stage against the contract commitment. Excess weight permanently spoils trim, draft and performance and cannot be corrected later. |
| Machinery | Alignment readings, flexible mounts, exhaust run and waterlock, cooling circuit, control cables |
| Paint and finish | Surface preparation, coat count, dry film thickness readings, application conditions (temperature, humidity, dew point) |
| Before launch | All seacocks, shaft seal, anode layout and bonding, watertightness test, trim and stability check |
| Sea trial | Staged load, temperatures, vibration, maximum and cruising speed, fuel consumption, steering behaviour, system readings under electrical load, noise levels |
| Handover | Snag list, document file, warranty start, familiarisation, spares and keys |
3. Snag List and Handover
Handover is a process, not a signature. How it should work:
- A thorough pre-handover inspection and a numbered snag list, each item photographed and defined.
- Agreement with the yard on the list: what is rectified before handover, what falls under warranty.
- The balance payment tied to completion of the pre-handover items.
- The warranty period starting at actual handover, not earlier on paper.
- Complete delivery of the document file: certificates, data sheets, schematics, manuals, warranty documents, stage photographs.
4. The Document File
The file assembled during construction is the most valuable document the boat carries through her life: material certificates and batch numbers, lamination or welding records, stage inspection reports and photographs, weight records, paint system and film thickness readings, system schematics, sea trial measurements, the snag list and its closure.
Without it, ten years on, the boat is "an unknown build" to a buyer. With it, she is a boat whose every stage was verified, and the difference goes straight into the price.
5. Realistic Timescales
- Production boat, ordered: to the builder's schedule, typically 6-14 months
- One-off composite build: 12-30 months
- Wooden gulet: 14-24 months
- One-off metal hull: 14-28 months
A build contract without a timetable is a commitment of unspecified duration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
The most valuable point of intervention is when the specification is written.
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Continue with this topic
- New-build budget and payments: What sits outside the contract price, and staged payments.
- Mould and frame: The first check point in a build.
- Building to class: From plan approval to certificate.
- Turkey shipyard map: Regions and example yards, with sources.
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