Luxury teak re-fit required custom epoxy blend
by ATL Composites 19 Aug 2022 15:36 PDT
A popular, 54-metre (177-foot) charter yacht is at The Yard, Brisbane for refit works under the expert craftsmanship of O'Neills Shipwrights and using ATL Composites epoxy resins.
The three-month project involves replacing sections of teak decking over the massive superyacht's exterior, ensuring the deck levels are fared to perfection to ensure run-off to existing drainage - which in some places is 50-millimetres.
"It has to be right," says Andrew O'Neill, Director at O'Neill Shipwrights. "The owner is fastidious and is very attached to the look and feel of teak decks underfoot."
The Francesco Paszkowski-designed Baglietto superyacht was built to an exquisite finish, and her owner wanted the teak decks to be restored to as-new condition.
He approached O'Neill's based on their reputation for technical and creative excellence following similar projects aboard superyachts including Oceana and Shirley Ann.
Despite supply issues with Burmese teak, O'Neill's was able to source the certified teak required and enough epoxy for the project.
Andrew contacted ATL Composites for their input as to the epoxy and other materials required for the job.
Andrew and his team of timber experts used ATL Composites' TECHNIREZ GP epoxy resin combined with a blend of WEST SYSTEM 411 Microsphere Blend, because of its good comprehensive strength, and WEST SYSTEM 413 Microfibre Blend which provided additional strength to the mixture.
"ATL Composites have always supplied products that are high quality and deliver reliable results. We required large volumes for the film thickness. The deck fairing in some places had to be raise to a height of 50-millimetres. Mac Dalton from ATL ensured we got the right products."
Also crucial to the project, O'Neill's purchase of a new wide belt sander for their new NSW premises at Warriewood on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
"We now occupy a larger workspace with upgraded machinery which is helping with the amount of timber we have to prepare for the job," explains Andrew. "We have two combined workforces - on the Gold Coast and in Sydney - which adds to our efficiency."