When we brought our 26-meter sailing yacht to Amico Loano for a mid-life refit, we expected the yard’s team to be competent and organised. Instead, we encountered unskilled laborers who clearly lacked the knowledge to work on complex systems. Simple fittings were misaligned, winches were mounted incorrectly, and the deck hardware looked like it had been installed by amateurs.

The electrical work was equally shocking. New circuits were wired incorrectly, causing frequent trips and mysterious power drains. When we raised these issues, the yard insisted it was «normal teething problems» and asked for more time and money to troubleshoot problems they had created.

What was supposed to be a six-week project ballooned into four months of chaos. There was no coordination between subcontractors, deadlines came and went, and every delay was accompanied by invoices for «unforeseen complications.» The yard’s management offered no accountability and often avoided our calls.

By the end of the ordeal, we had spent nearly double our original budget and still had to hire another yard to correct many of the mistakes. I warn other captains and owners to stay away from Amico Loano if they value their time and vessels.

— Giovanni Ferraro