Some time ago, a super yacht owner who, while taking his daily dip in the sea, had a nasty surprise. Swimming around his yacht he noticed the poor finish of the exterior, despite having just forked out for a pricey refit. A year later, and much to his frustration, the owner had to pay for a totally new paint job at full cost. By offering a clear scope of work before your refit gets underway, the CCS superyacht tender survey is the best way to avoid such a waste of resources…
Refits often over budget… why?
As the global superyacht fleet grows, so too does the number of refits. It’s the quality of yachts that last longer and these require quality refits to match their pedigree. Upgraded to the latest systems, changed to meet current owner preferences, the goal is to have a yacht that is better than new when relaunched. The paintwork is one of the most visible aspects of a newly refitted yacht and should be high on your priority list before you start. CCS noted a significant number of disappointing paint refits caused by the failing clarity in the specified scopes on refit works. In most refit projects, there is a total lack of clarity as to what is and isn’t acceptable as we speak of Fairness, Dust, Gloss, Distiction of Image, Orange peel etc.
The absence of an acceptance criteria document leaves the door open to subjective disputes between the vessel’s owner (or its captain/management company) and the shipyard/contractor when the time comes to accept or reject newly painted surfaces. In a worst-case scenario this can lead to a situation in which the owner’s representative is unable to effectively challenge sub-standard paintwork when the contractor insists that the finish is of ‘super yacht standard’.
Objectivity instead of subjectivity: CCS Tender Survey
We set up the refit tender survey after seeing how many paint jobs were having to be redone and/or going over budget. The devil’s in the detail with these kinds of project and it pays dividends to have our experts carry out an extensive survey before committing to such a major investment.
In a nutshell, the Tender Survey gives you clarity over the quality of the paintwork with agreed acceptance criteria. It allows you to request like-for-like quotes from yards/paint companies, then take the lead in negotiations rather than rely on vague discussions about what might or might not be required. Leveraging on CCS’s 25 years of experience with paint specs and acceptance criteria, our survey makes everything transparent before a spray gun has been fired. It will ensure you a trouble-free refit in terms of the paintwork and the peace of mind that comes with having a specialist overseeing the work.
Summary of areas covered in the Tender Survey
- Measure linear meters of caulking around windows and margin planks
- Calculate m² of paint on topsides, superstructure, boot top and non-skid, per colour
- Report paint defects by quantity, size, nature and location
- Report corrosion spots by quantity, size, nature and location
- Report quantity of fittings and define which need to be removed
- Define status of hardware which need to be removed and its condition
- Add paint specification, based on current paint system/colour scheme together with preferred system and scheme
- Add acceptance criteria
- Add surface calculation per area and colour, incl. boot top, topsides, superstructure, deck heads and surfaces treated with anti-skid
- Determine scope of fairness work and give indication in m²
- Include underwater area and/or tanks in scope of work
Contact CCS now to plan your Tender Survey
