You may feel that a docked yacht is safer than one that’s out at sea – and for the most part, you’re probably right. Most factors that could damage a yacht primarily exist at sea, with waves, weather, and general wear and tear being major risks while a yacht is actively in use.
However, there are a number of risks to your yacht while it sits in the shipyard dock, too. From excessive clutter on deck to using the wrong cleaning products, your boat could still sustain damage while static.
We’ve put together this guide to give yacht owners an idea of the risks their vessel faces while docked and provided some suggestions for keeping it safe.
Excessive or Irresponsible Visitors
In 2017, there were over 60,000 yacht-owning households in the UK and the community is only growing. But with more and more people owning yachts, there are also increasing numbers of people visiting yachts. A docked yacht is a great place to spend an afternoon, but doing so comes with risks.
Spending a day on your yacht with friends is great. However, having high numbers of visitors over is a surefire way to cause your boat some damage – especially if alcohol is involved. Whether it’s people bumping into things, leaning on the wrong railings or trying to sit on sensitive pieces of machinery, too many guests on your docked yacht can create real problems.
Clutter on Board
When you’re at sea, you need to run a tight ship. But much like with visitors, clutter can easily get out of hand on a docked yacht. Yachts are often docked for longer periods of time due to their need to be worked on or maintained, which means more people coming on with more materials and tools.
With workers moving around and completing tasks on your yacht, there’s plenty of mess to be made. If you’re not diligent enough, a cluttered deck could result in personal injuries and unnecessary damage being inflicted upon your boat. Clutter paired with excessive visitors is a disaster waiting to happen, even on a docked yacht.
The Dangers of Cleaning & Chemicals
Grubby boat? After a long tenure at sea, it’s understandable that you’d want to restore your pride and joy to its former glory. However, there are better and worse choices for cleaning your docked yacht. Cleaning products that are high in harsh chemicals can strip away the layers of wax, gloss, polish, and other coatings that give your yacht the stunning look you know and love.
As a rule, avoid bleach when cleaning your boat. It can cause damage to both your boat’s exterior and its interior elements. Bleach has a powerful capacity to corrode stainless steel and other metals, so using it on polished elements like railings will likely leave your yacht with serious superficial damage.
Proper Cleaning Practices
It’s especially worth noting that you should never attempt to clean a yacht in a dry dock shipyard. Why? Because scrubbing a dry boat will often cause damage. For the best results, you should always clean a yacht when it’s wet; ideally just after it’s been docked.
Try to use eco-friendly cleaning solutions, or think about making your own cleaning mixtures from vinegar, water, and other household products. Not only will this cause less environmental damage – it’ll be kinder to your yacht’s materials, too.
Vandalism
While the yacht-owning community is generally well-behaved, a docked yacht is always at risk of being vandalised from non-boating folk. Anyone and everyone can walk around a dock unless it’s heavily guarded or fenced off, which means there’s always potential for damage from criminal activity. From rocks through windows to full-blown arson attacks, your yacht may well become a target.
Over 500,000 criminal damage offences were recorded in the UK between 2021 and 2022, so it’s clear that destructive behaviours are far from being eliminated in society. It’s important to take precautions to ensure that any potential damage to your vessel is minimised.
Keeping Danger at Bay with Fendwrap
Choosing a dock for yachts in a nice area is the first step in protecting your boat from damage. Happily, there are also a number of yachting protection products that you can use to keep your docked yacht in good condition.
Fire Retardant Wrapping
At Fendwrap, we have a wide range of options with this purpose in mind, from padding for polished metal features to flame-retardant films that can significantly reduce the impact of fires on board.
Tenting and Scaffolding
When it comes to the issues caused by excessive guests and clutter, there are a number of ways you can minimise negative outcomes. For one, you can simply avoid inviting people on board. If you’re having some work done on the docked yacht, we’d recommend setting up tenting or scaffolding. This set-up will enable you to contain the work more effectively and send a clear message that extra visitors aren’t welcome.
Protective Films
With regard to your boat’s interior elements – such as windows, glossy parts, and polished metal features – we offer protection film solutions that apply to any and all of them. Not only will this protect your yacht from stumbling guests, it could greatly reduce the outcomes of vandalism, too.
Learn More
At Fendwrap, we’re always trying to expand our range, so you can enjoy the fruits of your hard work. Whether you have your own vessel or are looking for gifts for yacht owners in your life, contact us to learn more about our protection products.
