Service

Service Your Boat

McMichael Yacht Yards offers a full range of yacht repair, maintenance, and customization for boats up to 50′ LOA. The following list highlights many of the key yacht services our two McMichael Yacht Yards offer.  Larger yachts and sailboats are traditionally serviced at the McMichael Post Road Yard while power boats are serviced by the McMichael Rushmore Yard.

Interior Cleaning & Restoration

If asked, you’d probably name these three priorities for your boat: reliability/performance, appearance, and being clean. Regardless how diligent you are about cleaning your boat after every use, there are still nooks and crannies that you just never get to. Under the sink in the head, behind the garbage bucket in the galley, down deep in lockers and the anchor chain well.

Dirt and dampness in these areas can create mildew and mold – two things no owner wants on a boat. McMichael can help you avoid these conditions during the season, at decommissioning (so small problems don’t become large ones over the winter), or during a spring commissioning. We offer the following services in our yard, and, is some instances, can travel to clean and restore your boat:

  • Deep cleaning services – interior and exterior
  • Cushion repairs and replacements
  • Interior woodwork cleaning and refurbishment
  • Engine compartment cleaning

Canvas Repair & Replacement

The majority of your boat’s canvas is exposed to the elements most of the time. On a mooring or a dock, your cockpit and sail covers must withstand the damaging forces of UV rays, rain, cold, and heat. Canvas eventually dries out and, if not repaired or replaced, the part of your boat the canvas was designated to protect is left exposed.

McMichael has partnerships with canvas professionals who will come to your boat, take custom measurements, present to you your canvas and trim options, create new pieces, and install them. Keep your boat looking good and operating properly by always having quality protective canvas covering in place.

McMichael and its partners can also assist with decorative canvas work including new cushion covers for the interior and cockpit as well as accent cushions and other accessories.

Carpentry

It's often the interior and exterior wood trim that enables a boat to standout. Having woodwork that is worn, chipped or missing can deliver the wrong message about a boat and its owner. The skilled carpentry and woodcare team at McMichael can bring new life back to your boat.

Our carpentry and woodcare solutions include:

  • Replacing broken woodwork
  • Fixing and replacing cabinetry and lazarette covers
  • Cleaning and renewing unvarnished teak decks and accessories
  • Replacing/repairing floorboards
  • Full varnish services
  • Adding new components (handrails, hatch covers, trim pieces)

Electronics

Some of the electronics on your boat are simple, and you can figure them out yourselves; however, the majority of them are sophisticated, computer-driven digital readouts that are as complicated as the computer on your desk. Rather than risk damaging your instruments (or your computer), you call in a trained electronic technician when needed. For your boat, the electronics team at McMichael has no peers.

Installation
We will replace antiquated or broken electronic instruments with state-of-the-art systems from all the major suppliers including B&G, Garmin, and Raymarine. We will expertly connect them to sensors on your mast, through your hull, on your engine, or throughout your boat to provide you accurate and dependable information always.

Repair
Should you have a problem with one of your electrical systems, the McMichael electronics team will diagnose, fix or replace the broken instrument, sensor, or system. We work quickly and often the only delay for repairs is awaiting receipt of the replacement parts.

Interior & Exterior Lighting
While not as complex as digital instrumentation, having properly installed lighting systems will allow you to enjoy your boat to its fullest.

Nothing is more frustrating than going below in your boat in the dark and your cabin lights don’t work. We will test your lighting system, replace faulty bulbs, connectors, fittings, and switches so the next time you need illumination, the lights go on.

Your on-deck and navigational lights also need regular maintenance and, at times, repairs/upgrades. Nothing is worse than one of your navigational lights not working when making a passage in the dark. We fix these systems all the time.

And, if you’re in the mood for some custom underwater or on-the-mast display lighting while at anchor, we will help you design and then install decorative lighting systems to make your boat standout in the fleet.

Engines & Mechanical

Regardless of whether you have a power boat or a sailboat, having a well-maintained engine that you can rely upon is the foundation of any boating season. McMichael provides professional engine and mechanical services for all manufacturer’s products. We also service inboards, outdrives, and outboards at both of our yards.

McMichael provides trained and certified service for: Yamaha, Volvo Penta and Yanmar.

Maintenance
The ideal time to perform routine maintenance on your engine is in the spring before the boat is fully commissioned. We will check and replace as necessary all fluids, filters, and belts.

We will also conduct manufacturer-recommended diagnostics as required to identify and address any potential issues before they become on-the-water problems.

Repair
Nothing is more frustrating than when your boat’s engine breaks down. The mechanical team at McMichael has “seen it all” and stands at the ready to diagnose and correct whatever malfunction is keeping your engine from operating properly.

Our customers appreciate the special relationships they have developed with our service team over the years and often call us when away on a cruise to help them diagnose and correct an engine problem. This is the high-touch service that McMichael is known for.

Replacement
When an engine has reached the end of its life, you don’t have to scuttle the boat. For over 80 years, McMichael has been putting new life into customers’ boats by repowering them with new, state-of-the-art engines and components.

Fiberglass Repair

Chances are that the majority of your boat’s hull and interior are made of fiberglass. This strong, lightweight material is ideal for boat building, however, over time it can craze or crack and, thanks to the occasional mishap, become punctured or otherwise damaged.

It’s a true art to be able to repair, refresh, and renew the structure or surface made of fiberglass. McMichael has the best fiberglass repair team in the northeast and has decades of experience making tired, worn, or damaged fiberglass surfaces look new. Topsides, decks, interiors made to look as they were the day your bought the boat will let you enjoy your time one the water even more.

Hydraulics

There may be many systems in your boat you know how to fix yourself, but hydraulic systems are probably not one of them. Have McMichael inspect your boats’ hydraulic systems, report on any problems detected, and make the necessary repairs. These would include hydraulics controlling:

  • Sail controls
    • Backstay and headstay rams
    • Vang
    • Outhauls
    • Mast lifters
  • Steering controls
  • Floor/deck lifting systems
  • Drop-down swim platforms
  • Pumps, lines, connectors, and pressure indicators

Painting

Making sure your boat’s topsides and bottom are properly painted will deliver benefits on many levels. Obviously, having proper bottom paint on a boat stored in the water all summer will help deter a fouled bottom. Fouled bottoms not only look unsightly, but they dramatically reduce your boat’s performance (speed capabilities and fuel economy). And, if your topsides look tired and worn, a new coat of paint can give your boat a new lease on life.

Talk to McMichael about the painting needs of your boat including:

Racing Bottoms
For performance sailboat racers, having a smooth, clean, and fast bottom can put you on the podium…or keep you off it. Some of the area’s fastest racers have had McMichael put our custom “racing bottoms” on their boats. With a choice of paint colors and ablative characteristics, our racing bottoms are custom sprayed, faired, and sanded down to 800 grit paper. A racing bottom will cost you a bit more, but it will pay for itself multiple times over with the performance improvements you’ll experience

Club Bottoms
Even if racing isn’t your thing, you still want to have a clean, well performing bottom so you can cruise more efficiently and burn less fuel when under power. McMichael offers a broad range of bottom paints that will help fight algae build-up that will accumulate over the summer. Talk with us about your plans for your boat and where you store it. Then, we’ll recommend a bottom paint option that will fit your needs and your budget.

Topsides
Clean, shinny topsides make are a positive reflection of your boat and you as its owner. If your topsides are dull and oxidizing, you have two options:

  1. You can repaint your topsides in the current or a new color, or,
  2. If appropriate, McMichael can polish and buff the current topside paint to possibly renew its luster.

Decks
You and your on-board companions are usually the only ones to get a close-up look at the condition of your deck paint. Regardless, your deck paint is important for both cosmetic and moisture-prevention purposes. If your deck paint is getting flaky, dull or is starting to crack and craze, talk to McMichael about the benefits of having your deck paint renewed, particularly if the underlying surface has shown signs of cracks that would allow damaging moisture between the deck and the interior’s overhead.

Plumbing Systems

A boat’s plumbing systems are probably the least thought-about parts of a boat…until they don’t work. McMichael’s plumbing systems team can repair any damaged system on your boat and, importantly, the team is trained to routinely inspect the condition of your plumbing systems performing preventative maintenance so you can avoid those awkward and embarrassing situations when your boat’s plumbing goes foul.

Heads

  • Electric or manual
  • Hardware/fittings
  • Hoses and connectors
  • Holding tanks and pump-out connectors

Water Pumps

  • Actual pumps
  • Hot and cold-water systems
  • Water tanks
  • Hosing
  • Deck fill fittings
  • Controls
  • Washdown systems

Rigging

Running Rigging
On sailboats, the running rigging incurs the wear and tear during normal use. It’s not your fault that the covering on a halyard or sheet is worn, it’s just part of sailing. McMichael will check your running rigging, let you know if any lines need replacement, and then do the work for you including:

  • Inspecting sheets and halyards for worn spots
  • Rewhip frayed ends of lines
  • Inspect running backstay systems
  • Check that all control lines (vang, cunningham, etc.) are in serviceable condition

Standing Rigging
On your sailboat, perhaps the last things you routinely check for wear and tear are the various component’s standing rigging. If one or more parts of your standing rigging should fail, you could be facing major problems…and expenses. Contact McMichael and have us check your standing rigging. If any parts need servicing or replacement, we’ll contact you immediately with a recommend plan of attack. Let us check for the following:

Mast and Boom

  • Signs of pitting around where fixtures are attached
  • Blocks’ sheaves not worn and leads in working condition?
  • Spreader attachment points signs of wear or fatigue
  • Paint chips
  • Stress cracks

Shroud Servicing

  • Swage attachment point condition
  • Spreader endcaps padded
  • Failing wire shroud at swage points
  • Condition of turnbuckles

Headstay Furlers

  • Roller furler bearings condition – top and bottom
  • Furler line condition
  • Headstay foil condition
  • Installation of proper luff feeder

Stanchions

  • If any stanchions are wobbly and need to be reseated
  • Bent stanchions or pulpits
  • Are lifelines fraying or wearing
  • Do some of the lifelines require padding

Furling Systems

  • Dutchman lines are still serviceable
  • Permanent boom sail covers are in good shape
  • In-boom furlers are properly lubricated and aligned
  • All control lines are in satisfactory condition

Racing Prep

If you race your sailboat, you know there’s a lot that goes into preparing a competitive program. Many of the boats that have come to McMichael for racing prep have made it to the podium in club, regional, national, and international regattas.

McMichael offers racing sailors top-of-the-line sailboat racing prep in a range of areas:

  • Ratings measurements – ORC, ORR, PHRF
  • Racing bottoms (photo)
  • Upgraded  standing rigging
  • Upgraded running rigging
  • Grand-prix navigational instruments