The long summer days are finally here, and it’s time for most yachts to switch from maintenance mode to magical-days-on-the-water mode. For the team at Amsterdam Yacht Service, of course, the work never stops – even during summer, we have vessels coming through for haul-outs, services and all manner of works. But it does feel like July is a chance for a bit of a breather before it all ramps up again in August and September.
It’s also a chance for us to take stock of some of the incredible projects we have worked on over the winter and spring periods and, more than that, to be proud that we have helped them get through sometimes complicated yard phases in time to enjoy the whole summer season afloat.
Take the 55-metre Kahalani, for instance. She arrived complete with new owner keen to get her ready for the season, so we put her through the extensive five-year survey she was due, then undertook extensive teak deck repairs, a mini interior refurb, and several other maintenance jobs on valves, air-con and more. She left looking spry and spruced up, ready to give her new owner a summer season to remember.
Another yacht with another new owner, Sheergold came to AYS for a moderate refit to be completed to a very tight timetable, again to get her out in time for the summer season. “It included some spot metalwork, a complete rebuild of the galley, haul-out for underwater paint, and other works – it was one of those projects where we had to be hyper-organised and really think on our feet,” recalls Robert Binnekade, AYS Managing Director. “The timeline was tough, but we know how to prioritise and how to organise, and everything was done in time for her to leave in May – a critical Med-season deadline for a busy charter yacht!”
It’s not just motor, of course – we have also recently relaunched the stunning 64.5-metre three-masted schooner Atlantic. She was another yacht that came in for maintenance works but had a fixed deadline – a charter that couldn’t be moved. So when we were faced with realigning the controllable pitch propeller and main engine flywheel right at the end of the project – with just four days to do it – we rolled up our sleeves and got stuck in. The results were dramatic – the captain reports that a longstanding vibration has finally gone!
Atlantic was a reminder that not all projects are straightforward – not that the AYS team is afraid of a challenge. The classically styled modern motor yacht Far Niente is another that came in ostensibly for some interior tweaks pre-season, but the emphasis quickly shifted to more technical works, including a redesign of the engine room layout and electronics systems, plus some intense hydraulics work on the passerelle, boarding ladder and crane. In spite of all that, she was back in the water in April and was already cruising early season with very happy owners.
That, really, is the pay-off for us – happy owners. Although projects often turn out to be more complex that first thought, the skill of AYS – and the depth of skills of our various inhouse teams – means we can take it all in our stride, adapt, and get yachts back out on the water with perfect timing. “We had a great winter period, and a great pre-season,” Binnekade smiles. “We had really interesting and diverse projects that drew on all our talents and skills, and in the end everyone is out there sailing now and everyone is happy. It makes all the hard work and stress worthwhile!”
There are only a few moments for us to enjoy a glass of something cold in the warmth of the late afternoon summer sun – but that’s okay. We’re already excited about the diverse, interesting and challenging projects that will come our way as late summer slides lazily toward autumn, and we get stuck in and do it all again!
A classic yacht is a legacy, and we treat it that way. We restore your yacht to its original glory, without losing its soul. We blend old craftsmanship with modern technology. Amsterdam Yacht Builders brings your classic back to life. Read more about our Classic Yacht Renovation services here.
Amsterdam Yacht Service sees all sorts of projects arrive for all sorts of works, but sometimes there can be a bit of a change of pace. Enterthe VO65 Team JAJO, a true round-the-world racer with the credentials to back her up. First launched for the 2014-2015 edition of The Ocean Race, where she placed second […]
Amsterdam Yacht Service is pleased to share its upcoming show calendar for this season. Robert Binnekade will be attending the Monaco Yacht Show, and would be delighted to meet with clients to discuss all their service, maintenance and repair requirements. Whether you have a specific project in mind or simply wish to explore how our […]
Getting repeat clients is always a thrill, not just because it’s testament to the capabilities Amsterdam Yacht Service offers, but also because it’s like greeting old friends. We were especially thrilled in late Spring this year to welcome back the mighty 64.5-metre schooner Atlantic, who trusted the AYS team to help with some involved work […]
It’s been a while since we’ve blogged about our 17-metre Pieter Beeldsnijder-designed motor yacht that we acquired part-complete in 2023. That’s partly because we’ve been so busy with a vast array of other projects that have been coming through the yard – from stunning sailing schooners like the 64.5-metre Atlantic to sections of a bridge […]
It’s no secret that Amsterdam Yacht Service caters to an incredibly diverse range of clients, from motor yachts to commercial vessels, tourist boats, and even – on occasion – civil engineering companies floating sections of bridges into place. Few could argue, however, that the stars of the yard are the stunning sailing yachts that make […]
It’s not only yachts, tourist boats and commercial vessels that get a revamp at Amsterdam Yacht Services – the shipyard itself is constantly upgrading its facilities. Most recently, AYS has taken a proactive approach to expand the drainage and water treatment system that serves the one and a half hectares of hardstanding, where vessels will frequently undertake out of water repairs and maintenance.
While a lot of the more intensive work we undertake at Amsterdam Yacht Service revolves around refit, repair and maintenance of steel and aluminium vessels and their systems, our team has the flexibility to tackle pretty much any material. That was ably demonstrated this winter when we took in a 29-metre Maiora called Three Point 4 for various works.
While the Amsterdam Yacht Service team brings a wealth of experience and expertise across a broad range of disciplines, they will still freely admit that every day is a learning day. In the case of the 16m Amel Super Maramu sailing yacht Trinity, the learning came from the yacht’s owner who, in the course of outlining how she wanted the yacht’s interior refreshed, showed the potential of AI as a quick visualisation tool.
One of the things that always strikes us is the vast array of projects that float through the Amsterdam Yacht Service facilities, from classic sailing superyachts to commercial vessels, tourist boats, and even bridge components.
2025 has been a dynamic and rewarding year for Amsterdam Yacht Service. Our team has continued to expand and refine its expertise, successfully delivering a diverse range of maintenance, refit, and custom projects for clients across the globe.
It’s perhaps the greatest compliment we can receive when customers come back for a return visit to our state-of-the-art facilities in Amsterdam. Sometimes it’s for larger works that make use not just of our hardstanding areas or large sheds but also our expert inhouse team of engineers, carpenters and fitters – and sometimes it’s for general maintenance jobs.
The Amsterdam Yacht Service team will be present at the Amsterdam RAI exhibition centre for all three days of Metstrade, 18–20 November 2025. It’s the ideal moment to meet us in person and discover more about our state-of-the-art facilities and onsite expertise: everything you need to ensure your next build, maintenance, or refit projectruns seamlessly from start to finish.
Members of the Amsterdam Yacht Builders team will spend two days in and around Port Hercules this week as they visit the Monaco Yacht Show. If you would like to meet up and discuss any potential project we would be delighted to do so on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 of September. It’s sure to […]
Few things can match the glamour, beauty and sheer elegance of the 64.5-metre sailing yacht Atlantic – a 2010-launched recreation of the original schooner Atlantic which first touched the water in 1903.
While the Amsterdam Yacht Service team can turn its hand to pretty much anything, and while the shipyard itself can handle pretty much any type of vessel, not every project involves complex hull repairs or hotwork.
We pride ourselves on the variety of vessels and projects we work on here at Amsterdam Yacht Service – from yachts to tourist boats to commercial vessels and workboats, they all come to take advantage of our in-water berthing, haul-out and hardstanding, refit sheds and inhouse expertise.
It’s perhaps fitting that a 32.7-metre modern classic motor yacht styled after the Dutch herring luggers of the early 1900s should land in a Dutch refit and maintenance specialist shipyard, and that’s exactly what happened in the Autumn of 2024.
It’s one thing finishing a summer season then heading to a shipyard with a list of works to do over the winter and plenty of time to complete that list – but quite another when you arrive in the Spring and need to get those works completed in time for the summer charter season.
As we make steady progress with the construction of Hull 405 – the Pieter Beeldsnijder-designed 17-metre steel yacht that had laid part complete for two decades, before we acquired her in 2023 in order to finish her build – we are starting to think about some of the fun stuff.
Excellent news reaches us from the Caribbean of a stunning performance by one of our recent projects. A key remit from the vessel’s highly experienced owner for the refit of his 56-metre Perini Navi Panthalassa was to bring her technically up to speed and highly competitive in sailing races.
If there’s one thing we’ve learnt here at Amsterdam Yacht Service after decades of experience working on commercial and, in recent years, yacht and superyacht refit and rebuild projects, it’s that you don’t always need to go for the most high-tech solution in every aspect of the vessel.
When a shipyard’s refit project needed to be lifted out to undertake remedial works ashore, Amsterdam Yacht Service proved to be the ideal choice – and as it turned out, not just for its yard facilities and location. The project in question involved a vessel originally constructed in the middle of the last century, but […]
With the classic Pieter Beeldsnijder 17-metre steel yacht hull – known as Hull 405 – safely ensconced in our advanced facilities, the team has been able to begin the detailed engineering work needed to bring the hull to completion.
While the Amsterdam Yacht Service teams are always on hand to assist with serious project work – from hull replating and finding solutions to other engineering challenges to the capabilities of the new woodworking department – the extensive AYS facilities are also highly prized by other shipyards and superyacht builders who need a base for […]