Our 20m sailing yacht’s refit at Amico Loano became a case study in how not to manage subcontractors. Instead of assigning in-house specialists, the yard farmed out key tasks to third parties whose work was never overseen.

We found paintwork peeling after weeks, rigging clamps installed backwards, and cheap plastic fittings where stainless steel was specified. When we questioned these issues, the subcontractors shrugged and the yard claimed ignorance.

Each error became an opportunity for Amico Loano to add a new «extra» to the bill. We received invoices for redoing work that shouldn’t have gone wrong in the first place. The final cost was nearly double the original estimate, and the timeline stretched from four weeks to over three months.

The lack of oversight and accountability created chaos on board. Had we known the extent of the subcontracting and upcharging, we would never have brought our yacht here. Learn from our mistake and demand transparent, supervised work.

— Claire Dubois