Hauling Out Your Boat – What to Ask to Protect Yourself

Once a boat is blocked and on the hard, a boat owner is particularly vulnerable. Generally, things go well. But like any service, there can be some unscrupulous characters. So how do you avoid the bad ones? Problems may still arise, even with a reputable business. And if a dispute does arise between you and the boatyard, how do you protect yourself? After all, you can’t simply drive your boat off the lot. You need the yard to launch your vessel back into the water. Fortunately, you can improve your chances of having a good haul out by 

• getting referrals from other boat owners,
• asking smart questions in advance, 
• observing how the boatyard handles boats, and
• getting a written estimate. 

Sounds simple, right? It can be.

Getting Helpful Referrals

First, if you’re a new boat owner or in a new area, ask local boaters both for recommendations and for yards to avoid. They are your best resource. Ask about the yard’s general reputation. 

But don’t stop there. Make sure the referrals are reliable and specific.

• Does the person making the referral have direct experience? Boat owners love passing on rumors. But you’re entrusting your home to a business. You want to know that the person recommending a boatyard knows firsthand how it operates. 
• Is their experience recent? Staff turnover can affect operations. A great boatyard manager can affect a business’s reputation long after they’ve left or retired. If their replacement isn’t up to scratch, your experience could be different. 
• Is their experience relevant? Yes, the owner of a small fishing powerboat may be able to tell you how well a yard manager communicates and if they are careful. But they won’t have experience with how the staff handles sailboat rigging. Most yards handle recreational boats more than cruising boats. Recommendations from other cruisers (or at least boat owners with similar vessels) will be most helpful. 
• Get several opinions. Don’t rely on only one person’s experience.  

Word of mouth is very helpful. But you want to get answers directly from the yard you’re considering. Here are some questions to ask when you first consider having a yard haul your boat.

Smart Questions to Ask Before a Haul Out

Make a list before you talk to a yard manager on the phone or send an email. You don’t want to forget to ask any of these important questions. 

Can You Haul My Boat? 

This is a combination of weight, beam, length, and draft. Some yards will have additional restrictions, such as no sailboats, catamarans, wooden boats, or boats over a certain age. Always ask!  

If you have a boat with special requirements, make sure you discuss them before the haul. 

Is there any Special Prep? 

Find out if you’ll have to do anything special, such as coming in at high tide, backing into the travel well, or removing any gear. We’ve been in several yards that required us to remove our roller furling jib before hauling out. 

Can I Work on My Boat? 

Some yards do not allow any DIY work, and some restrict what you can and can’t do. Make sure you understand any restrictions before you commit. Keep in mind that some work may have strict environmental requirements, as well.

Can You Do the Work I Want Done? 

Not every yard can do everything. Make sure they can do the work you want to hire out, or that a contractor can. 

Do You Allow Outside Contractors? 

If a yard does not allow outside contractors and also doesn’t allow DIY work (or you don’t have the skills), you’re locked into using their services. That can lead to long delays (possibly while they are charging you a daily fee) or no recourse for shoddy work. The Boat Galley’s graphics designer, Julie Tijerina, got caught in this exact situation in her last haul-out. 

Do I Have to Buy Parts and Supplies From You? 

Yards run the gamut here, from requiring that absolutely everything be purchased from them (or that you pay a fee of anywhere from 10% to 25% of the item’s cost to them) to no requirements. This is critical knowledge, no matter what projects you’re planning, but it is of major importance if you’re doing something expensive like repowering. 

Can I Stay on the Boat? 

Many yards won’t let you live on the boat while in the yard, citing insurance regulations. Others charge an extra fee. If you can’t stay on the boat or don’t want to, check out nearby lodging options and factor the cost in. Staying on the boat? Check out the showers and other facilities and learn the applicable regulations (many yards won’t let you use BBQ grills, for example). And if you plan to stay on the boat, read about how to make the most of your galley on the hard and the realities of living on a boat in the yard.

How Secure is the Yard? 

Ask about security measures and make your own judgment on their sufficiency. There’s both physical security (especially if you’ll be staying overnight) and risk of theft.  

Of course, you’ll also learn a lot by walking around a boatyard before you commit to it.

Observe How a Yard Handles Boats

This isn’t always possible. You may need to haul your boat while cruising, and the first chance you’ll have to check out a boatyard in person is when you arrive. But why not check out the yard before committing from a distance?

Here are a few things to look for:

• Is the equipment in good repair? Does the Travelift appear to be well-maintained? Are the pads on the jack stands failing or in good shape?
• How do the crew handle boats they’re hauling? Skilled staff can maneuver a boat into a Travelift with boathooks. You don’t want to see anyone stopping a boat’s momentum by grabbing stanchions, for example. 
• Are boats already in the yard blocked appropriately? If the yard is unpaved, are there pads under the jack stands? And are the jack stands opposite each other chained together?
• If the yard is located in the hurricane zone, are the stands properly anchored to the ground?

Get It in Writing

Some yards are excellent at providing prices up front. You can often find prices for a range of services right on their website. Some less tech-savvy boatyards hand out copies of their rates and services. That’s a good starting point, and a helpful planning tool. But you want a written estimate, outlining the work you want done and the expected cost.

Specific Terms to Cover in an Estimate

Do not settle for a statement that work is x dollars per hour. You need to know how many hours of labor the yard expects the work to take. You will also want a completion date. In addition, make sure an estimate includes specifics. 

Definition of Work Scope

Are you and the yard talking about the same work scope? Make sure. “Prep” could mean “light sanding” to the yard and “sand to bare material, fill any gouges, fair, prime, sand again” to you. 

If Work Costs Exceed the Estimate

An estimate should require you to give approval if the work will exceed the estimate by a certain amount. This, however, can be tricky if the work is only partially complete and the boat can’t be put back in the water as is (say, when hull repairs are being made).  

And don’t forget to get additional written estimates for any extra work not covered in the initial estimate. You don’t want to get a nasty surprise when you go to settle up! 

If Work Scope Can’t be Determined Until the Boat is Out of the Water

In the rare case that the scope of work truly cannot be assessed until the boat is out of the water, you should have an agreement as to the cost of the initial haul and diagnosis. This should include a statement that if the estimate is unsatisfactory, the boat will be relaunched upon payment of that sum. 

Payment Terms 

Will you have to make periodic payments? If so, is it upon reaching certain milestones or simply by date (“every Friday”)? What happens if you are not happy with their work? 

Another Cruiser’s Suggestions

And finally, cruisers Chris & Kelly Jacques of SV Fayaway suggested a few other specific questions to add to mine:

1. Ask for the estimate to include a full breakdown (for haul out) of everything included in the service. For example, will they pressure wash the bottom? Are jack stands included? How about de-rigging costs? And if a stay must come down, will returning the boat to condition before haul out be included? 

2. If the boat will be stored elsewhere, be sure to identify costs associated with stepping and unstepping the mast, trucking, etc. 

3. Do they know where to put the straps for proper support and not damage the prop, skeg, etc? 

What if an Estimate Feels Too High?

What do you do if an estimate doesn’t seem reasonable? It could be due to high charges, to doing too much, or to work being done to a luxury standard when something less would still serve your purposes. You might get a second estimate from a different yard, which would hopefully reveal an unscrupulous facility. Another option would be to discuss the scope of the work and see if there is another alternative, either to how much is being done or the standard to which it is being done.  

A very detailed estimate needs to happen before your boat is hauled out. Once the boat is hauled, the boatyard has all the power as they control when (and if) your boat goes back in the water. If you’re not experienced in boat repairs, you may want an experienced friend to look over the estimate both for completeness and reasonableness. If you don’t have someone you trust, another option is to hire a surveyor as a consultant on the project. 

Hauling Out Is Complex

As a cruiser, your boat is not just transportation, it’s your home. This unique situation makes the stakes much higher when doing repairs. We created The Boat Galley courses to help cruisers learn the skills that are often ignored in sailing and cruising certification courses. The All-Access Pass is your passport to all our courses for one low price and the ability to engage with future courses we offer. We’re cruisers who want to make cruising easier for others.

Haul-outs and repairs don’t have to be nightmares, but it’s up to you to protect yourself. Written estimates, signed by all parties, are an important part of that. Hopefully, we’ve given you some ideas for your conversations with the boatyard. May your next haul go very, very smoothly! 

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