Yacht Sanitization in Portofino
A small harbour with big yachts — the real question is how the equipment gets aboard.
Portofino is one of the most visited stops on the Ligurian coast, and one of the smallest harbours. Quay space is tight, and many larger yachts lie at anchor in the bay or berth nearby in Santa Margherita Ligure or Rapallo. For us that changes one thing: how we bring the equipment to the yacht. The work on board is the same as anywhere else.
Quay, tender or the next marina
We plan the logistics first, because that decides what can be done during the stop.
When the yacht is alongside in Portofino, the units stay on the quay and the hoses go aboard, as in any other port. When she is at anchor, the air-side work — fan coils, grilles, air conditioning units — can usually be done with the equipment brought out by tender.
A full fresh-water system disinfection needs more equipment and more time. For that we normally suggest doing it when the yacht is in a marina with quay access, such as Santa Margherita, Rapallo, Genoa or La Spezia, before or after the Portofino stop.
Water samples for Legionella or general analysis are easy anywhere: they are taken on board and the laboratory result reaches you by email.
Everything we can treat while you are in Portofino
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.
Short stops, so plan the work around them
Portofino is usually a stop of a few days in a busy summer programme.
The most useful thing is to tell us the whole programme, not only the Portofino dates. We then put each job where it fits best: quick air-side work during the stop, and the water system in the marina where the yacht spends a longer night.
Outside July and August, when the harbour is quieter, more of the work can be done here directly.
From the first call to the report
The sequence is the same whichever berth you are on in Portofino. 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.
We come to the yacht, work at the berth and leave a written report. The crew keeps running the boat.
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 Portofino.
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 Portofino: frequently asked questions
Can you work on a yacht at anchor in Portofino bay?
For air-side work, usually yes: fan coils, grilles and split units can be cleaned with the equipment brought out by tender. A full water-system disinfection is better done alongside, in a marina with quay access.
Is it better to do the work in Santa Margherita or Rapallo instead?
For larger jobs, often yes, because the units can stay on the quay. We look at the programme with you and suggest where each job fits.
How far is Portofino from your base?
Our team works out of Viareggio, on the Tuscan coast. Portofino is on the same coast, reached on request; the technician confirms the date on the first call.
Can you take water samples during a short stop?
Yes. Sampling takes minutes on board. The samples go to the laboratory and the result reaches you by email wherever the yacht is by then.
In Portofino?
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.