The Background

Bret is based in the US and after attending an ARC Seminar, contacted White Dot Sailing for support with managing the build of his new boat in France. His goal was to sail his boat from the builder's yard in France, to the Caribbean and on to the East Coast of the US.

Bret had already placed an order with the factory for a new yacht. He recognised that he had never project managed the build of a new boat before, and rather than just see how it turned out, he contacted us to understand how we could help. 

Bret and his family had never sailed accross an ocean either, so were unsure of how to prepare themselves and their new boat for their adventure. 

It's easy to assume that a new boat will simply arrive in perfect condition - but that is rarely the case. Not because the quality of workmanship is poor, but because sometimes the standard build isn't the best option for you. Think about a new house; the builders will install things in the standard way unless you specify otherwise, and sometimes things don't quite work as expected and need some tweaking or adjustment. 

How White Dot Sailing Helped

We first assessed Bret’s project goals, current skillsets amongst the crew and the build options given by the boat yard. 

We delivered our results in the form of a full report, with adventure plan, project timeline and a desired specification for the boat.

Whilst the new boat was being built, we worked with Bret to create a training schedule for him and his family, combining courses and on-the-water training on his current boat.

Harnessing our experience of working with boat builders, we supported Bret in his communication with the new-boat builder. We offered advice on the available options for the build and helped him to make bespoke requests, to make sure he had the right setup for an Atlantic crossing and extended cruising. This included lithium battery upgrades with 2000Ah capacity, 3kW of solar panels, plus upgrades to the sails, running rigging, safety equipment, insurance, tender and more.

Once the boat had a handover date (which was delayed, but we had allowed for this within the project timeline), we jumped aboard and efficiently recorded all warranty issues to be graded and returned to the builder. This meant that before Bret left the builder's base, the warranty issues were completed and the boat checked over and ready to sail.

Bret and his family completed their Atlantic crossing and cruised the Caribbean aboard their Neel 51, with far fewer issues than many others of the same model - saving time and money in the long run.

White Dot Sailing are experienced in how to get the best from boat builders; we know what to ask and when to make sure the end result is as close to perfect-for-you as possible. We actively coach client’s through this process so they can learn and understand how their boat has been built from the keel up and they can be more confident to manage a future build project.

Bret says 

"Will helped me and my family with our sailing project as we needed help to project manage the build of a new boat we had ordered. 

We were not experienced sailors and had signed up to the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers as a way to cross the Atlantic with a group of other sailing families. We were introduced to Will via an ARC seminar and we were impressed with Will's easy going expertise and communication style. We reached out to him to help us project manage the boat build and to adequately prepare the boat for an ocean crossing. 

Will guided us through the process of the boat build by, for example, advising me what to look for, ask about and document during a visit to the factory. During this factory visit I was able to inspect the boat while it was being built which helped by giving me a clearer understanding of the boat's construction and showed the manufacturer someone was looking over their shoulder. 

Our new boat arrived with far fewer problems than many other of this boat model – I am certain that my work with Will helped! 

Will and his team also helped us review the boat and develop a warranty list. Will helped us understand what items to prioritise for correction before we left on our journey which gave us peace of mind that the boat would function while helping me and family keep to our schedule. 

My family and I are very grateful and appreciative of the care and attention Will and his team provided that enabled us to become a little 'white dot' on the horizon."