Yacht refit companies in Asia: how to choose the right one

Many superyachts now spend their seasons in Asia, and more owners and captains face the same question: who should run the refit? The answer isn't only "which shipyard". A refit brings together a yard, specialist contractors, suppliers, the classification society, the flag state and the crew. The company you choose to bring those together often decides whether the yard period runs to plan.

This guide explains what yacht refit companies do, how to judge one, and how the main refit locations in Asia differ. It is written for owners, captains and yacht managers planning work in Singapore, Thailand or the wider region. It doesn't rank companies, and it doesn't publish prices, because the right choice depends on your yacht, your scope and your schedule.

What a yacht refit company actually does

"Yacht refit company" covers several different kinds of business. Knowing which one you're talking to is the first step.

Shipyard, contractor or owner's-side project manager

• Shipyards provide the dock, lifting, sheds, utilities and their own trades. They sell yard time and labour, and they work under the yard's own terms and safety rules.
• Specialist contractors carry out a defined trade, such as painting and fairing, composites, joinery, teak, engineering or electrical work. They may work inside a yard or at a marina.
• Owner's-side refit managers (also called project managers or owner's representatives) work for the owner rather than the yard. They define the scope, write the specification, run the tender, check quality, control the budget and keep the paperwork moving with class and flag. Some companies act as owner's-side manager on one project and as a contractor on another.

Many companies combine these roles. That's fine, as long as you know whose interests each person represents. If the company quoting the work is also the company checking it, ask how quality and changes are recorded independently.

How to choose a yacht refit company in Asia: 10 things to check

1. Relevant work on similar yachts. Ask for projects on yachts of similar size, construction (steel, aluminium or GRP) and scope. Ask to see photos, and ask for references from the captains, not just from the company.
2. Who does the work. Find out which parts are done by the company's own team and which are subcontracted, and who supervises the subcontractors.
3. A written specification. A good refit starts with a condition survey and a written specification that every yard prices. Without it, quotes can't be compared like for like.
4. How changes are handled. Ask how extra work is raised, priced and approved. Every change should be written against the specification so you can see what moved and why.
5. Budget and schedule reporting. Agree how often you'll get progress, cost and schedule updates, and in what format, before work starts.
6. Quality control and inspection. For coatings in particular, ask who inspects each stage (surface preparation, fairing, primers, build coats, topcoats), what's recorded, and whether the paint manufacturer's procedures are followed.
7. Class and flag experience. If your scope touches classed items, ask how surveys and documents are handled with the society appointed for your yacht, and with your flag state.
8. Warranties. Ask what written workmanship warranty is offered, and how it sits alongside the manufacturer's product guarantees.
9. Local presence. A team on the ground in the country where the yacht will be, with local registration, labour and supplier relationships, lowers the risk on permits, customs and day-to-day problems.
10. Health, safety and environmental controls. Ask how dust, solvents, waste and hot work are controlled, especially for painting in a marina or a shared yard.

Questions to ask before you sign

• Who is my single point of contact, and who covers for them?
• Is the quote based on my specification, or on your own assumptions?
• Which items are fixed price, and which are estimates or provisional sums?
• What is excluded, and how will exclusions be priced if they come up?
• Who arranges and pays for the dock, cranes, scaffolding, tenting and utilities?
• How are the crew involved, and where will they live during the yard period?
• What happens if the schedule slips because of weather, materials or yard availability?
• What will I receive at handover: reports, photographs, test results, warranty documents?

Get the answers in writing. They form a large part of the contract, whatever its form.

Refit regions in Asia: Singapore, Thailand and the wider region

Asia doesn't have one refit market. Each location has its own strengths, rules and practicalities, so the "best" yard depends on the job.

Singapore

Singapore is a major international shipping and marine-engineering hub, with established yards, a deep supplier base and straightforward access by air. It suits larger yachts and technical scopes that need heavy facilities, and owners who want strong regulation and documentation. Plan early: superyacht slots compete with commercial work, and yard rules, permits and safety requirements need to be built into the programme.

Thailand: the Gulf (Pattaya / Chonburi, Bangkok) and Phuket

Thailand has two main areas for yacht work. On the Gulf side, Pattaya and Chonburi have marinas with lifting and hardstanding, such as Ocean Marina Jomtien, where our Thailand branch is based, and Bangkok has river yards. Phuket, on the Andaman coast, is the main cruising and charter base and has its own marinas and yards. When comparing locations, consider the season, how you'll reposition the yacht, crew logistics, customs status while the yacht is in the country, and whether the scope needs a dry dock or can be done at a marina.

Elsewhere in Southeast Asia

Owners also look at Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, depending on itinerary and scope. Facilities, rules and supplier depth vary widely, so the same checks apply. Ask for evidence of comparable superyacht work, and make sure someone you trust is on site. Yacht Refit Asia also manages work in Haiphong, Vietnam, under the contract of its Thai company.

Planning the yard period: timing, paperwork and practicalities

• Start with a survey. A pre-refit condition survey turns guesswork into a scope that can be priced.
• Lock the specification before tender. Changing it after quotes are in makes comparison harder and costs more.
• Book the slot early. Popular yards and seasons fill up. Lifting capacity, dock dimensions and shed space set what's possible.
• Allow for curing and weather. Paint and filler systems have minimum cure times and temperature and humidity limits. In the tropics, tenting and climate control can decide the schedule.
• Sort customs and immigration. Check temporary import rules, crew visas and work permits for foreign specialists before the yacht arrives.
• Plan the handover. Agree sea trials, if they're in the specification, the punch list and the close-out documents in advance.

Our refit guides cover each step in more detail.

Red flags worth taking seriously

• A price with no written scope behind it.
• Unwillingness to give captain references or show comparable work.
• No clear answer on who inspects the work, or how changes are approved.
• Vague or verbal-only warranties.
• Pressure to start before the specification and contract are agreed.
• Claims that can't be checked, such as approvals, capacities or years in business, with no documents to back them up.

None of these means a company is bad. They're signs that you should ask more questions before committing.

Where Yacht Refit Asia fits

Yacht Refit Asia works as an owner's-side refit and project manager and, on some projects, as a specialist contractor. We plan the work, write the specification, compare yard quotes like for like, and coordinate the yard, contractors and suppliers through to redelivery. On each project we tell you at the outset who our client is: the owner, or the yard as a specialist contractor.

• Head office, Singapore: Yacht Refit Asia Pte Ltd, 336 Smith Street, #05-303, New Bridge Centre, Singapore 050336. Tel +65 8401 2442.
• Thailand branch: Ocean Marina Jomtien. Tel +66 (0)80 829 0122.

Recent and current work includes:

• A 76 m superyacht in Singapore (current Yacht Refit Asia project, contracted through our Thai company): full fairing and a new hull paint system, now under way.
• M/Y Victon (41 m): paint repairs and metallic blending at Ocean Marina Jomtien.
• Princess yachts: projects completed at Ocean Marina, Pattaya, for a Phuket-based client.

Our sister company, Superyacht Painters, shares the same founder and focuses on superyacht painting internationally. Where a refit includes coatings, the paint scope sits inside the same programme, budget and schedule. Superyacht Painters also has a guide to superyacht painting yards in Asia.

Learn more:

• Superyacht project management in Asia
• Superyacht refit in Singapore
• Yacht refit in Thailand
• Fibreglass and GRP repairs in Thailand
• Our services
• Case studies
• What captains say