The boat is going into a six-week yard period with hot work in the saloon and a transatlantic crossing after it. The captain announces that the art is coming off. A team of art handlers arrives with cases, foam and a clipboard, and the chief stew tells you that you are escorting them. You are not there to lift. You are there to watch, check and write everything down.
Why Art Comes Off
Art is de-installed and stored ashore whenever the risk onboard rises sharply:
- Yard periods - dust, grinding, welding, hot work, paint fumes, contractors, no environmental control, no security.
- Long ocean passages - sustained motion, slamming, vibration and heavy weather.
- Major refit or interior works - anything that turns a saloon into a building site.
- Owner instruction - a piece leaving for exhibition, sale, loan or conservation.
Who Actually Does It
Not you. De-installation, packing, crating, transport and storage are done by professional art handlers, coordinated by the yacht art-management company or the owner art adviser, with the insurer and the broker in the loop. They provide the condition reports, the crates, the transport and the climate-controlled store ashore. The interior never de-installs, packs, crates or carries art in a move.
The Interior Role in a Move
Your job is real and it is not lifting.
| Task | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Documentation | Check every item against the inventory; record what leaves and what stays |
| Condition checking | Witness and countersign the handler condition report before and after |
| Photography | Ensure agreed record photographs exist, taken to the owner rules |
| Escorting | Never leave contractors or handlers alone with the collection |
| Access control | Manage doors, routes, keys, lift and security; keep other crew clear |
| Handover | Confirm crate numbers, destination, and who signed for what |
Packing and Transport Basics
You should understand the principles so you can spot a problem, not so you can do the work. Packing is layered: an inner wrap chosen not to react with the surface, then cushioning that absorbs shock and vibration, then a rigid outer case. Crates are built to size, marked with orientation arrows, sealed against moisture and, for valuable works, climate-buffered. Works travel upright, secured, never flat and never stacked. Storage ashore is specialist, climate-controlled, secure and insured - not a container on a quay and not a crew locker.
Storage That Goes Wrong
Anything left aboard in the yard must be recorded, protected and controlled. A piece wrapped in plastic sheet in a hot store will sweat. A piece put in a locker without its label becomes a piece without provenance. If art is staying onboard through works, it must be documented, isolated, environmentally protected and physically protected by professionals.
Onboard Notes
- Handlers handle. The interior documents, checks, escorts and controls access.
- Nothing moves without an inventory entry and a condition report.
- Never improvise packing. Bubble wrap, bin liners, blankets and cling film cause damage.
- If art is staying aboard through a yard period, escalate. That decision is not the interior to make.