A first refit is rarely decided on technical grounds. It is decided by four choices made before the boat even comes out of the water.
Mistake #1: underestimating the budget
This is the most common one. A premium catamaran refit commonly represents 25-45% of the equivalent new-build price, and a 15-20% contingency remains essential: an opened-up boat always reveals something. We produce a detailed budget forecast before each project, with clear commitment milestones — so the contingency is a decision, not a surprise.
Mistake #2: skipping the survey
Too many owners want work to start immediately. Yet a full structural survey — hull, systems, electrics, deck hardware — takes two to three weeks and can uncover findings that change the scope entirely. Two weeks of survey routinely save two months of rework.
Mistake #3: choosing the wrong yard
Not all yards are equal. The criteria that matter: experience with your type of boat, the quality of the subcontractor network, genuine project management capacity, and financial transparency.
- Check references and visit projects under way.
- Insist on a detailed schedule with payment milestones.
- Make sure you have one point of contact for the whole project.
Canet-en-Roussillon offers a rare ecosystem in the western Mediterranean for wide-beam multihulls: hardstanding capacity and a dense pool of specialist craftsmen on site.
Mistake #4: ignoring resale value
Not every euro returns the same. The items that resell best are generally engines, navigation electronics and living spaces. Conversely, highly personal fit-out choices mechanically narrow the resale market. Knowing this before deciding costs nothing; learning it afterwards is expensive.