The expansion plans include waterfront offices which will overlook the Southampton Estuary. This will give clients, guests and subcontractors a place to work and carry out project meetings in a modern and relaxed surrounding. There will be a lounge area and a gym for crew and guests. They will be opening a chandlery on site to service the surrounding area.

Solent Refit has invested in, amongst other things, a 30T Telescopic Mobile Crane, 3 T Manitou, 3T Forklift and a Mobile Cherry Picker, ensuring efficiency in the yard. The shipyard has also invested in its own dredger and hopper barge in order to dredge and maintain the slipway, deep water berths and estuary along with local marinas and harbours.  

Allan Foot, Managing Director of Solent Refit said,  “We are delighted with the newly signed extended lease, it gives our customers security that we are here to stay and it allows us to build on what we have and ultimately focus on making the facility one which our customers wish to return to for years to come. For the local community this gives peace of mind that the marine industry is secure here in Hythe and opens up the potential for us to employ more local quality skilled tradespeople who have a passion for the yachting industry.  More importantly we are introducing a long overdue apprenticeship scheme with this new lease of life for the shipyard.”


Video via Youtube, Superyacht Business

Solent Refit is ideally located on the Southampton Water with easy road, air and rail link access. This zero- rated facility is capable of taking vessels out of the water, up to 1650T, 20m to 65m on our horizontal platform slipway.  The yachts are then transferred into any of our 3 halls effortlessly via a powered rail system. The site has 2 x deep water 120m berths with an additional 15 x full service deep water berths on floating platforms, all with 24 hour security.

The 10,000 square metre undercover working halls can house around 10 x 30m Superyachts, 2 x 45m superyachts and 2 x 65m superyachts outside. In 2008 the facility had a new £1m roof installed.

Solent Refit has a highly skilled and qualified marine workforce in structural (steel, stainless steel, aluminum), mechanical and electrical engineering, including woodwork specialists (riding crews available within a moments notice). The site boasts an impressive fully equipped mechanical, structural, electrical and wood workshops, including electrical and general stores.