Yacht Sanitization in Marbella
Heat, full occupancy and air conditioning that never switches off.
Marbella and Puerto Banús are summer ports in the fullest sense: the yacht is occupied, the air conditioning runs around the clock and the water in the tanks is never cold. Those three things together are what we are called for here — a cabin that smells the moment the fan coil starts, and water that is warmer at the tap than it should be.
When the AC never stops, the wet side never dries
A fan coil that runs 24 hours a day is a fan coil whose condensate tray never empties.
In cooler ports a fan coil gets a few hours a day to dry out. In Marbella in August it does not. The coil stays wet, the tray stays full, and the dust that comes through the filter settles on a permanently damp surface. That is the smell guests notice the moment the unit starts.
The fix is mechanical: the unit opened, coil and tray cleaned, the drain line cleared so the tray actually empties. A fragrance in the vent does nothing for a wet tray. We do this cabin by cabin, so the yacht stays in use while it is done.
On the water side, tank water that sits at summer temperature is the reason we sample here more than almost anywhere else. The question is not whether the water is warm — it is — but what is growing in it.
Everything we can treat while you are in Marbella
The same six jobs make up almost every visit. On most yachts more than one of them is needed at the same time, which is why we survey first and then plan them into a single stop.
Fresh water system
Tanks, distribution lines and every outlet treated as one network, then checked.
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Legionella testing and remediation
A sampling plan, accredited lab analysis, and treatment across the whole network if a sample comes back positive.
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HVAC and air ducts
Ducts and air handling units opened, cleaned and checked, cabin by cabin.
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Fan coils and air conditioning
Units opened, coils and filters cleaned, condensate trays checked — where the smell on start-up usually comes from.
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Galley hoods and extraction
Filters, hood and the duct run behind it degreased, right up to the fan.
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Odour and mould investigation
Finding where a smell or a damp patch actually starts, instead of covering it.
Read moreSee the full list of services if you are looking for something more specific, such as water sampling, post-refit or charter turnaround work.
Mid-season is the hardest time, and the most common
Most calls from Marbella come with guests on board, not before them.
That changes how we work. Cabins are treated one at a time, early in the day, and put back before they are needed. The fresh-water system is disinfected overnight, with the crew told exactly when the taps are back.
If the yacht has a lay-day, that is the window we ask for. If it does not, we work around the programme and say plainly what can and cannot be done with guests aboard.
From the first call to the report
The sequence is the same whichever berth you are on in Marbella. What changes is the timing, and that is planned around the yacht rather than around us.
We look before we quote
A technician goes through the yacht with the crew: which outlets are used daily and which almost never, where the air handling units sit, what the crew has actually noticed.
The visit is planned around you
We fit the work into the window you have — between charters, during a yard period, or over a quiet weekend alongside.
We work alongside
No yard move and no lift. The heavy equipment stays on the quay; only hoses and a small dosing unit come aboard, on protected decks.
You get it in writing
Sampling points, what was done, and the laboratory report where water was analysed. That document is what closes the job.
A clean system is easy to prove when every step is written down. That is what we hand to the captain.
Francesco Colombo
CEO · AirBio Marine, a division of AirBio (Ekonore S.r.l.)
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Our own technicians, certified processes
Every intervention is carried out by AirBio technicians employed and trained in house, never subcontracted. We work under certified management systems and close each job with a technical report the captain can file on board.
- ISO 9001Quality
- ISO 14001Environment
- ISO 45001Health & safety
- ISO 16636Pest management
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What a visit looks like
A few moments from the jobs we do on yachts every season: the equipment on the quay, the systems we open and the checks we close with. The same way of working applies in Marbella.
Other ports on the same run
If the yacht moves before we get to you, or you are berthed one harbour along, these are the pages for the ports next door.
Working in Marbella: frequently asked questions
The cabins smell as soon as the air conditioning starts. Why here more than elsewhere?
Because in Marbella the units rarely switch off, so the coil and the condensate tray never dry. Dust settles on a permanently wet surface and that is what you smell. Cleaning the unit, tray and drain line fixes it; a filter change alone does not.
Can you work with guests on board?
Yes, and in Marbella that is the usual case. Cabins are done one at a time and returned the same morning; the water system is treated overnight. We tell the crew in advance what will be out of use and for how long.
Is warm tank water a problem in itself?
Warm water is not dangerous on its own, but it is the condition in which bacteria multiply fastest. That is why sampling matters here: a laboratory result tells you what is actually in the water rather than guessing from the temperature.
How far in advance should we call?
Marbella is reached on request from our base in Viareggio, so a few days of notice helps. If several yachts in the marina need work in the same week we can often combine visits; the technician confirms the date on the first call.
In Marbella?
Tell us the yacht, her length, the yard or berth and the dates. A technician calls you back within 24 hours.
Tell us about the yacht
Yacht length, marina, systems and what you have noticed on board. A technician reads the message and calls you back to plan the survey.
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Where we work
Italian Riviera and Tuscany marinas and yards — Viareggio, La Spezia, Portofino, Genoa, Sanremo, Livorno, Argentario — and other Mediterranean ports on request.
Documented work
Every job ends with a technical report and photos for the yacht's records.