DYT fleet ready for the season ahead
As summer draws to a close, DYT has made the most of the break between its Spring and Fall schedules by conducting planned maintenance and inspections on its two semi-submersible vessels, MV Yacht Express and MV Yacht Servant, in Tuzla, Turkey.
Behind the scenes: keeping our fleet at its best
Every successful yacht transport operation starts with extensive preparation. While yacht owners and captains see DYT’s vessels in action around the world, a dedicated team works behind the scenes to keep them safe, reliable, and ready for service.
This summer’s program included routine planned maintenance and a five-year Class Survey for Yacht Express. For Yacht Servant, the yard period combined her first five-year Class Survey with several efficiency-focused upgrades, including a biocide-free, silicone-based hull coating and performance coatings on the propellers. These improvements help reduce hull resistance, improve fuel efficiency, and support lower emissions during operations.
Class surveys are key milestones in a vessel’s operational life, confirming compliance with the stringent standards required for commercial service and ensuring the ship remains ready for years of reliable operation.
GEMAK Shipyard in Tuzla, one of the Mediterranean region’s leading ship repair centers, carried out the work. With extensive drydock capacity and facilities designed to accommodate large commercial vessels, the yard provided the ideal setting for DYT’s maintenance and survey program. Its scale, expertise, and infrastructure make it well suited to supporting the specialized requirements of DYT’s semi-submersible fleet.
Investing in quality and reliability
A maintenance project of this scope requires close cooperation among many specialists. DYT’s technical department worked alongside vessel crews, shipyard personnel, classification surveyors, and external inspectors to ensure every job was completed safely, efficiently, and on schedule.
One of the key figures overseeing the project was Bert Reichwein, Vessel Superintendent at DYT. He was responsible for planning the maintenance scope, coordinating technical requirements, and managing survey activities, helping ensure that both vessels were ready to return to service on time.
“A drydock period is about much more than maintenance alone,” says Bert Reichwein, Vessel Superintendent at DYT. “It is an opportunity to inspect critical systems, perform preventive work, and identify improvements that will benefit the vessels throughout the year. By investing time and effort during this period, we can continue to provide the reliable service our customers expect.”
Alongside the work carried out on the vessels themselves, the team also inspected the transport cradles and supporting equipment used during yacht loading operations. Components that had reached the end of their service life were replaced with new equipment, ensuring that DYT continues to provide the highest standards of care when handling customers’ yachts.
Planning ahead for seamless operations
The maintenance program was carefully scheduled during the summer break between DYT’s Spring and Fall sailing seasons. Planning began well before the vessels arrived in Turkey.
The team coordinated yard availability, survey requirements, contractors, material deliveries, and operational schedules by working backward from the start of the Fall season. This ensured sufficient time to complete all maintenance activities and allowed both vessels to reposition to their first loading ports with comfortable margins, ahead of schedule.
This proactive approach helps DYT maintain the reliability and operational flexibility yacht owners, captains, brokers, and industry partners have come to expect.
Looking sharp, ready to perform
With the work now complete, both Yacht Express and Yacht Servant have returned to service, refreshed, fully inspected, and ready for another busy season.
The maintenance program may take place behind the scenes, but its impact is felt on every voyage. By investing in the condition of its vessels, equipment, and operations, DYT continues to provide the safe, dependable yacht transport service trusted by customers worldwide.
As the fall season gets underway, both vessels are ready for a bright start and many successful voyages.