We’ll be honest: Creating that perfect, eye-catching yacht finish is no easy job. But, if you want your yacht to look impeccable once it pulls into the marina, then you must know that you’ll need money, expertise, and dedication to acquire that perfect look.
Here’s how to create a flawless finish after painting a yacht.
Prep for the Job
First thing first: you need to create the perfect setting for the job. That means acquiring the right gear and rounding up a great team of workers and painters. Painting a yacht can turn out to be quite a difficult task, and the bigger it is, the harder it gets. If your yacht is long, then it can be rather challenging for your workers to achieve a consistent, uniform finish. So, you will need to provide scaffoldings and tarps. That way, they will be able to reach every part of the yacht and have better access to the more difficult areas.
You will also need to rent a shed and move your boat there to prepare it for yacht surfacing and fairing. Keep in mind that the prep process can be quite lengthy, but you can’t paint a yacht without planning everything carefully and in detail.
Do Any Maintenance Work Necessary
Another thing you should keep in mind if you want your yacht painting process to go smoothly is to do any maintenance work beforehand. Whether we’re talking about rebuilding the engines or redoing the yacht interiors, taking care of these tasks is necessary if you want to achieve that perfect finish.
Keep in mind that some of these tasks will require you to cut large sections from the boat and then weld them back together. After these maintenance procedures, workers can start applying layers of fairing compound to cover up any dents, cracks or other imperfections on the surface of the yacht. The area has to be perfectly smooth before applying the first layer of paint.
Pay Attention to the External Factors
Now that the prepping is over, you can focus on actually painting your yacht. But, before you do anything, pay close attention to the environment. The enclosed space where you will paint your yacht should have a medium temperature of 60°F that must remain constant throughout the entire process. As such, make sure that the location features solid, insulated walls, ceiling, and floor so that you can minimize any temperature variations.
The yacht painting process will start with a show coat, which is a layer of blue paint slathered on the entire surface of the boat and used to reveal any flaws and imperfections that you must fix before anything else. If there are no more irregularities and problems, then you can apply the finishing coat. Be careful and make sure to reach every curve of the surface.
It’s an Ongoing Process
If you want your boat to look as good as it does the minute the paint on it has dried, then you should take good care of it. Schedule maintenance work regularly and fix any small issues before they snowball into complicated problems. Protect your yacht from the force of weather by covering it up. Too much sunlight can shrink the wood and cause cracking in the varnishes, while frost can be even more dangerous. Water trapped in the wood can freeze once temperatures drop, causing the wood to expand and ruin the coating.
Last, but not least, make sure to keep a constant eye on it, in case it develops any problems. Once water starts to penetrate it, it can break down fast, so monthly inspections for any chips and cracks are mandatory.
A yacht is one of your most prized possessions, so you want to ensure that it’s in perfect condition at all times. We here at Chi Yacht Refinishing can help you with that. Our expert yacht painting services are affordable, timely, and impressive every single time.