HOW TO CHOOSE a DRY DOCK FOR YOUR BOAT?
In all these subjects on the care of the boats and nautical in general, we usually have the advice of V de Bravado, a dry dock in Premia de Mar that we consider the best dry dock in Catalonia and experts in all these subjects. And today, precisely we are going to talk about how to choose the best dry dock for your boat. So again we went to V de Bravado, connoisseurs of each dry dock in Catalonia, its characteristics and circumstances, to explain what we have to value when choosing the dry dock that is best for us when we want to maintain our ship.
Characteristics to consider when choosing a dry dock
Usually, when choosing dry dock, we usually choose it in our own port. Or, at least, the one closest to our base port. When doing so, we must take into account some basic circumstances such as that it can accommodate boats of our size and characteristics, with determining aspects such as draft, the size of the pit or the power of the crane or the travelift.
Usually, when choosing dry dock, we usually choose it in our own port. Or, at least, the one closest to our base port. When doing so, we must take into account some basic circumstances such as that it can accommodate boats of our size and characteristics, with determining aspects such as draft, the size of the pit or the power of the crane or the travelift.
- Rental of pressure machine or power outlets,
- Nearby workshops,
- Painting warehouse covering services
- And, above all, if it meets the strictest environmental requirements in terms of cleaning, emissions and waste collection.
A very important but decisive issue when we have to undertake reforms or painting work of a certain draft, is that the dry dock is far from areas for the discharge of aggregates and other volatile products (that is, near ports with a commercial base). Unless you have a good covering service with protective tarpaulins that, on the other hand, are mandatory in some areas.
Important, the budget
In V de Bravado they explain to us that, when asking for budgets, it is very common to observe notable differences between dry docks. Not so much in tow or travelift services – which in some cases, depending on the autonomous community, are regulated – but in matters such as the price per square meter of the stay or the different services.
As a general rule, dry docks located in large cities or tourist areas are more expensive (a dry dock in Barcelona is usually more expensive than a dry dock in Premia de Mar, for example) and also those that do not have close competition from other ports. The number of reservations that take place throughout the year is also decisive in the price, as can be seen in the ports with a large influx.
On the other hand, the dry docks that have chosen to monopolize services such as painting, reforms or mechanics, also tend to have more expensive prices than those that allow teams of external professionals to work, as they do not have direct competition. You can find this situation in a dry dock in Catalonia, Palma de Mallorca or Valencia. It does not depend on your location.
In addition, when requesting a quote, some dry docks do not include “extras” such as the connection to electricity, the use of a pressure hose or the collection of waste, which they end up billing separately.
For all these reasons, if you are looking for a dry dock in Catalonia, our advice is to go to V de Bravado.
This post is also available in: Español