Boatyard repairs: from the quote to collecting your boat

Fixed quote or estimate?

Ask for the price in writing before any work starts, and ask two questions straight away: does the quote itself cost anything, and is it a fixed quote or only an estimate? A fixed quote is the price you pay. An estimate can be exceeded, and how far depends on local law and on what you agreed.

Many countries expect a yard to warn the customer before an estimate is clearly exceeded. Do not rely on that alone. Write a ceiling into the order: up to this amount the yard may work without asking, anything above only with your written approval.

Put the work order in writing

A spoken agreement is binding in most places but hard to prove later. An email that the yard confirms is enough. It should cover:

• the boat: name, model, hull identification number (HIN or CIN) and the engine serial number,
• the work to be done as precisely as possible, with materials and brands,
• the price basis: fixed price, estimate or hourly rate,
• the completion date,
• lifting, launching and moving the boat inside the yard, and what that costs,
• storage charges if you collect the boat later,
• the condition on delivery, with photos and the engine hour reading.

Read the yard's terms and conditions before you sign. They often set storage fees, payment terms and the yard's liability for boats on its premises.

Extra work only after you approve it

Once the boat is opened up, more turns up: a worn impeller, a seized seacock, cracks in the gelcoat. Agree in the order that anything outside the agreed scope needs your approval first, and confirm each approval by email or message. Ask for a photo of the problem and the price, and ask to keep the parts that are replaced.

Collection and sea trial

Collection is usually when payment of the bill becomes due and when you accept the work. Take your time. Look at every area that was worked on, go through the invoice line by line next to the order, and take the boat out for a short trial if she is afloat: engine up to temperature, cooling water at the outlet, gauges, bilge.

If you spot a defect and still take the boat, note it on the handover form or the invoice and state in writing that you reserve your rights. That records that the defect was there when you collected the boat.

Unpaid bill: the yard may keep the boat

In many countries a yard that has repaired a boat may hold on to it until the bill for that work is paid. If you dispute part of the invoice but need the boat, pay the amount you accept and the disputed rest expressly under protest or reservation, in writing. You get the boat back and can argue about the difference afterwards.

When the repair does not last

If the work is faulty, the usual first step everywhere is to give the yard the chance to put it right at its own cost. Tell the yard in writing what is wrong and set a reasonable deadline. Only if that fails do other remedies normally come into play, such as a price reduction, having the work redone elsewhere at the yard's expense or damages. Time limits for these claims vary by country, so act promptly.

Photograph the defect with the date, keep the order, invoice, messages and any removed parts. Do not let another yard repair the fault before the deadline has passed unless it is urgent to prevent further damage.

Winter storage at the yard

Laying up at a yard usually combines a storage agreement with a work order. Get in writing what the price includes: shed or hardstanding, lifting out and back in, shore power, your own access to the boat, whether you may work on her yourself, covering, and the date she will be back in the water. What to do on board before lay up is in our winter storage checklist.

Repairs after an insurance claim

If the repair follows damage you want your hull insurance to pay for, the order matters: report, let the insurer inspect, then repair. Boat policies usually require you to give the insurer the chance to inspect the damage before repairs begin, and to keep damaged parts until the claim is settled. Check the claims section of your own policy. Before inspection, only do what is needed to stop the damage getting worse, and keep photos and receipts.

NAMMERT customers report damage in mein NAMMERT: sign in, choose the contract, report the claim, and upload the yard's quote and photos there. Our claims line is +49 3375 566 75 05, out of hours +49 3375 29 28 95. We handle the claim and submit it in full to the insurer, who decides on payment.