Each year the fair season for boating begins around the 1st week of October and lasts till the end of May due to withdrawal of the south west monsoon in October and the arrival of the south west monsoon in early June. The boats during fair weather season (Oct to May) are moored in the Mumbai Harbor and used by owners as per their needs. Monsoons bring in heavy wind and rough waters. Hence keeping the boat at the mooring area off Gateway of India during monsoons is prohibited as per port policy. Boats being an expensive asset, owners must strive to store the boat at a sheltered location. Some key factors that owners need to consider while deciding on the storage location are:-

·        Water front property for storage location
·         Ease of lifting and lowering the boat at any time
·         Strong ground surface to support heavy duty cranes ensures lifting is safe and not unstable
·         Security of asset at site once the boat is hauled out
·         Easy access by road
·         Cost

With regards to maintenance of the boat a lot depends on the usage pattern, routine maintenance done during the current as well as the previous season. However, as stated above the boats are being used by owners for almost 8 months a year and these four months of monsoons should be utilized to carry out all that is needed to be done to ensure that the boat runs during fair season with zero down time. Some key areas that require maintenance are discussed below.

Engine, Genset and AC System maintenance: Always refer to the original equipment manufacturers’ recommended guidelines for hourly maintenance and  take a call on what is required to be done based on  running hours completed.

• Repairs on hull, deck, underwater area, propellers, shaft and sea chest
  ·         Antifouling on below-water-line areas: this is very essential to prevent fouling which takes place during operational season, fouling is not good for the health and life of boat but also  not at all healthy for the engine running since fouling causes lot of drag and increases the fuel consumption and engine maintenance cost
  ·         Painting & varnishing work on exterior and interior area
  ·         Sea valves servicing
  ·         Electrical and electronics repair and maintenance
  ·         Life raft and fire fighting equipment servicing : this is mandatory for annual survey requirement and is a precursor for obtaining Annual Survey Certificate
  ·         Annual Survey by appropriate authority : this is a mandatory statutory requirement for keeping the registration valid and also has a bearing on the boat insurance policy

West Coast Marien Yacht Services has the answers to everything related to yacht servicing in India. Their retro-fitment category encompasses well trained, skilled technical and operations team. Many foreign flag vessels have found shelter under this name in India. Their chandlery comprises of various brands like Gill – every sailor’s choice, Cantalupi- the light that enlightens every yacht, Fixtech, International Yacht Paints, Dekking, Dometic, Yamaha, Holt, Marlow, and Westerbeke – yacht servicing is incomplete without these! Do visit West Coast Marine Yacht Services, one of India’s biggest & oldest yacht maintenance company:

WEST COAST MARINE YACHT SERVICES PVT. LTD.
Colaba Workshop Building,
Jamshedji Bunder, Lala Nigam Road,
Colaba, Mumbai – 400 005. INDIA.

Tel. 022 2285 6127 / 022 2283 1495
Fax. 022 2282 9602

Web. www.westcoastmarine.co.in

Email. info@westcoastmarine.co.in

 

For more info on yacht maintenance in India, also visit:

http://www.indiayachtpage.com/archives/product/yacht-maintenance