Bay Ship & Yacht

What Bay Ship & Yacht does

Bay Ship & Yacht Co. (BSY) is a full-service ship repair, refit, and new construction facility headquartered in Alameda, California, operating from a 20,000 sq ft main building and approximately 105,000 sq ft of dry berth work zone, with an overflow pier facility at Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Founded in 1977 by Bill Elliott and primarily focused initially on wooden ship construction, the yard serves five core customer segments — commercial vessels (tugs, barges, work boats), the commercial fishing fleet, federal and state government and military customers, superyacht owners (vessels to 390 feet and 3,000 tons), and traditional/historic wooden ships — and operates as one of the largest private-sector employers in the City of Alameda with 200+ skilled craftsmen across 14 in-house craft departments.

The yard's infrastructure centers on HMB-1, a 6,300-ton covered floating dry dock that is the only covered facility of its kind on the U.S. West Coast, supported by Dry Dock 1 (2,800-ton concrete floating dock with 390-foot vessel capacity), a 1,200-ton/220-foot Syncrolift, 1,700 feet of dockside berthage, and a 20,000 sq ft building housing machine, fabrication, joiner, pipe, and propeller shops. Service modules span electrical, SSPC QP-1-certified painting and surface preparation, ABS/USCG-certified welding with a CNC plate burner accurate to one sixty-fourth of an inch, marine machining with 40-foot propeller shaft turning capacity, hydraulics, propeller reconditioning (12-inch boat props to 26-foot ship's wheels), shipwright/joinery, lagging/insulation, drydocking, and project management; in-house naval architecture and marine engineering are delivered through the Bay Design & Engineering sub-brand. A proprietary Quality Control Checkpoint Plan (QCCP) governs every project through hundreds of individual inspections across all 14 departments and was accepted by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) in 2015.

Revenue is generated through custom, project-based contracts scoped per vessel, with dedicated project managers assigned to each engagement and no standardized pricing publicly disclosed. Customer engagement is sales-led through a Sales & Marketing Manager and a Chief Naval Architect working directly with vessel owners, federal agencies, and commercial operators; multi-year contracts are common. The company is employee-owned via an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) trust since November 17, 2023, after founders Bill Elliott and Alan Cameron sold to the trust; prior to that point it was privately held and had operated from Alameda for approximately 30 years.

Name

Bay Ship & Yacht

Legal name

Bay Ship & Yacht Co.

Website

https://bay-ship.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bay Ship & Yacht is a full-service Alameda, California shipyard offering repair, refit, and new construction for commercial vessels, government and military ships, superyachts to 390 feet, and historic wooden vessels, delivered through 14 in-house craft departments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ship Repair and Refit Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Ship and Boat Building (33661)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Heavy Lifting & Material Handling Infrastructure (Goliath Cranes, Jib Cranes, Hoists) (IMAJALAD)

Keywords

• Ship repair services
• Vessel refit services
• Marine engineering
• Dry dock services
• Naval architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Alameda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ship Repair and Refit Services: Project-based ship repair and refit services for commercial vessels, government/military vessels, superyachts, and traditional/historical wooden ships. Services include drydocking, electrical, painting, pipefitting, welding, structural work, propeller repair, machine shop, fabrication, hydraulic systems, engineering and design, and project management. Revenue is generated through custom project quotes based on vessel size, scope of work, and duration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Bay Ship & Yacht is a full-service shipyard providing ship repair, refit, and new construction services from its Alameda, California facility. The company serves commercial, government/military, superyacht, fishing, and traditional/historical vessel markets through 14 in-house craft departments backed by floating dry docks, a Syncrolift, machine and fabrication shops, and an in-house propeller shop.

Product overview

Bay Ship & Yacht is a full-service shipyard offering integrated ship repair, refit, and new construction services from its Alameda, California facility. The core offering is organized around five market-facing service lines — Commercial, Government & Military, Superyacht, Traditional/Historic, and Fishing vessel refit and repair — each supported by a network of 14 skilled in-house craft departments. Three specialized divisions operate as sub-brands: Bay Design & Engineering (naval architecture and marine engineering), Bay Machine & Fabrication (industrial machining and metal fabrication), and Bay Propeller (dedicated propeller shop). Infrastructure includes HMB-1 (the only covered dry dock on the U.S. West Coast, 6,300-ton capacity), Dry Dock 1 (2,800-ton concrete floating dock, 390-foot vessel length), a 1,200-ton Syncrolift, 105,000 sq ft dry berth work zone, 1,700 feet of dockside berthage, and a Treasure Island overflow pier facility. Service modules span electrical, painting/surface preparation, pipefitting, welding/structural, marine machinist, hydraulics, drydocking, project management, engineering/design, lagging/insulation, and shipwright/joinery. Quality assurance is delivered through a QCCP-based management system accepted by NAVSEA in 2015, supplemented by SSPC QP-1 certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Refit & Repair Dry land workstations for vessels up to 200 feet and 1,200 tons; dry-dock service for vessels up to 390 feet and 6,300 tons; refit and repair services for commercial vessels including tugs, barges, work boats, and fishing vessels.
• Government & Military Refit & Repair Vessel refit and repair services for U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, Army, U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, and NOAA, with experienced project managers and contracts administrators handling documentation and compliance requirements.
• Superyacht Refit & Repair Full service dry land and dry-dock refit for superyachts up to 120 meters (390 feet) and 3,000 tons, with dedicated project managers and crew amenities including private offices with satellite TV, Wi-Fi, and bicycle access around the yard.
• Traditional Ship Refit, Repair & New Construction Refit, repair, and new construction of wooden and historic ships, including tall ships, schooners, and brigs, serving the National Park Service and state maritime programs. Notable projects include reconstruction of the C.A. Thayer, the War of 1812 brig Niagara, and full-rigged iron ship Balclutha.
• Fishing Vessel Refit & Repair Comprehensive dry-berthing and repair services for commercial fishing vessels, utilizing two floating drydocks, a Syncrolift, and 1,000 feet of rails, with in-house capabilities including naval architecture, re-powering, electrical, hydraulic, and prop services.
• Bay Design & Engineering In-house naval architecture and marine engineering department providing vessel structural modifications, re-powering, stability analysis, rudder and stabilizer design, regulatory agency conformance, and preliminary to complete detailed new vessel design and cost estimates; led by Chief Naval Architect Joel Welter.
• Bay Machine & Fabrication Full-service industrial machine and metal working shop capable of turning 40-foot propeller shafts with ABS-approved shaft welding, precise machining/cutting/milling/broach/drilling, main engine installation and alignment, and vibration analysis and cure; ABS and USCG certified welders working with exotic metals.
• Bay Propeller Dedicated in-house propeller division offering full-service reconditioning and repair from 12-inch boat propellers to 26-foot ship's wheels, including truing, balancing, re-pitching, cupping, computerized analysis, exotic metal welding, polishing, crack detection, edge restoration, shaft straightening, ABS-certified shaft welding, and pump/impeller/bowl repair.
• Drydocking Services Professional docking facility with capacity to haul vessels up to 6,300 tons, 390 feet in length and 76 feet in width, overseen by experienced heavy ship lift operators with state-of-the-art equipment.
• Project Management Dedicated project managers overseeing all project elements to ensure schedule milestones and quality objectives are achieved, with regular coordination meetings between vessel management and shipyard activity.
• Welding & Structural Services ABS and USCG certified welders skilled in steel and aluminum structural fabrication, new construction, and repair; equipped with a CNC plate burner cutting to one sixty-fourth of an inch tolerance; capable of building everything from historic sailing ship fittings to superyacht modules.
• Electrical Services Regulatory-compliant electrical team providing engine, generator, switchboard, control system, steering system, and sensor refits; specializes in designing, building, and integrating custom control panels and DC distribution panels for repower needs.
• Painting & Surface Preparation SSPC QP-1 certified painters handling hull and topside painting, tank linings, blasting and recoating, with expertise in inorganic zinc, epoxy, and polysiloxane copolymer systems. Surface prep includes sandblasting, mechanical cleaning, and 100% contained external/internal sandblasting.
• Shipwright / Joinery Traditional shipbuilding and repair including wood and stainless cabinetry, doors and furnishings, veneered and colored panel systems, hard and soft wood decking, and painted or bright surface finishes; positioned as America's premier shipyard for traditional wooden shipbuilding.

Quantifiable outcome

• Absolute customer satisfaction guaranteed - company mission statement commitment

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Rybovich: Premier superyacht refit and service facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, with covered shed capacity comparable to BSY's HMB-1. Competes for the same global superyacht refit demand but primarily serves Atlantic and Caribbean itineraries.
• Front Street Shipyard: Belfast, Maine full-service shipyard offering new construction, refit, and storage for yachts and commercial vessels. Comparable in integrated service breadth to BSY but serves the U.S. East Coast yacht and commercial market.
• Hodgdon Yachts: East Boothbay, Maine superyacht builder and refit yard with covered construction capability. Competes with BSY for high-end yacht refit projects on the U.S. East Coast with similar craftsmanship-led positioning.

Direct peers

• Vigor Industrial: Largest U.S. West Coast ship repair, conversion, and construction operator with yards in Seattle, Portland, and historically Alameda. Competes directly with BSY on commercial, fishing, and government vessel work using comparable floating drydocks and Syncrolift systems.
• Pacific Ship Repair & Fabrication: San Diego-based ship repair and metal fabrication yard servicing commercial and government vessels on the U.S. West Coast. Competes with BSY for Navy, MSC, and commercial ship repair work in California.
• Nichols Brothers Boat Builders: Whidbey Island, Washington aluminum vessel builder and ship repair yard. Competes with BSY on West Coast government ferry and commercial vessel newbuild and refit work, particularly for passenger and specialty vessels.
• Continental Maritime of San Diego (HII): San Diego-based full-service ship repair yard owned by Huntington Ingalls Industries, focused on Navy and Coast Guard vessel maintenance. Competes with BSY for U.S. West Coast federal vessel repair contracts requiring NAVSEA-accepted quality systems.
• Mare Island Dry Dock: Northern California (Solano County) ship repair yard serving commercial, government, and commercial fishing customers on San Francisco Bay. Directly competes for the same regional customer base as BSY with overlapping floating drydock and pierside repair capabilities.
• Bay Marine Boatworks: BSY's affiliated Richmond, CA full-service boatyard (referenced as Bay Marine Boatworks in the company description). Operates as a sister facility for smaller craft and shares the Bay Area ship repair customer pool.

Broad incumbents

• Foss Maritime: Pacific Northwest maritime services company with shipyard, terminal, and towing operations. Overlaps with BSY on West Coast commercial vessel repair, tug/barge work, and government marine services, but operates more as a diversified maritime operator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bay Ship & Yacht