Lightweight Interior Solutions
 
An ever increasing demand for efficiency in modern Superyachts, be it for environmental or  performance reasons, has led us to developing a range of options to reduce weight to meet the designers & clients demands.
 
The interior of a yacht makes up a large percentage of the yachts internal volume which when constructed from more traditional materials can contribute to a significant part of the overall weight of the yacht. On the basis of this it can also become an area where large savings, as much as 67%*, can be achieved without sacrificing the structural integrity of the yacht or the furniture.    
 
History

At Superyacht Interiors New Zealand we have a wide and varied portfolio of lightweight interior projects that we have successfully completed, ranging from exotic NOMEX Aramid honey comb cored sandwich panels to the slightly more modest PVC foam cored sandwich panels and in some cases a combination of both traditional and lightweight methods have been utilised to give a more "solid feel" while selectively taking weight out of other parts of the furniture that are less affected by the "feel" a lightweight interior component might give. Some reference examples of the various  options completed to date are;

• Liara (Dixon 100) - Full NOMEX cored sandwich construction
• Bristolian (Briand 120) - Full PVC foam cored sandwich construction
• Akalam (Barracuda 105) - Combination PVC foam cored/Liteply construction

Our experience and range of lightweight interior options gives us the ability to fulfil even the most stringent brief in terms of weight versus cost. The graph below clearly shows the relationship between weight versus cost for the various options we are able to offer, the first being a direct sheet material comparison and the second giving an indication on the effect on the overall cost of the interior.

*based on comparison between 1m2 sample of 18mm thick ply/Nomex (32kg/m3 )/ply sandwich & 18mm BS1088 Gaboon Plywood.

In practice not all components of the interior are suited to be made from lightweight materials for reasons of their application or practicality, i.e. deck head grounds, stair treads, bunk bases, etc, but the components that can benefit from weight savings, listed below, can offer large gains in terms of weight reduction and far outweigh those that are not suited; 

• Bulkhead panels
• Deck head panels
• Dining & Coffee tables
• Berths & bedside tables
• Writing desks
• Vanity units
• Hanging and Storage lockers
• Settee's and Dinettes
• Outboard joinery and Porthole surrounds
• Bar and Entertainment units

The graph below, based on a typical 100' sailing yacht, demonstrates the project sheet material weight savings able to be achieved for the list of components above and the percentage increase in price over the whole interior when compared to an interior constructed from traditional materials (Gaboon plywood).

These graphs and figures are indicative of what we are to able achieve in terms of interior weight savings and will vary between projects depending on the brief, scope and style of the interior.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding lightweight interiors. We have a team of dedicated designers/QS  on hand who would be happy to provide a weight study /estimate to show the weight savings we can make and at what cost.