It’s essential for captains to share advice and information with other captains – and one of the best places to do that is in the BOAT International Captains’ Club. One of the club’s many benefits is access to fellow captains on WhatsApp, where you can communicate with your peers in one place. It’s all private, but occasionally Dockwalk asks if we can share advice and tips on a topic.
One recent topic was paint and coatings. Definitely something the boss is going to notice if it’s not done right in refit, possibly something you have to deal with, repair-wise, during season. Broadly speaking, how much of a headache is it? Any horror stories? Good experiences?
Captain A
“One issue that affects the boss is the timelines during a paint job. I’ve never relied on (or told the boss) what day the contractor says it will be done. Timelines are overpromised to get the business, and it’s just a big project and so much can go wrong and get delayed. Bosses that want to schedule a big event immediately after a paint job can get disappointed, no matter how hard the captain pushes and manages.”
Captain B
“Always have a third-party surveyor involved to keep things clear. For timelines, maybe tell the boss 10 percent longer than estimated — that way you look better if coming out on time but not getting hanged of big delays due to (something like) a respray...”
Captain C
“I always tell the owner 20 percent on US-published time schedules from the yards and 10 percent on European shipyards. I’m yet to be proven wrong, including warranty work, however Nautipaints in Palma put us in the water on time and bang on schedule, so the owner was made up and started the season on a high. That also included a black-and-grey tank sandblast and paint simultaneously, and still put us out in time.”
Captain D
“I have been involved in numerous paint schemes. I make a point of staying far away from a full paint job unless the owner demands it, then all bets are off. As stated, there is so much to go wrong. For 15 years I recommend they get Larry with Global Preservation to give the exterior, paint, glass and stainless the full DITEC treatment. It is very in-depth. It comes out looking amazing. It outperforms all ceramic and other coatings… Nine times out of ten paint recommendations, the owner said, “Wow, that is a lot less money and time that a paint job.” For a charter boat, time in the yard is money not on the books. Pick your path. I always choose refinish with DITEC.
For more information on the BOAT International Captains’ Club, email captainsclub@boatinternationalmedia.com.