Case Study: How We Built A Fully Mobile Retractable Spray Booth For Super Yacht Maintenance

According to Allied Market Research, the global super yacht market is projected to reach $25.7 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 9.8% — fuelled by increasing numbers of ultra-high net worth individuals, the rise in luxury tourism and demand for bespoke features. Boat builders need to keep pace but maintaining and refinishing super yachts presents a unique set of challenges.

Size, location, environmental conditions and health and safety requirements all place significant pressure on traditional paint booth solutions. This case study explores how Hutchinson PVC supported Maritime Yacht Services by designing and installing a fully mobile, retractable spray booth tailored to the realities of large-scale yacht maintenance.

The Background

Maritime Yacht Services specialises in the maintenance and refurbishment of super yachts. Their work requires high-quality paint finishes applied under tightly controlled conditions, often within large facilities where moving the vessel itself is either impractical or impossible.

Traditional fixed spray booths are rarely suitable in this environment. Super yachts are difficult to reposition, and permanent booth installations can be prohibitively expensive at the scale required. As a result, the team needed a flexible solution that could be brought to the yacht rather than the other way around.

The Challenge

Before working with Hutchinson PVC, Maritime Yacht Services relied on a makeshift spray setup using tarpaulin sheeting. While this approach offered some flexibility, it introduced several significant problems.

The thin sheeting struggled to retain heat, making it difficult to maintain suitable temperatures for spraying. Low temperatures can severely affect paint application and curing with most spray environments performing best when temperatures remain stable between 5 and 10 degrees. Heat loss resulted in longer preparation times, inconsistent finishes and increased labour costs.

A traditional fixed spray booth was ruled out for two key reasons. First, a booth large enough to accommodate super yachts using standard materials would be extremely expensive. Second, a fixed location would still fail to address the core operational issue: the need to work around yachts that could not be easily moved.

The Goal

Maritime Yacht Services wanted to improve paint quality while reducing downtime and labour costs. Faster setup times and better environmental control were essential to improving efficiency and profitability.

Health and safety were also a priority. The existing setup did little to manage paint fumes effectively, creating risks for operatives working in enclosed spaces. The goal was to introduce a safer, more professional spraying environment that met operational, financial and safety requirements.

The Solution: A Fully Mobile Retractable Spray Booth

Hutchinson PVC designed and installed a 5m wide x 4m high x 15m long retractable spray booth, paired with a mobile extraction unit. This solution allowed Maritime Yacht Services to bring the spray booth directly to the yacht, wherever it was positioned within the facility.

A key advantage of the retractable spray booth was the specialist fabric used in its construction. Unlike standard tarpaulin materials, the fabric was designed to retain heat more effectively, helping to maintain stable temperatures during spraying. This significantly reduced warm-up times and improved consistency in paint application.

Because the booth needed to be fully mobile at this scale, additional reinforcement was built into the steel framework. This ensured the structure remained robust, safe and easy to reposition without compromising performance or durability.

The inclusion of a mobile extraction system addressed the health and safety concerns around paint fumes, creating a safer working environment and supporting compliance with workplace safety standards.

The Outcome

The results were immediately positive. And Maritime Yacht Services was extremely satisfied with the outcome. The company experienced clear improvements in paint quality thanks to better temperature control and a more stable spraying environment. Setup times were reduced, allowing work to begin faster and improving overall productivity.

From a commercial perspective, the ability to move the spray booth to the yacht reduced labour costs and downtime, directly supporting improved profitability. The retractable design also provided long-term flexibility, allowing the business to adapt the booth to different projects and vessel sizes as needed. Health and safety standards improved significantly with the introduction of effective fume extraction, giving both operatives and management greater confidence in the working environment.

Don't just take our word for it. The founder of Maritime Yacht Services, James Tapp, explains the difference our Retractable Spray Booths made in the video below:

Why This Solution Worked

This project highlights the importance of tailoring industrial solutions to real-life operational challenges. Rather than forcing Maritime Yacht Services into a fixed or compromised setup, Hutchinson PVC delivered a solution that aligned with how the business actually operates.

Key benefits included:

1. A fully mobile spray booth that could be positioned around immovable yachts
2. Improved heat retention for consistent, high-quality paint finishes
3. Reduced setup time and labour costs
4. Enhanced health and safety through mobile extraction
5. A cost-effective alternative to large, fixed spray booth installations

Looking Ahead

With the new retractable spray booth in place, Maritime Yacht Services now has a scalable, professional spraying solution that supports growth, efficiency and quality. The flexibility of the system ensures it will continue to add value as project requirements evolve.

For Hutchinson’s, this case study demonstrates how bespoke industrial fabric structures can solve complex operational challenges, particularly where flexibility, scale and environmental control are critical.

Ready To Improve Your Spray Environment?

If your business needs a flexible, cost-effective alternative to traditional spray booths, Hutchinson PVC can design and install solutions tailored to your operation.

Contact us today to discuss your requirements and see how a retractable spray booth could transform your operations.