Your Project, Run From the Owner's Side
New builds, refits and yard periods. I plan the work around how you'll actually use the boat, deal with the dealer and the yard for you, and follow the job through to the end.
“Shai pushed me to make the right decisions. Sometimes he had to fight me over those decisions. And I'm glad that he won.”
The Projects I Take On
New Builds
From the spec and the order to yard visits, commissioning, delivery and owner training.
Planned Maintenance Periods
I plan the maintenance period ahead, order the parts so they are waiting, and prepare the work plan for the yard and technicians.
Refits & Yard Periods
A clear work list, quotes compared, and the job followed through until she is back in the water.
Inspections
A few days on board before a season or a big decision, ending in a work list for your captain.
Talk to Me Before You Sign the Order
A week of summer sailing with a skipper, a couple moving aboard for ten or twenty years, and a seven-year circumnavigation each need a different boat. Different options, different systems, different sails. I start from your plans, not from the options list.
You buy from the dealer, not from the yard. I prepare the specification and pass it to the dealer myself. When I arrive with a client, the dealer knows we're serious, so the first offer is the real one.
I know Fountaine Pajot and the yards at La Rochelle especially well, and I've delivered Lagoon, Bali and Dufour too. I don't tie owners to one builder: the right boat depends on how you'll sail her.
It's Often Not Too Late
Many owners reach me after they've signed. That's fine. There can still be time to change options before production starts, and where there isn't, we plan the additions properly.
Send me your order confirmation and options list. I'll tell you what I'd keep, what I'd change, and what to add later, and where.
From Spec to First Sail
Every project is different, so the timing depends on the boat and on you. The steps stay the same: from the order to commissioning and sea trials, then the delivery passage home, and training on your own boat. I'll turn a first-time owner into a genuinely good skipper, not just hand over the keys.
- 1
Spec
How will you use her? A summer week, ten years aboard, or a circumnavigation each need a different boat.
- 2
Order
I go to the dealer with you. They know we're serious, so the first offer is the real one.
- 3
Build & Yard Visits
Visits at the yard to check the work before it's hidden behind panels.
- 4
Commissioning & Sea Trials
At La Rochelle. Every system tested, every snag listed before you sign the handover.
- 5
Delivery Passage
From the Atlantic to her home port in the Mediterranean.
- 6
Owner Training
On your own boat, until you're confident handling her.
Everything Ready Before the Boat Comes Out
A maintenance period goes fast when the plan and the parts are ready before the boat is lifted. That's the part I take on.
- The planWhat needs doing this time, based on the boat's history, hours and what's coming next season.
- The partsOrdered ahead from the right suppliers, so they're waiting at the yard, not on a delivery truck.
- The peopleThe yard and the technicians booked, with a clear work plan for each of them.
- The checkThe work checked when it's done, and a record kept for the next period.
When Owners Call Me In
- Before ordering a new boat, to get the spec right.
- Before a refit or a winter yard period, to build the work list and compare quotes.
- Before the season, to make sure she's ready.
- After a breakdown, when you want a second opinion on the fix.
A project ends, but the relationship usually doesn't. Many of the owners I work with on a project stay in touch for years after, and some ask me to look after the boat all year.
What Owners Say
“He knows his thing. He knows all the contractors that count. He does a lot of his own upgrades, works with Excel spreadsheets and checklists. It's not going to be an endless boat work of upgrades and, 'Oh, I wish I did that, I wish I did this.' I think it's going to be pretty much on the money. I couldn't be happier that I went with Shai.”
“When we were first starting to design Aria, and knew we wanted many features, brands and setups that FP does not offer, Pavel suggested I connect with Shai. It was one of the best things that happened to us on this whole ride. He is connected with all the best suppliers in La Rochelle, so we got top service which Shai personally oversaw. More importantly, he was uncommonly honest, direct, and generous in everything he did. When he gives his word, he honors it.”
Questions Owners Ask
When should I contact you about a new build?
Before you sign the order. That is when the options, the layout and the price are still open, and where I can help the most.
I've already ordered. Is it too late?
Often not. There can still be time to change options before production starts, and if not, we plan the additions properly. Send me your order and options list and I'll tell you what I'd change.
Do you only work with Fountaine Pajot?
No. I know Fountaine Pajot and the yards at La Rochelle especially well, and I have delivered Lagoon, Bali and Dufour too. The right builder depends on how you will use the boat.
Do I buy the boat from you?
No. You buy from the dealer. I sell nothing and take no commissions. I prepare the specification with you and pass it to the dealer on your behalf.
What does a planned maintenance period include?
I plan the work ahead based on the boat and the season to come, order the parts so they are waiting at the yard, book the yard and technicians, and check the work when it is done.
Tell Me About Your Boat and Your Plans
One conversation, no obligation. If it's not a fit, I'll tell you.