The verdict in three sentences
A refit yard, in Miami as in Nice, is not sold to the yacht owner first, it is sold to the captain and the fleet manager, who compare three or four yards across their cruising grounds. The website must give them, in two clicks, accepted dimensions, lifting capacity and before/after case studies with figures. Budget 20,000 to 45,000 EUR excl. VAT (about 22,000 to 49,000 USD) for a multilingual site delivered in 10 weeks, against average projects of 200,000 to 3 million EUR.
What the captain checks before calling you
The captain of a 45-metre yacht starts planning the winter refit in June. They open the shortlisted yards' websites on a phone, often from the deck, and eliminate in minutes any yard that does not publish technical data. The fleet manager looks for references and deadlines kept.
| Content | Main audience | Effect on quote requests (2026 estimate) | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facilities sheet (slipway, travel lift, max length, draught) | Captain | Disqualifies or qualifies on the first visit | Essential |
| Before/after case studies with duration and scope | Fleet manager | 2 to 3 times more qualified requests | Essential |
| In-house trades and approved subcontractors | Captain, engineer | Reassures on coordination | High |
| Berth availability by season | Captain | Triggers fast contact in peak demand | High |
| Certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, MYBA or equivalent membership) | Manager, insurer | Entry condition for tenders | High |
| Crew services (housing, transport, concierge) | Crew | Often underestimated choice factor | Medium |
| Quote form with work-list upload | Captain | Cuts a week from the estimating cycle | Essential |
Drone footage is nice, but a table stating "560-tonne travel lift, vessels up to 60 metres, 8 dry berths" is worth more to a professional who must justify the choice.
Budget and scope
| Building block | Content | Indicative budget excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Premium art direction | Custom design, integrated photo and video, polished mobile | 6,000 to 12,000 EUR |
| Trilingual version (e.g. EN/FR/IT or EN/ES/FR) | Native copywriting, hreflang | 2,500 to 5,000 EUR |
| Interactive facilities sheets | Yard plan, berths, filterable dimensions | 2,500 to 6,000 EUR |
| Before/after case study template | Photo slider, timeline, scope of work | 2,000 to 5,000 EUR |
| Advanced quote form | Spec upload, routing to the project manager | 1,500 to 4,000 EUR |
| Availability calendar | Updated by the sales team | 1,500 to 4,500 EUR |
| International SEO and performance | Service pages, optimised video | 1,500 to 4,500 EUR |
| Photo and video production | 1 to 2 shooting days | 2,500 to 4,000 EUR |
| Total | 20,000 to 45,000 EUR excl. VAT |
The third language is not a luxury: in the Mediterranean many captains, engineers and subcontractors work in Italian, and in Florida Spanish plays the same role for crews and suppliers.
A 10-week schedule
Weeks 1 and 2: workshops, technical data collection and selection of 4 to 6 case studies. Weeks 3 to 5: mockups and filming. Weeks 6 to 8: development, translations, quote form integration. Weeks 9 and 10: acceptance, mobile testing, launch ahead of the Monaco, Cannes or Fort Lauderdale shows, when captains plan the winter season.
Mini case study
Laurent, sales director of a 12,000 m² refit yard in Nice, invests 34,000 EUR excl. VAT in a trilingual website. He publishes 5 case studies with duration and scope of work. In one season, the site generates 28 qualified requests versus 9 the previous year. Two new projects are signed, one at 450,000 EUR and the other at 1.1 million. With an 18% gross margin, these two contracts bring 279,000 EUR of margin, eight times the cost of the site. The same reasoning applies to a Miami yard competing with Fort Lauderdale.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
FAQ
Can case studies be published without naming the yacht?
Yes, and that is the rule for 70 to 80% of owners who demand discretion. You state length, type of work, duration and result, with written approval from the captain or manager.
Should prices be displayed?
Not for the works, which range from 200,000 to several million EUR. Publishing dry-berth rates per metre per day (often 3 to 8 EUR) does help captains build their budget.
Should the site be ready before the autumn boat shows?
Ideally yes. Winter refit decisions are made between June and October, and a link shared after a show meeting sends the captain to your site in the following days.
What does maintenance cost?
Budget 300 to 900 EUR excl. VAT a month for hosting, availability updates and two new case studies a year.
Is an English-only version enough?
English is the captains' working language, but a second and third language reassure subcontractors and owners. The extra language costs around 10% of the budget.
Let's scope your project. We scope your multilingual refit yard website, facilities sheets and case studies included, for 20,000 to 45,000 EUR excl. VAT and a launch in 10 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.
