Yard Period
A yard period is a scheduled spell during which a yacht is removed from operational service and brought into a shipyard for refit, repair, class survey or repowering. Typical superyacht yard periods run from a few weeks for a winter service to many months for a major refit or rebuild, and are usually planned around the off-season.
What is a yard period?
A yard period is the scheduled spell during which a yacht is removed from operational service and brought into a shipyard for refit, repair, class survey, or repowering work. The yacht is typically lifted out of the water onto hardstand or moved into a covered dry dock, the crew is reduced or relocated, and the yard takes responsibility for the works against a contracted scope. Yard periods are the principal occasions on which major maintenance, class-driven survey work, and discretionary upgrades are carried out.
Durations vary widely by scope. A winter service yard period typically runs four to six weeks and covers routine inspections, paint touch-up, soft furnishings, and minor systems work. A class-led mid-refit covering the five-yearly special survey usually occupies three to six months. A major refit involving repower, lengthening, or substantial general-arrangement changes runs 12 to 24 months. Yard periods of any duration require advance booking, often a year or more in advance for the leading refit yards in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
The scheduling rhythm of the superyacht industry centres on the Mediterranean off-season. The bulk of yard periods are scheduled to begin in October or November and conclude before the start of the May owner programme, which produces intense pressure on yard capacity through the winter months. Yachts cruising primarily in the Caribbean or Indian Ocean schedule yard periods to suit their own off-seasons, which typically opens capacity at yards willing to handle counter-cyclical work.
Why it matters for yacht owners
The yard period is the only window in which significant work can be carried out without disrupting the owner's cruising programme. Slippage on yard period scheduling typically cascades: a yard period that overruns into May costs the owner part of the Mediterranean season, and a yard period booked late may push back by a full year if capacity at the preferred yard is taken. Owners and their representatives typically treat yard period planning as a multi-year exercise, with scope, yard, and dates fixed well in advance of the works.
Key facts
- Yacht is removed from operational service and brought to the yard for contracted works.
- Winter service typically runs four to six weeks.
- Class-led mid-refit typically occupies three to six months.
- Major refit involving repower or lengthening runs 12 to 24 months.
- Scheduled around the Mediterranean off-season, typically October to April.
- Capacity at leading yards is booked a year or more in advance.
- Overruns typically cost the owner part of the following season.
- Caribbean-based yachts schedule yard periods to their own off-season.
Explore Refit Services
View moreFAQ
When should I schedule a yard period?
For yachts cruising primarily in the Mediterranean, yard periods are scheduled to begin in October or November and conclude before the May owner programme. For yachts cruising in the Caribbean, the off-season runs roughly from May to October. The five-yearly class special survey is the principal scheduling anchor; discretionary works are typically grouped around it to avoid taking the yacht out of service twice. Booking at the preferred yard should be confirmed at least a year in advance.
How long does a typical yard period last?
A winter service yard period typically runs four to six weeks. A class-led mid-refit covering the five-yearly special survey usually occupies three to six months. A major refit involving repower, lengthening, or substantial general-arrangement changes runs 12 to 24 months. Owners should add a contingency of 15 to 25 per cent to the contracted duration, since discoveries during the works almost always extend the timeline beyond the initial estimate.
Can the yacht be lived aboard during a yard period?
Generally no. During the active works the yacht is typically not habitable: services are isolated, paint operations introduce solvents, and access is restricted by yard safety rules. The crew is reduced to a core team or relocated to land accommodation provided by the yard or the management company. Some short winter service periods allow a small crew to live aboard once the active works finish and commissioning begins, but the bulk of the yard period is unsuitable for residence by the owner or guests.
How do I avoid yard period overruns?
Engage an owner's project manager independently of the yard, fix the scope of work in detail before the yacht arrives, and front-load surveys and inspections so that discoveries surface early rather than late in the programme. Build a contingency of 15 to 25 per cent into both the budget and the schedule. Hold weekly progress reviews with the yard, and resist late scope additions, which are the single largest cause of overrun on otherwise well-planned yard periods.
The Superyacht Partners
For any owner, the choice of who will be personally in charge of your relationship with Superyacht Partners, is just as important as the company and the team as a whole. With extensive experience in managing, operating, and building superyachts, our team excels in all aspects of yacht brokerage. We offer comprehensive legal, commercial, and operational expertise, ensuring every angle of the sale, purchase, and operation is meticulously evaluated.
learn more.jpg)
