Owner's Representative · Poland
Owner's Representative Poland
Independent owner's representative for yacht new builds and major refits in Polish yards — UK-qualified surveyor working on the buyer's side from contract through to delivery.
What this service involves
Poland has become one of Europe's most active yacht-building countries. Sailing yacht production, aluminium hulls, custom motor yachts and refit work are concentrated in the Tri-City (Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot), in Szczecin and along the Pomeranian coast, and in the inland and Masurian lake-district yards. For a UK or international buyer commissioning a Polish-built yacht — or a refit in a Polish yard — the cost and quality case is strong, but the distance makes regular site presence difficult.
An owner's representative closes that gap. SVG Marine acts only for the buyer: reading the specification before contract is signed, attending the yard for milestone inspections, verifying that the materials and suppliers used match the specification, managing change orders and variations, running the snag list to closure, and attending the factory acceptance and sea trial. At delivery we write the acceptance report against the contract specification and hand the owner a documentation pack for registration, classification and (where applicable) MCA commercial coding.
The role is part technical, part commercial and part diplomatic. Yards are generally proud of their work and want a smooth build; an experienced owner's representative keeps that relationship constructive by raising issues early, in writing, against a shared specification — rather than at handover, against memory.
We work to a transparent visit cadence agreed at the start of the engagement, with written milestone inspection reports, photographs and a running snag list available to the owner at all times. Engagements typically run for the full build cycle but can also be scoped tightly — for example, contract review only, or delivery acceptance only.
Where we work
We attend yards across the main Polish yacht-building areas. Visit cadence is agreed up front and recorded in a build-monitoring plan; ad-hoc visits to investigate specific issues are arranged as needed.
- Gdańsk
- Gdynia
- Sopot
- Szczecin
- Świnoujście
- Ostróda
- Augustów
- Giżycko
- Mikołajki
- Elbląg
- Wrocław
- Poznań
Recent projects
A selection of recent assignments — vessel and client details anonymised where required by our duty of confidentiality to owners, insurers and buyers.
Aluminium expedition sailing yacht — Gdańsk
Owner's representative engagement from contract through to delivery. Hull and structural close-up, tankage hydrostatic test witness and sea trial acceptance.
Production sailing yacht — Augustów
Milestone inspection programme for a private buyer commissioning a new-build sailing yacht; snag list closed out before delivery transit.
Motor yacht refit — Gdynia
Owner's representative for a major refit including re-engining, new electrical distribution and full interior refurbishment. Specification and change-order management throughout.
Custom catamaran — Szczecin
Build monitoring for a privately commissioned custom catamaran. Bonded-bulkhead and bridgedeck close-up, rig and forebeam verification.
Aluminium motor yacht — Świnoujście
Contract specification review and quarterly milestone inspections on an aluminium motor yacht for an international owner.
Sailing yacht delivery acceptance — Ostróda
Delivery-only engagement: factory acceptance, sea trial and handover documentation review, delivered as a single intensive visit.
Frequently asked questions
What does an owner's representative do?
An owner's representative is the buyer's eyes and ears on the build — independent of the yard. The role covers contract and specification review, milestone inspections, material and supplier verification, change-order management, sea trials, and signing the vessel off at handover.
Why use an owner's representative for a Polish-built yacht?
Poland has become one of Europe's most active yacht-building clusters — sailing yachts, motor yachts and aluminium hulls. Buyers benefit from competitive pricing and skilled labour, but distance from the yard makes regular site presence difficult. An owner's representative closes that gap.
Where in Poland do you work?
The main yacht-building areas: the Tri-City (Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot), Szczecin and the Pomeranian coast, Augustów and the Masurian lake-district yards, and the smaller specialist yards inland that build hulls for Western European fitting-out.
How often do you visit the yard?
Typical engagements include kick-off, hull-out-of-mould or hull turn-over, structural and tankage close-up, machinery and electrical installation milestone, fit-out close-up, factory acceptance, sea trial and delivery. Visit cadence is agreed up front and recorded in a build-monitoring plan.
Are you independent of the yard?
Yes. SVG Marine acts only for the buyer. We carry no yard, broker or builder retainers, and our reports are written for the owner's file — not for the yard's.
What documentation do I get?
After each visit you receive a written milestone inspection report with photographs, item-by-item findings categorised as critical / condition / recommendation, and a running snag list that is closed out before handover. At delivery you receive a final acceptance report and the documentation pack for registration, classification and any commercial coding.
Can you handle contract and specification review?
Yes. Pre-contract specification and build-contract review is one of the most valuable parts of the engagement — it is far cheaper to fix an unclear specification on paper than to argue about it at handover. We comment on technical scope, milestone definitions, change-order procedure and acceptance criteria.
Do you also handle delivery sea trial and handover?
Yes. We attend the factory acceptance trial, the sea trial, the delivery inspection and the handover — and write the acceptance report against the contract specification.
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