Practical Boat Owner – June 2019

SUPERYACHT SECRETS

Superyacht painters nearly

always apply the paint with a

spray gun, which requires

special breathers and full body

covering. They tend to favour

their own choice of gear, but

always have a new coverall for

each fresh coat. The mask is

full face and makes a tight

seal, with the airline system

keeping the mask free from

condensation, a major

problem for the DIY applicator.

Personal protection equipment
(PPE) is a major requirement of
the professional paint industry,
although not widely followed in
some of the poorer countries
serving the marine sector. The
thinners used in spraying
two-pack paints are
isocyanates, and whilst
relatively harmless in liquid
form can be quite toxic when
atomised. This is why it is best
leaving spray-painting to the
professionals unless you have
all the gear.

The biggest challenge for any

painter is keeping foreign

matter out of the pristine coat.

A full gloss, especially a dark

colour, will mercilessly

highlight every imperfection.

This is why decontamination

extends to every aspect of the

job, including how the tools

are kept.

4: Don’t forget your personal protection

HOW SUPERYACHTS DO IT

HOW SUPERYACHTS DO IT

THE PBO SOLUTION

THE PBO SOLUTION

Brushes, rollers and other tools
are kept in sealed boxes or
remain in their wrappers until
actually needed.
Paints are only bought in
when required, and stored at a
proper working temperature to
ensure they perform faultlessly.
Everything is thoroughly
washed afterwards. Stirrers are
usually single use and disposed
of rather than cleaned.

The same applies, although this

will be more with brushes and

rollers than spray guns. Order

the paint in when you need it –

you don’t want it lying around

for years – and mix it in a clean

environment, otherwise you can

stir in airborne dust.

Keep brushes and rollers in

sealed packaging until needed,

and open away from any recent

sanding. Keep mixing pots well

away from dust, and store them

in the inverted position.

Avoid using stirrers that are

just lying around. Try and use a

clean stirrer every time, not just

a snapped off piece of plywood

that’s handy!

PPE can be assisted by extra

equipment. This painter is

sanding a work piece over an

extraction table, where air is

sucked down through a metal

grid. With ingenuity these can

be made in a home workshop

using a basic vacuum cleaner

Thinning two packs with liquid

isocyanate thinners is far less

risky than other airborne

sprays, so no special breathing

equipment is required. A

‘solvent resistant’ mask is

always recommended, as it

traps the worst of the fumes,

which can be a bit heady.

Always wear gloves and glasses

and a full coverall. A face shield

is often less prone to fogging up

than goggles, and protects your

whole face against roller splatter.

TOP TIP:

Invest in several pairs of

new coveralls. It is amazing

how many people will do the

sanding and painting while in

the same clothing, and

wonder why bits of dust

and grit end up in the

paint. Fresh paint

• fresh overalls!

A full-face plastic eye shield

is often more effective than

goggles as it covers a greater

area and doesn’t mist up quite

so easily. This is Coppercoat

being applied

Equipment is scrupulously

cleaned of every trace of

contamination after each

deployment. Spray guns are

test run before the job to clean

out any remaining solvents

Store any mixing pots you

intend to use in a dust free

location, and preferably

inverted to avoid collecting

any moisture

Appropriate face masks/

breathing apparatus is vital for

spray painting

5: Take care of your tools