Yachting Monthly – May 2018

Get ready

for the season

A great summer on the water starts with careful preparations ashore

 T

he rituals of pre-season
preparation are loathed
by some and laced with
anticipation by others.
Getting it right can not
only set you up for worry-free sailing,
but can save you a lot of money as well.
Tom Wright and Tom Cload from the
Berthon Boat Company in Lymington
are responsible for getting more than
250 yachts off the hard and into the
water on time every year. As Yachting
Monthly found out, it’s a job that demands
a methodical approach that actually starts
when you haul out.
Here, Tom and Tom share how they go
about their job, along with some top tips
for a stress-free transition on to the water.

PLANNING

‘The phone calls tend to come in around

the Easter weekend from people that have

just remembered the sailing season is

around the corner. It’s much better to set

a date well in advance and plan the process

of getting the boat ready ahead of time,’

explains Tom Cload.

‘Our haul-out, winterisation, launching

and everything in between are based on

a checklist that we give to owners, designed

to make the process stress free for them.

We keep communicating at every stage their

boat is with us. Some clients do absolutely

everything by the book, every year, right

down to taking down the mast. Sometimes

that can be overkill, but at the crux of an

easy winter ashore is certainly a preventative

Properly constructed, a plastic

tent provides excellent protection

to everything on deck

It’s possible to work and

keep dry inside throughout

the colder months

mindset. That’s my biggest piece of advice;

you’ll save money if you think ahead rather

than doing everything just before the boat

is put back in.’

EXPERT

ON BOARD

Tom Wright (left)

and Tom Cload

(right) look after

over 250 yachts

a year at Berthon

boatyard in

Lymingon