Superyacht carpentry: The importance of maintenance

Yachting Pages spoke to Andrew Doyle of Andrew Doyle Carpentry for more information on a carpenter’s role in the superyacht industry.  The article covers the importance of timber maintenance and the variety of work that can be performed.

When was Andrew Doyle founded and how?

I first moved to the South of France in 2007 and set up Andrew Doyle Carpentry in 2008. Prior to that I trained and started my career in Dublin, working in some prestigious properties and through these contacts I was head hunted to come over and do some work in luxury villas in the South of France.

Through these contacts I made the natural progression to yacht carpentry, an area where I was able to fully show off my skills, and in 2011 I opened my workshop in Grasse, which provided the perfect opportunity for me to take on more custom work and provide a full yacht carpentry service.  

What makes you unique?

We are a small company with a small amount of staff; this allows us to provide a fully personalised service to our clients. If we have commitments to one yacht, we will focus on doing a really good job for them rather than trying to fulfil lots of yacht projects, and therefore not providing a top service.

We work personally alongside captains and crew to make sure we can meet their specific requirements. We are always at the end of the phone for any emergencies before or during charters and the captains that work with us know they can trust us to provide an exceptional service every time.

Are there any popular trends in the industry at the moment?

We find that each yacht represents its owner’s personal tastes so the trends change depending on this. Because we offer bespoke solutions we’re happy to take on any project be it a contemporary, high gloss finish or traditional cabinetries in exotic, hardwood timbers.

Since the opening of our workshop we can fulfil every requirement from the boats and we have a dedicated number of partners who can also assist with other areas. If you’re wondering if we can help with something then please give us a call.

Were you affected by the recession?

Yes, we found that during the recession, peoples’ requests were often for repairs and adjustments to existing pieces, however this is not always a cost effective solution as sometimes repairing existing timber can be as expensive as inserting new.

Are there any challenges you are facing in the superyacht industry currently?

I wish that there were more hours in a day!!!

Do you have any carpentry tips / advice for yachts and superyachts and their crew?

With timber it’s very important to keep up with maintenance; varnishing and re-spraying timber will make sure it keeps well for a lot longer. Timber that has worn with age or weather can normally always be brought up to look like new with the right expertise.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The variety of the work and the fresh challenges we are set every day. Also working with different yachts and crew means that we are mixing with different people and nationalities every day and no two days are the same.

Can you give some examples of requests you deal with from yachts?

We can fulfil most requirements from cabinetry, furniture, galleys, storage solutions, to deck repairs and caulking.

What are some of the more bizarre client requests you’ve received?

Probably the strangest thing we were asked to make was a bath from timber; still, this is no problem for us as we are always open to exciting challenges.

Who would be your dream client?

I think my wife would be very excited if I got to work on Brand and Angelina’s yacht. For me every client is important and as long as they are happy with the work we do, we are happy to work with them.

For more information, visit carpenters and joiners or Andrew Doyle Yacht Carpentry.

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