10+ year lifespan of external superyacht finishes?

New paint products and systems are being rolled into the market with the promise of greatly increased durability and lifespan. As yet, it’s still too early to tell just how well these products really perform in the real world.

However, assuming that they do live up to expectations, then a different issue will increasingly become more critical.

Repairs – unsightly, poor, highly visible repairs.

Corrosion – even the finest yacht will have a level of corrosion present at high stress areas such as some stanchion bases and other fixtures and fittings where cathodic corrosion is problematic. If this corrosion is not repaired, at an early stage, then by the time the 10 year repaint cycle arrives major reworks will be needed, and in any event without prior repair the blistering will have become very unsightly.

So the new outcome is that rather than seeing yachts that have become almost matt in appearance we shall instead have shinier ones that have become a patchwork of mis-matched, mis-coloured repairs.

The solution? Better training for repair technicians. Contrary to what some may say, excellent repairs can be made to all paint systems but currently it is only a very limited number of companies that have technicians with the requisite knowledge and high calibre skills needed.

The bulk of visible repairs seen have usually been compromised and rushed as they’ve resulted from an unforeseen incident and the yacht was on a deadline.

Annual repair refreshes should be part of a yachts maintenance cycle and every refit yard should invest in the training of repair technicians.