The function of a dry docking or lift out is to provide an essential period of repair, maintenance, and modification to the vessel. The docks themselves provide the ideal platform to expose the underwater hull of the yacht, ensuring maintenance, assessments and surveys are conducted with ease.
The yacht needs to remain in class and can only do so by conducting relevant surveys, as required by the respective Classification Societies – the aim being to keep the yachts high operating condition and standards, ensuring the marine environment remains undamaged.
Routine docking or lift out schedules are derived from the date of the yacht’s build and should be adjusted to fit in with lulls in the charter season, owners’ usage and not forgetting the class survey date windows. Docking or lifting out, whether on a routine schedule or for damage repair, is an expensive event for the yacht’s owner. It is prudent therefore to align routine docking periods with modifications and damage repair when possible.
Legislation usually caters for yachts docking twice over a 5-year period. However, certain occasions may allow an ‘In Water’ survey (IWS)* to take place instead of a full dry dock procedure. Recently, Classification societies have extended this out of water docking periods from 5 years to 7.5 years, or eligible vessels that comply with specific Classification requirements, guidance should be sought from the yacht’s classification society.
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