Professional Diploma in Boatyard and Dry Stack Marina Technical Operations
This professional diploma teaches you to plan and carry out the safe haul-out of leisure boats, inspect and repair underwater hulls and organise the daily operation of a dry stack marina. It combines lifting equipment, surface treatments, shaft line maintenance and environmental management of the boatyard.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this programme gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The programme is designed precisely for that.
What is the Professional Diploma in Boatyard and Dry Stack Marina Technical Operations?
This professional diploma teaches you to plan and carry out the safe haul-out of leisure boats, to inspect and repair underwater hulls and to organise the daily operation of a dry stack marina. You will calculate weights, lifting points and blocking with operational safety, detect osmosis, delamination and corrosion below the waterline, prepare surfaces and apply antifouling according to the data sheet, inspect propellers, stern tubes, bearings and sacrificial anodes, and organise racks, forklifts and workflows with sound environmental management.
What sets this diploma apart: a complete view, from lifting with a travel hoist to the final launch; a practical approach, with real boatyard procedures, checklists and work sheets; applied regulations, covering ISO 12215, ISO 8099, MARPOL and waste management; surfaces and hull, with osmosis, gelcoat, primers and antifouling; and an integrative project in which you draw up a complete haul-out plan for a typical boat.
Programme highlights
- Complete view: from lifting with a travel hoist to the final launch.
- Practical approach: real boatyard procedures, checklists and work sheets.
- Applied regulations: ISO 12215, ISO 8099, MARPOL and waste management.
- Surfaces and hull: osmosis, gelcoat, primers and antifouling.
- Dry stack operation: racks, forklifts, on-demand launches and management software.
- Integrative project: a complete haul-out plan for a typical boat.
Syllabus of the Professional Diploma in Boatyard and Dry Stack Marina Technical Operations
8 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of the boatyard and dry stack marina
- 1.1. Types of facility: traditional boatyard, dry stack marina with racks, ramp, slipway and floating dock
- 1.2. Organisation of a boatyard: lifting, washing, work, painting, storage and waste areas
- 1.3. Types of leisure and professional craft: monohulls, catamarans, RIBs and keelboats
- 1.4. Hull terminology: underwater hull, topsides, waterline, keel, bilge and transom
- 1.5. Weight, length, beam and draught: reading the shipyard's and manufacturer's technical data sheets
- 1.6. Boat documentation and the log of arrivals, departures and work carried out in the boatyard
- 1.7. Team roles: lift operator, boatyard hand, painter, mechanic and quality manager
- 1.8. Communication with owners and external workshops: work orders, quotations and delivery notes
Lifting, haul-out and launching equipment
- 2.1. Travel hoist or gantry lift: components, rated capacities, slings and hydraulic system
- 2.2. Fixed and mobile cranes, boat forklifts and hydraulic trailers for dry stack marinas
- 2.3. Determining lifting points from the manufacturer's drawings and the location of shafts and transducers
- 2.4. Calculating the centre of gravity and load distribution during lifting and transfer
- 2.5. Blocks, stands and cradles: arrangement, keel support and stability of the boat ashore
- 2.6. Hauling out deep-keel sailing yachts, catamarans and boats with drives or pods
- 2.7. Daily inspection and preventive maintenance of slings, cables, hooks and hydraulic circuit
- 2.8. Launch procedure: prior checks, opening seacocks and checking for water ingress
Underwater hull and structure inspection
- 3.1. Pressure washing after lifting: recommended pressures, removal of fouling and gelcoat protection
- 3.2. Systematic visual inspection of the hull: cracks, impacts, blisters, delamination and repaired areas
- 3.3. Detecting osmosis in polyester laminates with a moisture meter and reading moisture values
- 3.4. Tap testing and ultrasound to locate delamination and wet sandwich cores
- 3.5. Inspection of keels, keel bolts and the hull-to-keel joint according to ISO 12215 criteria
- 3.6. Assessing steel and aluminium hulls: thickness measurement, pitting and galvanic corrosion
- 3.7. Checking through-hulls, seacocks and water intakes: materials, seals and watertightness
- 3.8. Preparing the inspection report with photographs, damage maps and proposed work
Surface treatments and antifouling
- 4.1. Surface preparation: mechanical sanding, soft blasting and control of roughness and cleanliness
- 4.2. Gelcoat repair: fillers, repair gelcoat, catalysts and curing times
- 4.3. Osmosis treatment: peeling, controlled drying, relaminating and epoxy primers
- 4.4. Primer systems and epoxy barriers: dry film thickness and number of coats
- 4.5. Self-polishing, hard and biocide-free antifouling: selection according to use and area
- 4.6. Application by roller, brush and airless spray following the data sheet, temperature and relative humidity
- 4.7. Painting topsides, boot top and non-slip decks with polyurethane systems
- 4.8. Quality control: thickness gauges, cross-cut adhesion tests and batch records
Maintenance of shafts, propellers and appendages
- 5.1. Removing and inspecting propellers: pitch, diameter, cavitation, deformation and balancing
- 5.2. Propeller shafts: measuring wear, alignment and checking run-out with a dial indicator
- 5.3. Stern tubes and rubber cutless bearings: permissible clearances and renewal procedure
- 5.4. Stern tube shaft seals: traditional stuffing box, face seals and lip seals
- 5.5. Zinc, aluminium and magnesium sacrificial anodes: selection according to water and renewal plan
- 5.6. Rudders, stocks and rudder tubes: clearances, bearings and checking the watertightness of the tube
- 5.7. Inspecting drives, sterndrives and pods ashore: bellows, seals and cathodic protection
- 5.8. Maintenance of bow thrusters, transducers and sensors fitted to the underwater hull
Occupational safety and environmental management
- 6.1. Risk assessment in the boatyard: suspended loads, falls from height and boats tipping over
- 6.2. Personal protective equipment against dust, solvents, isocyanates and biocides
- 6.3. Working at height on scaffolding and elevated platforms alongside the hull
- 6.4. Fire prevention in painting areas and storage of flammable products
- 6.5. Managing wash water: separators, settling and treatment before discharge
- 6.6. Classifying and storing hazardous waste: antifouling residue, oils, filters and containers
- 6.7. Sewage and bilge water under MARPOL Annexes IV and I: emptying and delivery to a licensed waste handler
- 6.8. Safety data sheets and the REACH Regulation applied to marine maintenance products
Winter lay-up, storage and dry stack operation
- 7.1. Preparing engines for winter: oil change, antifreeze and fuel stabiliser
- 7.2. Protecting fresh water, black water and air conditioning systems against frost
- 7.3. Batteries, electronics and sails in storage: maintenance charging and humidity control
- 7.4. Covers, canvas and interior ventilation to prevent condensation and mould
- 7.5. Managing dry stack racks: capacities, slot allocation and boat rotation
- 7.6. On-demand launch and retrieval service: bookings, handling times and launch protocol
- 7.7. Boatyard and marina management software: berth inventory, work orders and invoicing
- 7.8. Operational indicators: occupancy, average haul-out time, incidents and customer satisfaction
Integrative project: complete haul-out plan
- 8.1. Selecting a typical boat and gathering drawings, technical data sheet and maintenance history
- 8.2. Designing the lifting procedure: lifting points, lifting equipment and blocking layout
- 8.3. Planning the underwater hull inspection with a checklist, instruments and acceptance criteria
- 8.4. Defining the surface treatment and antifouling system with consumption calculations
- 8.5. Maintenance plan for shaft line, propeller, anodes and water intakes with a spare parts list
- 8.6. Occupational risk assessment and waste management plan specific to the project
- 8.7. Work schedule, resource allocation and detailed quotation for the owner
- 8.8. Writing the final report and presenting the haul-out, launch and handover plan
Duration and format of the Professional Diploma in Boatyard and Dry Stack Marina Technical Operations
It is 800 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the instalment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programmes.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Professional Diploma in Boatyard and Dry Stack Marina Technical Operations
Career opportunities after the Professional Diploma in Boatyard and Dry Stack Marina Technical Operations
Questions about the Professional Diploma in Boatyard and Dry Stack Marina Technical Operations
You will study in detail the components, capacities and lifting procedures for travel hoists, cranes and boat forklifts. The programme focuses on safe planning of the lift and preventive maintenance of the equipment. Operating it in practice requires the specific training that each facility demands.
Although the main focus is on polyester and epoxy laminates, which are standard on leisure craft, it also covers thickness measurement, galvanic corrosion and cathodic protection on steel and aluminium hulls.
The programme covers wash water management, hazardous waste such as antifouling residue and oils, MARPOL Annexes I and IV and the REACH Regulation applied to maintenance products, all focused on the daily operation of the boatyard.
You draw up a complete haul-out plan for a typical boat: lifting procedure, underwater hull inspection, surface treatment, shaft line maintenance, risk assessment, schedule and quotation for the owner.
Yes. Module 7 covers rack management, slot allocation, on-demand launch services, management software and the operational indicators used to run a dry stack marina.
The professional diploma is taught online and comprises 800 hours of study across 8 modules of about 100 hours each, ending with an integrative project in which you apply what you have learned to a complete technical case.
More programmes in Ports and marinas
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enrol in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at deckhands, leisure port staff, mechanics and boating enthusiasts who want to specialise in the technical operation of boatyards and dry stack marinas.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a camera for live sessions and project presentations.
- Admission: enrolment is open all year round; online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrolmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enrol
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.