Most damage to a superyacht's paintwork is local: a fender scuff, a tender strike, a chip from a falling fitting, a crack over a moving joint or a patch of failed paint around a fitting. In most cases a superyacht paint repair fixes this. A repair that is planned and colour-matched properly can't be seen afterwards, and the yacht is back in service in days rather than months.
Paint repairs we carry out
- Spot repairs to chips, scratches and small impact damage on hulls, superstructures and decks.
- Scratch and gouge repair, including filling and fairing where the damage reaches the primer or the substrate.
- Impact and collision damage, repaired back to the original line before the paint system is rebuilt.
- Cracking and adhesion failures around fittings, windows and joints, where we find the cause before we repaint.
- Panel repaints, when a whole panel between natural break lines gives a cleaner result than a patch.
- Boot top and stripe repairs, with lines re-taped to the original position.
Colour matching in Awlgrip and Alexseal
A repair is judged by how well it matches the existing finish, not just by the gloss. We work with the yacht's own paint system wherever possible, most often Awlgrip or Alexseal, and match colour using the manufacturer's colour code, the yacht's paint records and test panels sprayed and checked against the existing finish in daylight. Solid colours, metallics and pearlescents each need a different approach. With an older finish, the original code may no longer match because the paint has weathered, so the test panel decides the final mix, not the tin.
Our team has worked with both systems for decades. For a side-by-side look at the two topcoats, see our Awlgrip vs Alexseal guide.
Proof: metallic blending on M/Y Victon
M/Y Victon, a 41 m motor yacht, needed extensive paint repairs at Ocean Marina Jomtien in Thailand. Her finish was metallic, the hardest type of coating to repair invisibly, because the flakes lie differently with every change in spray distance, pressure and overlap. We mapped the damage, decided where to blend and where to repaint whole panels, matched the colour on test panels and blended the metallic to an even finish, with a final inspection under different light before hand-over. It was paint work only, at the marina, without a full repaint. Read the M/Y Victon case study.
How a repair is carried out
- Survey: we map every damaged area, check film build and adhesion around it, and agree the repair list with the captain or manager.
- Plan the edges: each repair is planned to finish at a natural line, a panel joint or a blend zone, so it disappears.
- Prepare: we cut back to sound coating, repair the substrate and fair where needed, then prime to the manufacturer's specification.
- Match: we spray test panels and approve them against the yacht in daylight.
- Apply and blend: undercoat and topcoat go on under controlled conditions, with temperature, humidity and dew point recorded.
- Finish and inspect: blend lines are compounded and polished where the product allows, then the work is inspected under several lights before sign-off.
Repair or full repaint?
We tell owners honestly which is better. If the paint system is sound and the damage is local, repairs are the right answer. If gloss is failing across the yacht, the coating is cracking widely or earlier repairs keep showing through, a full repaint is usually the better long-term choice. A paint inspection gives you the measurements to decide.
Where we work
Many topside repairs can be done at the marina or alongside, without hauling the yacht. Our team works across Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong, and travels to yachts elsewhere. Our team has been painting yachts since 1990.
Frequently asked questions
Can a paint repair really be invisible?
Yes, in most cases, if the colour is matched on test panels and the repair ends at a planned line or blend zone. Metallics take the most skill; see the M/Y Victon case study.
Do you repair Awlgrip and Alexseal finishes?
Yes. We repair both, using the yacht's own system wherever possible so the repair behaves like the surrounding paint.
Can repairs be done without hauling out?
Many topside repairs can be done at the marina or alongside, as on M/Y Victon at Ocean Marina Jomtien. Underwater and boot-top repairs need the yacht out of the water.
How long does a paint repair take?
It depends on the number of areas and on cure times. We give a schedule after the survey, with cure times built in.
When is a full repaint better than repairs?
When the system itself is failing across the yacht: widespread loss of gloss, cracking or adhesion problems, or repairs that keep showing.
Talk to our team
Contact Superyacht Painters · info@yachtrefitasia.com · +66 (0)80 829 0122
Superyacht Painters Ltd, The Clock House, Western Court, Bishop's Sutton, Alresford, England SO24 0AA