The verdict in three sentences
A Dublin yard repairing ferries, offshore support vessels and coastal cargo ships sells dry dock slots to technical superintendents who compare yards across Ireland, the UK and northern Europe in minutes. Depending on provider type, the site costs 12,000 to 45,000 EUR, takes 8 to 14 weeks and needs 150 to 500 EUR a month in maintenance (2026 market ballpark). The best choice for most yards is a provider that publishes precise dock and berth specifications and lets your team update them without help.
What operators check before calling
A superintendent planning a docking looks for usable dimensions, lifting capacity, class approvals and comparable vessel references.
| Content | Typical volume | What gets checked | 2026 market ballpark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry dock and berth specifications | 2 to 5 sheets | Length, breadth, draught, crane capacity, shore services | 1,500 to 4,000 EUR |
| Vessel references | 20 to 50 case pages | Vessel type, work scope, days in dock | 3,000 to 10,000 EUR |
| Trade pages | 5 to 10 pages | Steelwork, mechanical, electrical, coatings, pipework | 1,500 to 5,000 EUR |
| Class approvals and quality | 1 to 3 pages | Class societies the yard works with, ISO certifications | 800 to 2,500 EUR |
| Docking enquiry form | 1 form | Vessel particulars, preferred dates, work list, attachments | 1,000 to 3,000 EUR |
| Emergency repair page | 1 page | 24 hour contact, voyage repair capability | 300 to 800 EUR |
The docking enquiry form pays back most: built well, it gives your estimators everything they need without three email rounds. Ireland has no Impressum rule, but a GDPR compliant privacy notice and cookie consent are still required.
2026 ranking: agency, studio, IT services firm or freelancer
We rank provider types, never named agencies, on two-year total cost, lead time, portability and support.
| Rank | Provider type | Build budget (2026 market ballpark) | Lead time | Portability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Specialist industrial and maritime agency | 25,000 to 45,000 EUR | 10 to 14 weeks | Good if contractual | Multi-dock yards with mostly foreign operators |
| 2 | Fixed-price nearshore studio (Kolonell, Dakar) | Growth 1,830 to 3,050 EUR, Premium 3,050 to 5,340 EUR, before options | 14 to 30 working days | Good, logins handed over | Yards of 40 to 200 staff wanting a firm price; Dakar shares Dublin's time zone in winter |
| 3 | Independent Dublin studio | 12,000 to 25,000 EUR | 8 to 12 weeks | Variable | Yards wanting on-site workshops |
| 4 | IT services firm | 30,000 to 45,000 EUR | 12 to 14 weeks | Good | Projects tied to ERP or a customer portal |
| 5 | Freelancer | 7,000 to 14,000 EUR | 8 to 14 weeks | Risky | Simple brochure site without specifications |
| 6 | In-house WordPress build | Free licence, theme and hosting on subscription, prices vary | Variable | Good | Marketing teams fluent in the tool |
The specialist agency leads for larger yards because it speaks the superintendent's language. The nearshore studio follows closely for SMEs: at Kolonell, each extra language costs about 110 EUR, each extra page about 40 EUR and copywriting about 90 EUR per page. An IT services firm only makes sense if the site must talk to your planning ERP.
Running costs over two years
| Item | 2026 market ballpark | Kolonell's prices |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly maintenance | 150 to 500 EUR | Basic 53, Standard 114, Premium 183 EUR |
| Adding vessel references | 100 to 300 EUR per page if outsourced | Entered by your team in the CMS |
| Google SEO | 500 to 1,800 EUR a month | Essential 152, Growth 305 EUR a month |
| Hosting | 20 to 100 EUR a month | Depends on the host |
| Yard photography and drone video | 1,500 to 5,000 EUR a year | Not included, commission a photographer |
Mini case study
Illustrative example, fictional company: Ciarán, commercial director of a 90 person ship repair yard in Dublin, runs 2 dry docks and a repair berth and wants 30 vessel references.
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- Specialist agency: 34,000 EUR build and 380 EUR a month, so 34,000 + 9,120 = 43,120 EUR over two years.
- Kolonell: Premium at 4,300 EUR, 25 extra pages for references and dock sheets (1,000 EUR), so 5,300 EUR, plus Standard maintenance at 114 EUR a month (2,736 EUR over two years). Total: 8,036 EUR, to which Ciarán adds 3,500 EUR for drone and yard photography.
A single ferry docking of a few weeks is often worth several hundred thousand euros in revenue, so one extra enquiry converted per year pays for either option.
FAQ
Should exact dock dimensions be published?
Yes, with an update date: length, breadth, draught and crane capacity. A superintendent drops a yard within 2 minutes if usable data is missing.
Can we name vessels we repaired?
Only with the operator's consent. Otherwise describe vessel type, length and scope, for example a 160 metre ro-pax ferry handled in 18 days.
How should class approvals be shown?
List the class societies you regularly work with and your ISO certificates with validity dates. Offer documents on request rather than publishing every certificate.
What timeline should we expect?
Plan 8 to 14 weeks on the market, including 3 to 4 weeks to gather photos and approvals. Avoid starting during peak docking season.
What maintenance budget is realistic?
Between 150 and 500 EUR a month as a 2026 ballpark. Ask for a written task list.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your docks, berths and number of references, and we will price a Growth or Premium site with a docking enquiry form, delivered in 3 to 6 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.