What Clients Say About Working With KEY Marine Advisors
-
"We greatly appreciate the care taken with WineR, the exceptional quality of the work performed, and in particular, the expertise and skills of Mr. Youngchild. From the initial contact with Ken over two years ago to the completion of the work on February 15, our experience with him was nothing short of stellar. As new boat owners two years ago of the size and complexity of our boat, Ken’s knowledge and understanding of the work that needed to be done and the expertise with which he supervised it gave us the confidence we needed that WineR would leave the yard fully restored and seaworthy, and that she was!"
— B. Andrews | M/Y WineR
-
"My overall experience was superb. Ken Youngchild did a superior job...from the initial discussion about the process to overseeing outside vendors and making certain that the jobs were done correctly and in a timely manner. I could not be more pleased and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the service and the strong communication from start to finish. I would not hesitate to strongly recommend Ken Youngchild to my fellow boaters in need of any kind of service. First class all the way!"
— E. Rorer | M/Y Nightcap
-
"This was our first experience and our expectations were greatly exceeded. We have been “on the water” for over 35 years on seven boats, have had work performed by a number of marine service providers in many shipyards. Ken Youngchild delivered the best service we have ever experienced! Ken expertly managed the repair process and timeline and delivered Spirit on schedule while ensuring the repairs were professionally completed. It was very obvious that Ken is an effective leader and well respected by his team and subcontractors. We look forward to working with you next year!."
— T. Rice | M/Y Spirit
-
“Thank you for your daily update and pictures. In my 40 years of boating I have never been more impressed. You have exceeded my expectations so far. It has been less than a week since the boat arrived and you have already hauled, inspected, provided quotes, and have already removed the entire cockpit deck to expose the problem.”
— D. Finley | M/Y Finn McCool
-
“Our experience was awesome. Ken was the most professional and knowledgeable project manager we have ever worked with. All work was done to perfection. The "Queen" has never run better. Thank you for the great experience.”
— S. Barber | M/Y Queen Mab
-
“Absolutely first class service! Ken is a rock star as are the rest of his team.”
— B. Leonard | M/Y NV
A Recent Engagement — Project Summary
The following is an anonymized summary of a past project. It is included to illustrate how a KEY Marine Advisors engagement is structured and what clients typically experience.
Project: Emergency Drydock - Accelerated Refit
Vessel: 96ft Commercial Tug / Fleet Vessel
Location: East Coast, United States
The Situation
The vessel arrived at the repair facility under emergency conditions following a severe grounding incident. The damage accelerated a refit that had already been on the client's corporate planning horizon — compressing what would have been an orderly, pre-planned program into an urgent, time-pressured execution. Extended lead times on shaftline rebuilding and related propulsion machinery meant the project clock started before the full scope was clear.
The Challenge
Unlike a conventional drydock refit with a defined work list and stable budget, this engagement was characterized by frequent change orders, iterative task execution, and a scope baseline that shifted multiple times as in-field inspections revealed the true extent of the damage. The shaftline work in particular required progressive assessment — each phase of dismantling and inspection informing the next round of decisions. Managing this iterative process while keeping the client's corporate office fully informed, stakeholders aligned, and approval cycles short enough to avoid compounding the delay was the central operational challenge throughout the project.
What KEY Marine Advisors Did
KEY Marine Advisors provided structured project oversight and owner-side representation throughout the engagement — establishing a reporting framework early that could accommodate scope change without losing budget visibility or stakeholder confidence. As the work scope evolved, each change order was documented, costed, and presented to the corporate client with a clear recommendation before execution. This kept decision-making timely and prevented the ambiguity of an open-ended scope from creating approval bottlenecks or uncontrolled cost exposure.
Communication discipline was prioritized from day one. The client's corporate office received consistent structured reporting regardless of how fluid the day-to-day situation was on the ground — ensuring that no budget increase or schedule adjustment ever came as a surprise.
The Outcome
The project was delivered within budget. Against a Budget at Completion of $1.13 million, final costs came in approximately 3% under after corporate reconciliation — a result that reflected the discipline applied to change order management and cost tracking throughout an inherently unpredictable scope. The 96ft commercial tug was returned to service having completed a comprehensive drydock refit under emergency conditions, on a compressed timeline, with full stakeholder alignment maintained throughout.
These are the outcomes our clients experienced. If you are planning a refit, managing a repair period, or preparing for a new build — and you want the same level of independent oversight, clear communication, and disciplined project control — we would be glad to hear from you.
Superyacht berthed in service basin following refit completion at Georgia shipyard — co-managed by KEY Marine Advisors, East Coast United States