A yacht standing on blocks in a refit yard looks like the last place to think about swimming. Yet winter refit planning is where next summer's water toys are really decided. The crew still remembers what worked, the stern and the tender garage are open and easy to measure, and there is time to order before the spring rush. Leave it until the yacht is back in the water and the choice shrinks to whatever can arrive before the first guests.
Storage and cleaning are a separate job. This one is about deciding what to add or replace, and it runs best in roughly this order.
- Debrief the deck crew before they rotate off. The people who launched the toys every day know which ones earned their place and which stayed in the bag.
- List what failed, what was missing and what guests asked for. Requests the yacht could not meet are the most useful lines on the list.
- Measure the stern, the swim platform and the tender garage while they are accessible. Clear water behind the yacht matters as much as space on deck.
- Check where each new bag will live. Compare the packed size and weight on the product page with the locker or garage before settling on a size.
- Decide between a standard size and a tailor-made piece. An unusual stern or a tight garage is far easier to solve on paper in winter.
- Order with delivery to the yard in mind. Gear that arrives during the refit can be unpacked and checked before the yacht goes back in.
- Book a test day during spring commissioning. Inflate everything once, with the crew who will run it, before the season starts.
Look back at last season
The best refit lists start with a conversation, not a catalogue. Sit down with the bosun and the deckhands and go through the season anchorage by anchorage: which toys came out every time, which took too long to rig, and where guests ended up waiting. A common finding on yachts with jet skis is that the swim platform has slowly turned into a car park, with craft rafted alongside and swimmers squeezed into whatever space was left.
A dedicated dock solves that. The Double Toy Dock combines a 410 x 205 cm main section with a 308 x 155 cm secondary section and holds up to two jet skis, with divided arms that keep them apart. The swim platform goes back to being a place for people. Write down the guest requests as well. If they asked for a calmer place to swim in jellyfish season, or more room to lie in the sun at water level, those are clear signals for the list.
Measure while the yacht is out
A refit is the only time many crews can stand behind the transom with a tape measure and no water in the way. Measure the width of the stern and the swim platform, note the strong fixing points, and sketch how much clear water lies behind and alongside the hull at a typical anchorage, away from the propellers and from neighbouring boats. Those figures decide sizes far more reliably than a guess made on deck in high summer. Our guide to choosing the right size lists what else to note.
Then walk into the tender garage and the lazarette. A Premium Teak Platform 6.16 m gives a 616 x 205 cm deck, long enough for sunbathing with a toy or two moored along one side, and its bag needs a proper home rather than a corner of the crew mess. A sea pool such as the Deluxe Water Pool 6.20 m, 616 x 410 cm outside with a fine-mesh net, asks for the same thought about where it travels and how it goes over the side. If the measurements point to something the standard range does not cover, a tailor-made size, surface or configuration can be quoted for that yacht alone.
Order for spring, not for June
Winter is also the sensible time to order. For made-to-order and tailor-made products we confirm the lead time before you commit, and working backwards from the day the yacht leaves the yard gives the order room to breathe. Delivery is worldwide and fully insured, and larger items such as platforms, pools and docks travel with specialised logistics partners who coordinate the address and timing with you.
When the boxes arrive, inspect them straight away and report any damage promptly with photos. Then set aside one calm day during commissioning to inflate everything to the pressure given in the product instructions, join the pieces that will work together and walk the crew through launch and recovery. By the time the first guests come aboard, the new kit feels familiar rather than like a puzzle on the swim platform.
