Wooden Yacht Refit Cost — Replanking, Engine Replacement and Dry Dock, Only Where a Source Exists

By Wooden Yacht For Sale Editorial Desk

Wooden yacht refit cost figures with a third-party source do not yet exist for engines, replanking or dry dock in Indonesia, so this page sets out scope and sequence instead: haul-out and survey, hull and fastening work, caulking, engine and generator, systems, interior, rig, then sea trial. Builders report fit-out in Bali, Surabaya or Jakarta.

A refit budget goes wrong in a predictable way. The price was set before anyone opened the boat. Doing the work in the right order, with quotes that can be compared, is how you keep some control over the money when you cannot get a reliable number up front.

What does a refit cover, and in what order?

The principle is that structure comes first and finishes last. Best Boating's restoration guide places hull stabilisation and backbone work ahead of framing and planking, and well ahead of cosmetic work. Juara Holding Group builder sites describe a similar post-launch sequence of engines, systems, interior, rigging, electrics, navigation, safety gear, inspection and trial. Those are group sites, so read them as builders' accounts.

1. Survey and record. Photograph and measure before anything is removed.
2. Support the hull. Block it so that it keeps its shape while parts are out.
3. Backbone. Keel, stem, sternpost, floors, deadwood and keel bolts.
4. Frames. Replace or sister according to what you find.
5. Planking and refastening. Then caulking and closing up.
6. Decks and superstructure. Fix leaks before the fit-out.
7. Engine, generator and systems. Install once the geometry is settled.
8. Interior and rig. Keep inspection access in mind.
9. Paint, launch, then sea trial. Plan a commissioning list.

A yard that wants to begin with the saloon joinery is either working on a sound hull or has its priorities backwards. Ask which.

How should hull work be scoped: replanking, refastening and caulking?

Decide on evidence, one area at a time. Treat sistering as a repair to framing, not as a cure for bad planking.

Refastening deserves its own line in the scope. Sample first, so you know what the boat has. Refastening into rotten frames only moves the load back into failed timber. PBO and IIMS both treat keel bolts as a serious item, and a loose allowance of "replace as needed" gives you no price control at all.

Ask for caulking to follow the structural work, for obvious reasons. Filling a seam that still moves will not last.

How do you specify an engine and generator before pricing them?

An engine model alone is not a specification. A marine engine manufacturer's installation manual, such as Westerbeke's, sets requirements for beds that resist deflection and twisting, and for alignment. ABYC's standards list separate items for exhaust (P-1), inboard engines (P-4) and propulsion shafting (P-6). Write the job as a complete installation:

• Power and gearing. Continuous power, rated RPM, reduction ratio and propeller.
• Beds. Survey of existing beds, new construction details, attachment to sound structure.
• Alignment. Final check afloat, after the hull has settled and with normal loads.
• Exhaust. Route, hose, water injection, siphon protection, back-pressure limit.
• Weight. Old versus new, with the effect on trim and propeller immersion.
• Generator. The same questions at a smaller scale, plus the electrical load you actually need.

Replacing a heavy old engine with a lighter one can change trim. Replacing a small one with a larger one may mean new beds, a shaft and a different propeller. Find this out before you compare engine prices.

How do you choose a dry dock or yard in Indonesia?

We name no yards here, since we have no verified list with prices. Builder sources report that Bali, Surabaya and Jakarta are among places where engines, systems and interiors are fitted. Check each candidate yard for yourself:

• Can its slip or dock physically take your length, draft and weight?
• Has it worked on planked timber hulls recently? Ask to see one.
• Who are the shipwrights, and will they stay for your job?
• Does it have cover over the work? Rain and sun both affect open hulls.
• Does its insurance cover your boat while in its care?
• How far is it from the timber supply and spare parts you need?

What drives the timeline of a refit?

We found no neutral published refit durations for Indonesia. The drivers are consistent, though:

• Hidden rot found during demolition, which is the classic scope change.
• Fastenings that cannot be withdrawn without damaging surrounding timber.
• Timber supply and how long it needs to season.
• Engine lead times and import clearance.
• Weather on an open slip, and work paused during rain.
• Changes you decide on during the job.

Ask for a schedule by work package with dependencies, and ask for a revised forecast after each stage of opening up.

How do you price the gap on a refit project boat?

When a boat is sold as a refit project, the asking price is only part of the story. The real comparison is asking price plus refit, against a finished boat or a new build. Our comparison of new build and used frames that choice, and our page on the unfinished wooden yacht market deals with hulls that were never finished.

BoatUS's article on buying a fixer-upper is worth reading before you commit. Then keep this rule in view: the survey sets out what you know, and your contingency covers what you don't.

Keep routine work apart from the refit in your sums. Our guide to wooden yacht upkeep explains what continues to come round after the yard has gone.

How do you get comparable quotes?

Nammert's boatyard guide recommends written work descriptions, materials, price basis, completion date and a spending ceiling. Send every yard the same document.

For each quote, normalise labour categories, estimated hours, material grades, mark-up, haul-out and storage days, tax, testing, warranty and delay terms. Keep a separate owner's contingency for real unknowns. Require written approval, with photographs, before work goes beyond the agreed allowance.

What do owners ask before starting a refit?

These answers deal with scope and contracts. Cost questions end with a request for quotes, because we have nothing better to print.

How much does it cost to refit a wooden yacht?

We have no third-party figure for engines, replanking or dry dock in Indonesia. The cost depends on what opening up reveals, the size of the boat, yard and region. Survey first, split the work into packages, and ask at least two yards to quote the same written scope.

How much does wooden yacht replanking cost?

We have no sourced per-plank or per-metre rate. A quote should say which planks, what timber, what fastenings and how the surrounding frames will be dealt with. Rot found after removal is a common source of extras, so ask how that will be priced.

Should I sister a frame or replace it?

It depends on what remains. A sister can work where the original still has enough sound timber and loads can transfer properly. A frame that has rotted, broken badly or come adrift is generally better replaced. Added sisters can also block drainage and hide decay, so ask why each is proposed.

Can I replace the engine with a similar horsepower unit?

Similar power is not the same as a similar installation. Weight, height, RPM, gearing and cooling can all differ, which may affect beds, shaft, propeller and exhaust. Specify the installation as a whole and check the maker's installation manual.

Is a fixed price or time and materials better for a refit?

Time and materials often suits survey and opening up, when no one yet knows what is there. A fixed price can suit well-defined packages afterwards, with clear inclusions and exclusions. Many refits use both, with a change procedure in writing.

Which sources support this page?

Checked by the desk in October and November 2026. A source being listed does not mean the source agrees with us or has reviewed this page, and limited-verification items deserve a second look before you rely on them.

• Best Boating, how to restore a classic wooden boat
• Westerbeke, marine engine installation manual
• ABYC standards list (P-1 exhaust, P-4 inboard engines, P-6 shafting)
• Nammert, boatyard repair guide
• Juara Holding Group builder source, post-launch work sequence (group site, not neutral market data; no link given)
• Juara Holding Group builder source, fit-out locations (group site, not neutral market data; no link given)
• IIMS, How to survey wooden boats
• PBO, how to check keel bolts
• BoatUS, buying a boat fixer-upper

Written and checked by the Wooden Yacht For Sale Editorial Desk.

Who can I ask about a boat that may need a refit?

Send us the survey findings, the location and what you plan to do with the boat, along with a buyer brief from the buying guide. Reach the desk on WhatsApp 6281139414563 or at bd@juaraholding.com.