There’s a particular kind of busy that comes with running a working boatyard. It’s not just the vessels in the water or the lifts scheduled for the week, it’s the invoices that need chasing, the customer questions coming in from every direction, the storage records that have to be right, and the administration that somehow has to happen in between all of it. 

Dauntless Boatyard knows that feeling well. And it’s exactly why they went looking for something better. 

Growing pains, and the search for a smarter way to work 

Based in Canvey Island, Dauntless is a busy, working boatyard that has been growing steadily, and with growth came the realisation that the old ways of managing things simply weren’t going to cut it anymore. As Shaniene explains, the team needed “a more professional, efficient, and marine-focused way of managing day-to-day operations. We wanted something that could streamline administration, customer communication, invoicing, bookings, and general yard management while also improving the overall experience for our customers.” 

That’s a long list of requirements. Finding a system that genuinely ticked all of them wasn’t going to be straightforward. 

More than just software 

What Dauntless found in Harbour Assist wasn’t just a platform that could handle the operational side of things, it was a team that actually wanted to help them get it right. 

“What led us to choose Harbour Assist was not only the system itself, but the people behind it,” says Shaniene. “From the very beginning, the level of support, patience, and professionalism from your team has been exceptional.” 

That came through clearly even before the system went live. Demo days gave the Dauntless team the chance to see exactly how Harbour Assist would work in the context of a real, working boatyard,  not just a polished presentation, but a genuine look at how day-to-day operations would play out. Pricing was laid out clearly from the start, with no ambiguity or unexpected costs along the way. 

But it was the ongoing support that really made the difference. “Honestly, it has been above and beyond anything we could have expected,” Shaniene reflects. “No question has ever been treated as too small, too obvious, or too much trouble.” 

Even during holiday periods, the support was there when they needed it, no small thing for a business going through a significant operational transition. 

A system that listens 

One of the things that stood out most to the team at Dauntless wasn’t just the features Harbour Assist already had, it was the willingness to listen, adapt, and build. 

“One of the biggest positives for us has been how willing the Harbour Assist team has been to listen to feedback and understand how our yard operates in real life,” says Shaniene. “Where possible, changes and adjustments have been made to help improve the running of the yard, and new features have even been created to better support the way we work operationally.” 

That kind of flexibility, a software team that treats customer feedback as a genuine development opportunity rather than noise to be managed, is as Shaniene puts it, “incredibly rare.” 

One platform, everything centralised 

Dauntless are now using Harbour Assist across the full breadth of their operation: customer management, invoicing, bookings, storage records, lift requests, customer communication, and customer portal access. Having all of that in a single, joined-up system is already delivering results. 

“Having everything centralised in one place is already helping us operate far more efficiently and professionally,” says Shaniene. 

The onboarding process, often the most daunting part of switching to any new system, was handled smoothly. Clear training, strong communication, and consistent guidance throughout meant that what can normally feel like a stressful upheaval ended up feeling manageable from start to finish. 

Welcome aboard, Dauntless 

We’re really pleased to have Dauntless Boatyard as part of the Harbour Assist family, and genuinely excited to support them as they continue to grow. 

To find out more about have Dauntless Boatyard, visit: https://dauntlessboatyard.com/ 

If you’re running a boatyard or marina and wondering whether there’s a better way to manage your operations, we’d love to show you around.  clicking here. and see what Harbour Assist can do for the way you work.