Streamlining Superyacht Finishing with Awlgrip Gloss Finish Primer
Project details
- Applicator: Excellence Yachtpainting
- Location: Netherlands
- Vessel: 27m superyacht newbuild
- Products: Awlgrip® Gloss Finish Primer
- Partners: AkzoNobel Yacht Coatings, Van Dongen Verf
Project overview
Delivering a flawless finish on a superyacht newbuild is a demanding process, where surface quality, efficiency and programme certainty are critical. For experienced yacht applicator Mike Voogd, founder of Excellence Yachtpainting, the coating phase of a 27-meter newbuild in the Netherlands highlighted long-standing challenges associated with traditional coating systems.
Finish quality under pressure
With more than 20 years’ industry experience, including 17 years at world-famous superyacht builder Feadship, Mike is highly familiar with the level of finish expected on projects of this scale. However, conventional approaches often require multiple coating stages and repeated sanding cycles, increasing labor time and the risk of late-stage rework.
Mike Voogd, founder of Excellence Yachtpainting
Traditional coating approach
Traditionally, a finish primer would be applied and sanded before a separate high-gloss show coat was used to identify surface imperfections. Any defects would then need to be repaired and sanded again prior to the final topcoat application. While effective, this method can be time-intensive and disruptive to build schedules.
Masked hull during surface preparation
Introducing Awlgrip Gloss Finish Primer
To address these challenges on the 27m newbuild, Mike introduced the patent-pending Awlgrip® Gloss Finish Primer, which combines the functions of a finish primer and a show coat into a single product. Its high-gloss surface enables earlier identification of imperfections, helping to streamline the preparation process without compromising finish quality.
Commenting on its application, Mike said:
“All my painters are really excited when applying this primer. The gloss enables you to identify more imperfections so you have time to repair the defects and it sands really easily.”
Based on his experience during the project, Mike forecasts that using Awlgrip Gloss Finish Primer will expedite his 27-meter yacht newbuild project by two to three weeks.
Collaboration and technical support
The project was delivered in collaboration with AkzoNobel Yacht Coatings and leading coatings distributor Van Dongen Verf, with technical support and product training provided throughout the application process.
Richard Harmsen, Technical Manager at Van Dongen Verf
Benefits for professional applicators
Richard Harmsen, Technical Manager at Van Dongen Verf, highlighted the benefits for professional applicators, particularly during sanding and surface preparation.
"It’s amazing and easy to apply a thick layer of nice gloss. You don’t need a show coat and you save so much time sanding compared to a traditional epoxy. On a small vessel you can save two to three weeks and for a bigger yacht it can be five or six weeks.”
Product benefits and availability
In addition to time and labor efficiencies, the reduction in coating layers and higher volume solids compared to traditional two-step systems can result in a VOC reduction of up to 50% per square metre, supporting more sustainable coating practices.
Awlgrip Gloss Finish Primer is available across Europe for both newbuild and refit applications.
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