En Privilege YachtIn addition to accompanying you during the purchase and sale and maintenance of your boat (the famous Privilege Pack!), we have been carrying out renovation projects for more than 10 years.
To start with the series of articles exclusively dedicated to refitToday we present the painting part.
Exterior paint
Over the years, exposure to different external elements degrades the visual appearance of the boat. If your cover is colored, the result will be even more visible. The photos do not deceive ...
To achieve this result, we remember the simple and essential steps to paint the hull of your boat.
Part A: paint the helmet, the steps
Phase 1: take your time
It is time to define and protect the areas that will not be painted. This may seem obvious to many; however, it is sometimes taken too lightly. This is where the difference is made. We will know the final verdict when we remove the protections!
Phase 2: smooth
First, it is necessary to completely sand the helmet and then repair the scratches and snags in the gel-coat. The area to be painted must be perfectly uniform. After this step, stroking the hoof is like touching silk, awesome!
====> Boat entrance into the paint booth <====
Phase 3: paint
It is highly advisable to apply two coats of a primary product that allows the color to set well (see photo where the helmet is gray). Then it is advisable to apply two coats of paint for color, obviously, the drying times between all these coats must be strictly respected. At the end of this stage, you will be able to appreciate the new look of your yacht.
Phase 4: polishing finish
This last step allows you to erase imperfections (dust and other irregularities) to obtain a homogeneous result.
Part B: painting the helmet, price calculation
After listing the steps of such an intervention, let's talk about price, in fact, we no longer count customers who confess to us being lost, not knowing who / what to choose. It is not uncommon for an owner to have two or three completely different budgets, sometimes even multiplying by three. In order to better understand these differences in numbers, we will answer a simple question: How is the price calculated?
- The technician's hourly rate: obviously it will influence the final price. But we believe, however, that he is not primarily responsible for these differences.
- Consumables: paint and other small supplies have a cost. It's easy to slash this spending section by going for low-quality supplies. Of course, we recommend not looking to save in this part. The problem is that often the quality of the raw material is not specified by the supplier (we are the first to do so…). However, it is essential that you are informed from the beginning, before making the decision.
- The annex services: If the intervention requires putting the boat dry, here is a new area of expenses. Crane services, daily check-in of the yacht on site, check-in in the paint booth,… It is mandatory to go through this for two reasons: one because the law requires the ship to enter the paint booth in order to control the fumes from chemicals; two because it is the only solution to obtain a flawless finish. Make sure this part is included in the budget you have requested so that you do not have unpleasant surprises.
- The planned steps: Previously, we have listed the essentials in our opinion. Of course, by eliminating a step or reducing the number of coats applied, the bead will be less “salty”.
- The best for the end. The commission of the possible intermediary. In fact, in most cases, the budget provided directly by the craftsman will be less than that provided by the company that outsources their services. It is indisputable. The company in charge of guaranteeing the proper development of the work must be paid.
At a fair price. Adding “a ladle” before sending the craftsman proposal to the customer can be professional practice. Here, we prefer to establish our remuneration upstream with the artisan, and this in total transparency with our client.
Upholstery
Your exterior upholstery is neither ripped nor torn but needs a change because it is pitted, stained, burned by the sun ... Did you know that in this case painting is a possible option? It's a lot cheaper than redoing them and it's guaranteed for 5 years!
Furniture
The cockpit console, the kitchen worktop… everything (or almost) can be painted!
Here, we play with two materials: a carbon effect covering in the background to add dimension, then a matte paint in the foreground to provide depth, accompanied by coverage details to highlight some elements.
In order not to distort the harmony of this yacht, the kitchen worktop has also been modernized, with the same RAL touches of the cockpit, in all elegance.
Wanting to project yourself? We are here to listen and accompany you.
