Yacht Forum UK

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to the forum. I'm interested to know whether micro-ROVs are used widely to inspect yacht hulls/props/steering gear, in lieu of lifting out to perform a dry inspection.

Any comments would be most welcome.

Thanks!

In my limited sailing experience, I've never heard of anyone doing this.

Presumably such a thing would be quite expensive - and when you can just stick on a face-mask and swim under and have a look for free, perhaps not a lot of demand for such a service.

BIG yachts though would be hard to swim under I suppose, and with more wealthy owners who might consider ROVs a suitable solution.

Another thing though - most yachts (big and small) get lifted out of the water at least once annually, for routine maintenance. Why would they also want/need to have a pre-lift inspection when they're getting hoisted out anyway?

Thanks Jeff, good point.

What do the owners of larger yachts do to check for damage in the event of grounding or when something fouls steering or propulsion gear? Perhaps getting a small ROV in the water would be cheaper than hiring a diver or getting the boat lifted between annual inspections?

Small ROVs can be hired for a few hundred pounds a day or slightly more with a pilot included. Out of interest, how much does it usually cost to get a large yacht lifted?

Depends upon the size, weight, type of keel, and location. For us in a 31 foot fin keeler, south coast UK, it's about £100 to be lifted out and back in, if you don't leave the hoist. So about the same price as hiring your ROVs