Sustainable Yacht Carpeting for Refits

In a yacht refit, carpet is one of the last finishes to go in and one of the first things that needs to be ordered. If you wait until the joinery is done to start choosing, the carpet will hold up the delivery date.

The sequence that works is to select color and fiber during the planning phase, place the order with provisional sizes, then template on board once the interior is fixed. For the material, ECONYL regenerated nylon gives a refit a lower-impact option without changing how the carpet is specified or fitted.

Where carpet falls in the yard schedule

Carpet is laid after the wet and dusty trades are finished: sanding, varnish, paint, upholstery fitting and most joinery. Laying it earlier exposes it to dust, overspray and foot traffic from contractors.

The order has to go in much earlier than that. Our made-to-order lead time for US delivery is typically 4 to 6 months from order confirmation, often shorter for Europe and Asia. On a winter refit with a spring departure, that usually means the colorway is approved before the boat is even hauled. Every MAJLIS quote includes a delivery estimate, so you can set the carpet against the yard's program from the beginning.

Lifting the old carpet

The removal tells you a great deal. When the existing carpet comes up, look at what is underneath before anything new is planned:

• The condition of the subfloor panels, and any soft spots, stains or signs of water.
• Old adhesive, grippers or hook-and-loop strips that will need to be cleaned off or replaced.
• The underlay and any acoustic layer, which affect finished height and sound between decks.
• Access hatches and their fixings, which the new carpet must still allow crew to open.

Photograph each space as it is stripped. Ask the yard what disposal or recycling routes they have for the removed carpet, since this varies by location.

Templating once the interior is fixed

Yacht interiors are rarely square. Hull curves, stair returns, built-in furniture and angled bulkheads make tape measurements unreliable. Templates should be made on board after the joinery is installed, using sheet material or film traced to each space, with hatches and fixed furniture marked on them.

Taking templates too early is a common reason for refit carpet that does not fit. If a cabinet moves by an inch after templating, the carpet will show it. Agree with the yard which spaces are final before the templater comes aboard.

Sampling in the light on board

Light on a yacht is unusual. Large windows, reflection off the water and low ceilings with downlights all change how a color reads. Take samples on board and look at them in the saloon at midday, in the cabins with the lights on, and on deck if any carpet runs to exterior spaces.

Deep blues such as Midnight Blue and Prussian are a natural fit for marine interiors, but they look different next to teak than next to pale oak or painted panels. Lay the sample against the actual joinery and the upholstery fabric. You can request samples and color poms for each space.

Specifying regenerated nylon

ECONYL is a nylon regenerated from waste such as old fishing nets and fabric scraps. In practice it is specified the same way as any nylon carpet: colorway, pile height and size. Our standard pile is 14 mm (0.55 in), and lower or higher piles from 10 to 70 mm are available by request, which is useful where a door or hatch needs clearance.

For a wider look at the material in boats, see our guide to ECONYL yacht carpet. When you have the yard dates, send them to our marine team and we will plan sampling and templating around them.