Eight stages, every critical inspection point, and why each one matters. This is what our surveyors check on every visit — and what happens when no one does.
The build begins before a single piece of timber is cut. The most expensive mistakes in wooden yacht construction happen at contract stage — imprecise specifications, ambiguous payment schedules, missing penalty clauses. A detailed technical brief and well-drafted contract is the foundation of everything that follows.
The character of a wooden yacht is determined by its timber. Species substitution — delivering a cheaper or lower-grade wood than specified — is the single most common specification breach in Turkish yards. It happens before a plank is laid, and it can only be caught by someone physically present at delivery.
The backbone of the vessel — keel, stem, sternpost, and deadwood — forms the structural spine to which everything else is fastened. These members carry the most critical loads and are completely inaccessible once planking is complete. This is the stage where density, fastening quality, and joinery precision are most consequential.
Frames are the ribs of the vessel — they define the hull shape and distribute all structural loads to the keel. In traditional carvel construction, sawn or steam-bent frames are spaced at intervals dictated by scantling rules. In cold-moulded construction, the equivalent is the laminated framework over which veneers are laid. Either way, mistakes here are buried inside the hull forever.
Planking is the most visible and time-intensive stage of wooden boat construction. Each plank must be accurately fitted, properly fastened, and sealed. In carvel planking, the seams are caulked — packed with cotton or oakum and sealed with compound. Once planked, the hull is faired (shaped) to a smooth surface. The quality of planking and caulking determines the vessel's water tightness for decades.
The systems phase — engine installation, electrical wiring, plumbing, fuel systems, and through-hull fittings — determines the vessel's safety and reliability for its entire life. All of these systems are concealed behind joinery after this stage. Errors in wiring, through-hull installation, or fuel routing that are not caught now cannot be found until something fails — often at sea.
Interior joinery is where the vessel reveals its character — and where cost overruns most commonly occur. The difference between a standard and bespoke interior on a 22m vessel can exceed €400,000. Deck fittings — cleats, stanchions, chainplates, winches — must be securely backed and bedded. Poor bedding leads to deck leaks; inadequate backing leads to failure under load.
The sea trial is the vessel's graduation. Every system is tested under real conditions — engine at full throttle, rigging under load, electronics under power. The final survey produces the complete build file: every inspection report, every certificate, every photograph, assembled into the permanent provenance record of the vessel. This document is worth significant money at resale.
Surveyyat manages the full supervision process from contract review to sea trial. We are based in Bodrum, fully independent, and retain no commercial relationship with any yard.