Most of the work boat owners ask about can be done at the mooring by a mobile engineer. A boatyard is genuinely needed for a smaller set of jobs than people realise. Here is the honest split.
What a mobile engineer handles
- Annual servicing, oil changes, filter changes, impeller and belt work.
- Engine and electrical diagnostics, intermittent fault finding.
- Battery bank upgrades, lithium installs, charger and inverter work.
- Heating and freshwater system installs and repairs.
- Winterisation and spring recommissioning.
- Breakdown callouts at the mooring or alongside.
What needs a yard
- Anything below the waterline that needs the boat lifted out.
- Major hull, osmosis, or gelcoat work.
- Full repaints, blacking on a steel hull, and topsides refinishing.
- Shaft and propeller work that requires the drivetrain split.
- Replating, welding, and structural repairs.
Sometimes you want both
A common pattern is the yard handles the lift, blacking and antifoul, while the mobile engineer attends during the lift slot to do anodes, prop checks, and any engine bay work that benefits from access. Booked together, it is faster and cheaper than doing them separately.
Talk to Oli
Not sure which you need? Send a short description of what is wrong, and Oli will tell you honestly whether it is a mobile job or one that needs a yard, before you book anything.
