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On-site repair · Yachts and commercial vessels

Superyacht engine repair, carried out on board.

A marine diesel engineer at the vessel, usually within days: fault diagnosis, in-situ repair and a documented hand-over. We work dockside, in the shipyard and alongside your crew — Europe-wide, with worldwide travel on request.

Scope
Diagnosis, repair, sea trial
Where
On board, dockside or in the yard
Engines
CAT, Cummins, MAN, MTU
Urgent line
+31 6 20743967
What we repair

Engine trouble on a superyacht is a scheduling problem before it is a technical one

A charter slot, a yard period or an owner's trip usually depends on the engine being right. That is why superyacht engine repair is as much about clear information as it is about tooling: what is actually wrong, what it takes to fix it, and how long the vessel is out of service. We give you that picture before the spanners come out.

Superyacht Engine Service is the superyacht division of Marine Service Altena B.V., a Dutch marine engineering company with years of experience on complex diesel engine work — from inland commercial fleets to international yacht projects. We are an independent service provider: our loyalty is to the vessel and the engineer responsible for it.

Typical faults

Faults we are called out for

  • Loss of power and unexplained load limits — turbocharger condition, fuel delivery, charge air and exhaust back pressure checked against the engine's own data.
  • Overheating and cooling faults — heat exchangers, raw water circuit, thermostats, header tanks and pump condition.
  • Black, white or blue smoke — injection timing and injector condition, valve clearances, air supply, or a combustion problem developing behind it.
  • Starting problems and hard starting — starting air or electric starting, fuel priming, compression and injection.
  • Oil consumption, oil in the coolant, coolant in the oil — cylinder head, liner, gasket and cooler diagnosis before it becomes a rebuild.
  • Vibration and noise — alignment, mounts, coupling condition, imbalance and bearing wear. See engine and shaft alignment.
  • Alarms and fault codes — electronic engine management read out and interpreted, then verified against the mechanical reality.
  • Generator faults — covered on our generator service and repair page.
Fault codes tell you where to look, not what is broken. We diagnose with instruments and with the engine running — pressures, temperatures, exhaust readings, crankcase pressure, oil analysis and compression — so the repair addresses the cause, not the symptom.
How a callout runs

From first call to sea trial

StageWhat happensTypical timing
First contactPhone, WhatsApp or the form on this page. Symptoms, engine type, running hours, location and departure date.Same day
Remote assessmentWe talk it through with your engineer, review photos, alarm lists and logged data, and advise what to check before we travel.Within hours
MobilisationEngineer travels to the vessel with tooling and the parts most likely to be needed.Days, faster for urgent cases
Diagnosis on boardMeasurement-based fault finding, followed by a written finding and a quotation for the repair.Same visit
RepairIn-situ repair where possible; component removal and workshop work where it is the right call.Per agreed plan
Testing and hand-overLoad test or sea trial, readings recorded, work documented for the vessel's maintenance file.Before we leave
Working with crew and yards

We fit into the way you already work

Most of our work comes through chief engineers, yacht management companies, shipyards and marine service intermediaries. That means arriving with the right paperwork, respecting the vessel's ISM and permit-to-work procedures, keeping the engine room clean, and reporting in a form you can pass on to the owner or the class surveyor without rewriting it.

  • One point of contact — the engineer who diagnoses the fault stays on the job through hand-over.
  • Documented findings — measurements, photos and parts used, recorded per vessel.
  • Discreet on board — we work around guests, crew routines and yard schedules.
  • Subcontract friendly — we regularly work as the diesel specialist inside a larger refit or repair scope.
Engine expertise

Engines we work on most

Hands-on experience across the brands that power most of the fleet: Caterpillar / CAT (including engines supplied through PON Power), Cummins, MAN and MTU, plus the generator sets built around them. We are an independent workshop and not an authorised dealer or official service partner of any engine manufacturer; brand names are used only to describe the equipment we service.

Questions we get asked

Frequently asked questions

How quickly can an engineer be at the vessel?

For urgent cases in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean we normally mobilise within days, and we start advising by phone immediately. Call +31 6 20743967 with the vessel location and departure date and you will get a realistic answer, not a placeholder.

Can the repair be done with the vessel in the water?

Most engine work — injectors, cylinder heads, turbochargers, coolers, pumps, fuel systems, alignment checks — is done in situ with the vessel afloat. We only recommend lifting or removing an engine when the scope genuinely requires it.

Do you supply parts as well?

Yes. We source genuine and OEM-equivalent parts through established suppliers and advise honestly on where genuine parts matter and where a quality equivalent is sound engineering.

Do you work on commercial vessels too?

Yes. The company grew up on commercial and inland shipping engines, which is exactly where high running hours and unforgiving schedules build diagnostic experience. We serve both fleets.

What information should I have ready when I call?

Engine make and model, running hours, the alarms or fault codes shown, when the symptom appears (cold, under load, at what RPM), what has already been checked, the vessel location and the date you need to sail.

Service enquiry

Tell us about the engine and the vessel.

Send the details below and you will hear back from an engineer, not a call centre. For a vessel that is stranded or on a tight departure slot, call +31 6 20743967 or message us on WhatsApp.

Direct line

Engine down? Get an engineer on the case today.

Describe the symptoms and we will tell you straight away whether it can be resolved on board, what parts are likely needed, and when we can be at the vessel.

Superyacht Engine Service — powered by Marine Service Altena B.V.
+31 6 20743967 · info@superyachtengineservice.com
KvK 99330911 · Available for callout across Europe
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