FAQ
Questions about yacht refit, repair and maintenance
Answers from Marine Services One on quotes, timing, maintenance, repairs, storage and equipment, from our sites in Sharjah and Dubai Maritime City.
Questions by topic
Who we are and where we work
Where is Marine Services One (MS1) based in the UAE?
Our main workshop and warehouse is in Al Hamriyah Free Zone, Sharjah, close to the drydocks. Our branch is in Dubai Maritime City. The Sharjah site is 8,000 sq ft, fitted for mechanical, painting, carpentry and electrical work.
What size of yacht can MS1 work on?
We work afloat at any size. We can lift boats up to 30 m in Al Hamriyah Free Zone and above 30 m in Dubai Maritime City. Recent yacht work ranges from a 33 ft Riva Aquariva to a 42 m Custom Line Navetta.
Which yachts and boats does MS1 service?
Marine Services One services fibreglass, steel and aluminium yachts of all major brands, plus tenders and personal watercraft, afloat or hauled out. Recent jobs include Riva, Pershing, Princess, Azimut, Custom Line, Fairline and Gulf Craft.
Does MS1 use its own technicians or subcontractors?
MS1 uses its own team. We employ our painters, carpenters, electricians and mechanics directly, and for bigger projects we subcontract basic labour only — so one company is accountable from quotation to handover. Upholstery is made through our partners but we distribute high-end Italian fabrics.
Are MS1's technicians trained by the manufacturers?
Yes, and the record names each course. Our technicians completed Seakeeper Master Training in Dubai (2023, 2024), Mase generator training in Cesena, Italy (2023, 2025), Opacmare training in Torino, Italy (2023, 2025), Amare training in Pozzilli, Italy (2023, 2025), H+B Technics hydraulics training in Münster, Germany (2022) and Fluiten seal training in Dubai (2023). Our painters trained with Awlgrip (2023), Alexseal (2025) and Anest Iwata (2022), and our wrapping team with Mimetika Marine (2022), all in Dubai. Certificates are available on request.
Quotes and project timing
How do I get a quote for yacht work from MS1?
Send MS1 your vessel details through the enquiry form, by email to info@ms1.ae or by phone on +971 6 575 1588. We'll quote within two working days.
What do I need to send for a yacht quote?
To quote, MS1 needs your name and how to reach you, the vessel's builder, model and length, where it is, and the work you need.
How long does an antifouling, respray or new deck take?
It depends mainly on vessel size. Antifouling on a 40–50 ft yacht can take about one week; on a 40 m yacht it is typically two to three weeks, depending on how much sanding is required. A full repaint of a 30 m yacht takes around three months. Wrapping can be done in about one week.
Can MS1 work on a yacht afloat, or does it have to come out of the water?
Both. MS1 works afloat on yachts of any size. We can lift boats up to 30 m in Al Hamriyah Free Zone and above 30 m in Dubai Maritime City.
Will MS1 name my yacht on its website?
Only with the owner's written permission. Without it, MS1 lists a job by builder, model and size, for example an 85 ft Riva.
Maintenance and servicing
Does MS1 offer scheduled yacht maintenance?
Yes. MS1 carries out annual maintenance on generators and hydraulic systems, and services and descales air conditioning. The work is done by our own technicians.
What does an annual marine generator service include?
A generator's annual service covers oil, gaskets, filters and a check of the governor parameters. MS1 also troubleshoots, installs and refits marine generators, and supplies and installs Mase units. Our technicians trained at the Mase factory in Cesena in 2023 and 2025.
What does a yacht hydraulics service include?
The annual service covers flushing the oil, checking the belts, testing the cylinders and calibrating the sensors on gangways, lift systems and garage doors. MS1 also replaces seals and hoses, services power packs and fits systems to boats that came without them. We hold the common Opacmare seal kits.
Why does MS1 descale air conditioning rather than acid-clean it?
Where the circuit allows, we descale, because acid shortens the life of the pipe it cleans. MS1 services chillers and self-contained units, descales marine growth, tops up refrigerant and troubleshoots faults.
How many coats of antifouling does MS1 apply?
Two coats of primer and two coats of antifouling, each applied by hand, with the full cure time between coats. Four is our standard, not an upgrade. Hand application gives more even coverage and better adhesion at the edges, where fouling starts.
How often should antifouling be renewed in UAE waters?
Gulf water temperature and salinity drive growth faster than the Mediterranean, so four coats buy roughly another season before the next haul-out. Ideally the boat should be antifouled once a year for optimum performance. Light sanding can shorten both the duration and the cost of the job.
Repairs, painting and refits
Can MS1 repaint metallic finishes on a yacht?
Yes. Our senior painter has more than 20 years on metallic finishes on Pershing, Sessa, Riva, Azimut and Tecnomar, and is trained by Awlgrip and Alexseal. Our painters spray with the latest Anest Iwata equipment following a strict protocol that MS1 has developed over the years.
Can a scuff be repaired without respraying the whole hull?
It depends on the scuff and on the paint system used. Some systems are repairable, so a scuff on a topsides panel becomes a local repair rather than a full respray. MS1 supplies and applies the Alexseal system of primers, fillers, fairing compounds and topcoats.
Can MS1 repair fibreglass and carbon fibre?
Yes. MS1 has a dedicated fibre and carbon laminator with experience in boat building. We carry out structural repairs, gelcoat repairs, new parts and modifications.
Can MS1 build a new teak or synthetic deck?
Yes. MS1 sources, fabricates, removes and lays decks in teak, cork, foam and synthetic, from our own joinery. Natural teak is Burma or Iroko. We also supply and fit Marine Cork, U-Dek and Permateek, and we will tell you which suits the boat rather than which one we hold.
Can MS1 change the colour of a yacht without repainting it?
Yes, with a wrap. MS1 changes a yacht's colour with film instead of paint, applied under cover in our own facility, in days rather than weeks and at a fraction of the cost of a respray. The original paint stays underneath and the wrap comes off again. We also fit transparent paint protection film and thermal window film.
Does MS1 do electrical and automation work on yachts?
Yes, but limited. We can troubleshoot some elements related to the equipment we service. We can support on automation and have worked on automation projects with Crestron systems and domotics.
Can MS1 make or repair yacht upholstery?
Yes. MS1 makes exterior and interior cushion covers, bimini and windshield covers, and fabric for walls and ceilings, in foam and leather including diamond stitching, in our own joinery. We supply Italvipla marine fabrics and hold both the current collection and the archive, so a repair can match the fabric an interior was first specified in.
Storage
Does MS1 store tenders and jet skis indoors?
Yes. MS1 stores tenders and jet skis indoors on purpose-built racks in our warehouse in Al Hamriyah Free Zone, Sharjah. Boats up to 32 ft are stored indoors when they are on a trailer, and we also store other watersports equipment. Indoors, gelcoat, covers and electronics stay out of the heat, dust and UV that wear them outside.
Can MS1 take my boat to the marina and collect it afterwards?
Yes. We can deliver a stored boat to a marina and collect it after use.
Equipment and brands
Which marine equipment brands does MS1 supply and install?
MS1 supplies and installs equipment from 21 partner brands, from Seakeeper stabilisers and Mase generators to Vitrifrigo air conditioning, Alexseal coatings and Permateek synthetic teak. Each brand has its own page saying what it makes and what we do for it.
Can a gyroscopic stabiliser be retrofitted to my yacht?
Often, yes. A Seakeeper gyroscopic stabiliser has no appendages outside the hull and a modest power draw, so it can be retrofitted where fins cannot. Units cover vessels from 23 ft upward and remove up to 95% of roll. MS1 supplies and installs Seakeeper and Seakeeper Ride, fitted by technicians with Seakeeper Master Training.
Can MS1 add a generator to a boat that came without one?
Yes. We install new generators on vessels that did not leave the yard with one. A new installation usually means resolving the exhaust run and the sound shield before the unit itself. MS1 supplies and installs Mase generators, which are compact, quiet and low-vibration.
What marine air conditioning does MS1 supply and install?
MS1 supplies and installs Vitrifrigo self-contained units from 7,000 to 16,000 BTU/h, and Thermowell chillers and seawater-condensed packages up to 160,000 BTU/h for larger vessels. Thermowell controls are Wi-Fi, so a fault can be read before anyone drives out.
Still have a question?
Send us your vessel details and what you need. We'll quote within two working days.
Key takeaways
- Main workshop and warehouse in Al Hamriyah Free Zone, Sharjah; branch in Dubai Maritime City.
- We work afloat at any size. We can lift boats up to 30 m in Al Hamriyah Free Zone and above 30 m in Dubai Maritime City.
- Work is done by our own painters, carpenters, electricians and mechanics.
- Indoor storage for tenders, jet skis and boats up to 32 ft on a trailer, with marina delivery and collection.
- Equipment from 21 partner brands, supplied and installed by our own technicians.
