subject: Repainting and Refinishing a Superyacht - Paint Shed Versus Shrinkwrap Tent [print this page] Repainting and Refinishing a Superyacht - Paint Shed Versus Shrinkwrap Tent
At Oceania Marine over half of our business is painting. We run aspecialist marine coatings team from the shipyard that cover construction and refit of Superyachts. As aconsequence we see it all- from basic prep, fairing and the application of finish coats.
In terms of repainting and refinishing Superyachts we undertake in the water, outside hardstand and undercover paint shed projects. If we had the choice we would always paint undercover in our paint sheds for the following reasons:
It is protected and not exposed to wind, rain and other climaticvagaries
highqualitypower, compressed air, and lighting services are reticulated to all parts of the vessel
optimum environmental conditions forproductapplication is maintained via climate control equipment
vessel access isefficientboosting productivity
mezzanine floor workshops and project offices also boost productivity
efficient extraction and containment systems radically reduce dust contamination as well as provide healthier working conditions
vessel is secure under fullsecurity alarm monitoring
vessel is secure under full fire protection systemexternallymonitored by fire authorities
product application is carried out under approved conditions so as to meet paint supplier companyspecifications - therefore qualifies for a full international paint guarantee
However it is not a perfect world and we have to undertake projects outside either on the hardstand or afloat berthed alongside. Predominately the reasons for this would be:
the paint sheds are all booked out and the owner wants it done now
the job is relatively smallinvolvinglocalizedareas of the vessel
the vessel is to big for the paint sheds
the yacht managers, skipper or owner are convinced this is a cheaper option over a paint shed
Dealingwith the last point before moving on, cost is an interesting matter and we are certain that painting in a shed is highly competitive on pricefor the following reasons:
granted the shed rate will be a little higher than laydays on a slipway and a lot higher than hardstand rates off the slipway (if your vessel is small enough)
granted it is a lotcheaper in terms offacility costs to stay afloat
however any additional cost in being in a paint shed will not be a significant proportion of theoverallcost
access costs inside a shed are much lower
tenting and containment costs in a paint shed are significantly lower
reticulation ofservices to theprojectas much cheaper in a pant shed
productivity gains inside a paint shed areconsiderable (means much less hours)
project duration is certain inside a paint shed
re-work is much lower inside a paint shed
Despitethe almost overwhelming factors in favour of painting inside we find ourselves with projects outside for the reasons stated. The advent of modern shrinkwrap materials, better mobile heaters/extraction and experience has led to an improvement in productivity and quiality but the followingshortcomings have to be acknowledged:
project setup in involved, expensive and time consuming
tent damage due to workernegligence andweatheris constant
New Zealand's climate is wet, humid and stormy for long periods making conditions inside the tent very poor at times
condensation inside the tent is a constantproblem often resulting in application of product being postponed until late morning
environmental standards are hard to meet particularly afloat
paint standards are also hard to meet often compromising paint company approvals andguarantees
application failure risks are increased resulting in much more rework
In finishing we have to say that our overwhelming preference is to complete our larger paint projects inside one of our paint sheds rather than outside. But sometimes that is not a feasible option and having said that it is ourcontentionthat cost should not be used as the prime motivation for not doing so.
If you want to use our wide-ranging experience in allsituationsplease feel free to get in touch
