The third part of News Editor Conor Feasey’s report on the future of coatings in the refit sector, from issue 227 of  The Superyacht Report: Refit Focus. 

Paint is where expectations, regulation and practical reality collide most visibly. The pressures aren’t due to a single change – skilled labour has become harder to secure and more expensive, particularly at the level required for large, high-profile yachts. At the same time, finish expectations have continued to rise, with darker hull colours and “near-new-build standards” now commonplace, even though refit conditions remain defined by existing substrates, access constraints and fixed schedules.

Environmental regulation has added another layer, with a variety of requirements now shaping how paint projects are planned and executed. While generally accepted as manageable, their consequences become painfully apparent when outcomes are rejected: repeated sanding, extensive shrink-wrapping and weeks added to already complex refit timelines. Paint also rarely operates in isolation.

Taken together, these factors help explain why paint has become such a sensitive part of the refit equation. And how those pressures translate into day-to-day delivery is best understood through the captains of industry managing refits in practice.

Below are their responses to the second of five questions posed to them by Conor Feasey. Their responses to the first question have already been published and those to the remaining three questions will be published over the coming days.

How are new environmental regulations and sustainability goals changing the way paint projects are planned, costed and delivered? 

Kay Wrede, CEO and Creative Head, Wrede Consulting
Environmental regulations are fundamentally changing how paint refits are planned, specified and executed. VOC limits, waste handling, blasting restrictions and local environmental rules increasingly influence product selection, application methods and yard choice.

 This leads to:

•  More complex specifications
•  Higher preparation and containment costs
•  Longer planning phases and tighter process control.

Sustainability is no longer just a ‘nice to have’; it is becoming a cost and risk factor that must be actively managed early in the project.

Stefan Coronel, General Manager Huisfit, Royal Huisman
It sometimes takes adaptation to deal with new regulations or changing products due to the development of more sustainable materials. We believe this to be manageable and not a hurdle for the industry.

Remy Millott, CEO, GYG Ltd
There are already technical solutions in place to meet potential future regulations, but they definitely have an impact on the final price of a paint refit. On the other hand, new innovations and technologies in paint-application systems will improve efficiencies and deliver higher quality performance, which will have a positive impact on reducing refit timeframes and the ancillary costs of a project.

Regulations definitely have an impact on the final price of a paint refit

Manuel Di Tillio, Technical & Sales Director,  Amico & Co
They have not really changed things a lot for us, as we have already been working with appropriate procedures and systems for some time. In the field of yacht-coating products, we have yet to see a real change in products dictated by sustainability requirements, whereas in other sectors, such as the automotive industry, this has already been experienced.

In terms of facilities, at Amico & Co we always aim to execute paint projects within dedicated, permanent, covered paint hangars; these facilities are already equipped with overspray extraction, heating, lighting and humidity control systems, allowing for a defined project duration, unaffected by extreme weather, but above all the ideal environment for an optimal project execution, while at the same time reducing project gas consumption costs by around 70 per cent with respect to temporary solutions.

We always aim to execute paint projects within dedicated, permanent, covered paint hangars.

Alberto Perrone Da Zara, Director Sales Yacht Refit, Lürssen
Environmental regulations have completely changed paint and fairing. The intention is right, but many of the components that made fairing effective in the past are no longer allowed. It might be bad to say, but those poisonous components were exactly what made it work. And as a result, the fairing today is far less forgiving. You need multiple sanding cycles, grain changes and extensive preparation. It is no surprise that fairing cracks more, especially on dark hulls that get extremely hot in the sun.

You can make scrambled eggs on a dark hull. That heat then has consequences for insulation, interior temperatures and air-conditioning loads. On one side we do everything we can to reduce UV through glass. On the other side, we paint hulls pitch black. At the same time, we talk a lot about being environmentally responsible, but the reality of repainting tells a different story. A repaint can involve enormous amounts of shrinkwrap, repeated sanding and reap-plication, all for issues that are often only visible when you are very close or inside a shed. On one side, we say we are trying to do the right thing environmentally with the chemicals in paint. On the other hand, we accept corrective actions that have a significant environmental footprint.

You can make scrambled eggs on a dark hull. That heat then has consequences for insulation,
interior temperatures and air-conditioning loads.

Gianni Paladino, Commercial Director, Lusben
Environmental regulations and sustainability objectives are reshaping the paint refit landscape in a profound way. On the product side, they have already led to the phasing out of certain materials and to a broader adoption of eco-friendly alternatives. On the process side, they demand far more controlled, precise and virtuous application cycles.

These changes pose challenges, both technical and organisational, but we see them as a positive force. They push the entire industry towards more responsible and efficient ways of working, encouraging long-term thinking and elevating the standard of environmental stewardship across the sector. Ultimately, this shift is driving innovation rather than limiting it. 

The changes have already led to the phasing out of certain materials and to a broader
adoption of eco-friendly alternatives.

The interviews describe a refit market that has become far less forgiving. Labour availability emerges as the primary constraint and heads of industry consistently point to shortages of skilled painters, supervisors and inspectors as the most notable driver of cost and delay.

Of course, environmental regulation is widely accepted as a necessary part of the landscape, but it also carries practical consequences. Naturally, we look to technology, but it cannot compensate for poor preparation or unrealistic expectations.

Paint in the refit sector remains a technically mature and well-understood discipline but the margin for error is wafer-thin. More paint moving through established cycles means more labour tied up for longer and more projects whose outcomes are less tolerant of delay, which will have ripple effects across the market. That’s not to say the market can’t and won’t adapt, but it’s the canary in the coal mine indicating it should.

This article first appeared in The Superyacht Report: Refit Focus. With our open-source policy, it is available to all by following this link, so read and download the latest issue and any of our previous issues in our library.

Profile links

Royal Huisman

Lürssen

Amico & Co

Wrede Consulting GmbH

GYG Ltd

Lusben

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.