One of the most stressful times when owning a vessel is handling haulouts. As a captain, I hauled vessels on numerous occasions for various reasons. For the most part, boats are pulled from the water to perform routine maintenance such as bottom paint application, running gear inspection, and more. However, if you’re new to the process it can be a stressful situation. Here is what to expect when you’re in need of a boat haulout. 

Schedule Your Service Date

Without question boat yards are busy places. Often, they are booked out for months on end so you’re going to want to schedule service well in advance. 

As a captain, I would schedule about 3 months out for minor tasks. However, if extensive maintenance was required, I would plan the haulout a year in advance. Importantly, a short maintenance list can be completed in a couple of days while a long list takes weeks or months. 

Regarding yachts, one of the longest projects are paint jobs. Vessels are hauled out of the water for over 9 months to complete a full paint job from top to bottom. With that said, the boat yard need to ensure they have the space for a vessel hauled dry for that number months. 

Understand The Costs Associated With The Work And The Haulout

The scope of work varies depending the issues needing to be addresses on a boat. For this reason, the cost associated with the haulout and labor will vary. 

I recommend get a line by line breakdown of the type of work being performed in addition to the cost. You’ll better be able to determine what will make the cut. Without a doubt its ideal to have all issues addresses but that is not always possible based on budget. Therefore, create a list with the nice to have versus the need to have. 

Lastly, know that the your total bill at the end of the maintenance period will vary. In some cases it will be lower and others higher. Once work begins it is not uncommon to come across undiscovered but serious problems. For this reason, be prepared to fork our more money in parts and labor. 

Be Present While The Haulout Is Occurring

Undoubtedly, you will want to stay with the boat during the haulout process. Each time I hauled a boat I was standing dockside to watch. Most vessels are hauled via travel lift, forklift, or rail track system.

The chances are slim to none that the boat will drop and become damaged. However, you will want to have a first hand glimpse of the condition of the vessel beneath the waterline. Having an idea of the amount of bottom scrapping will be an indicator of total labor costs if you’re hauled for a bottom job. 

Also, once the boat is pull take a walk around the vessel and make sure nothing seems out of the ordinary.. 

Monitor The Work Being Performed

During my time as a captain I was onsite when work was being performed by contractors during a haulout. Without a doubt, you want to be present to monitor the quality of work. 

I won’t go as far as to say that you need to be present at all times. However, you should make it a priority to be in the boatyard for several hours a day. Additionally, questions will arise that will require sometimes a quick response. 

Lastly, you want to make sure that no mistakes are being made especially when it comes vital components 

Run A Sea Trial Before Signing Off On The Work

After spending months on end in shipyards the last thing I wanted to do was run a sea trial before returning back the boatyard. 

However, a sea trial is important to ensure that no issues are spotted as a result of the work performed. After an extensive haulout we returned to the shipyard before departing for our home port. 

Without question, you’ll want to sea trial the vessel before signing off on the work. You don’t want to be on your way home only to find out the vessel is taking on water or is encountering engine issues. 

Keep in mind that you’ll have a shipyard associate onboard with you to monitor the systems. 

Know What To Expect For A Boat Haulout

Trust me, haulouts are less daunting that than they seem. I have done several and can attest to the fact that it is a streamlined process provided you have prepared in advance. Make sure to schedule with the yard and create a punch list. Consult with the boatyard to detemine the cost and time required to complete the tasks. You’ll be back on the water in short order.