Francis Stokes famously said, “The sea finds out everything you did wrong.” Anyone who has experience sailing (and failing!) knows this to be true. There is enough to worry about before leaving the shore, so why add your shipboard furniture to the list? You want to choose reliable and long-lasting furniture so you can focus on more important parts of your job than whether your wardrobes, lockers, and chairs will hold up.
So how do you determine what deems your shipboard furniture seaworthy?
Cost-Effectiveness of Shipboard Furniture
It’s a no-brainer to want to save money where you can, especially on elements that seem unimportant. But sometimes cheap materials can end up costing you a lot more in the long run.
While going to a shipboard furniture vendor and picking out the pieces with the lowest prices can be tempting, investing in high-quality pieces can save you more money over time.
1. Durability
When you’re out at sea, anything that you bring with you takes a beating. The environment, high moisture and salt content in the air breeds all sorts of malevolent effects on your surroundings, including your furnishings. Not to mention, the furniture is used constantly, which produces regular amounts of wear and tear too.
While plastic and wood shipboard furniture initially seem cheaper, it makes more sense to invest in metal pieces, which will last longer. With metal, you do not have to worry your furniture:
- Breaking
- Scuffing
- Rotting
- Etc.
Worried about rust? There are grades of stainless steel, aluminum and other metals that are commonly used in coastal construction and shipboard furniture that resists corrosion beautifully. If you explain your project’s purpose to your vendor, they should be able to recommend an appropriate grade.
2. Functionality
When you’re on a job at sea, you have a million things to worry about that do not include the care of your shipboard furniture. You don’t want to have to worry about something silly like forgetting to use a coaster on a wooden dresser, or spilling coffee on a fabric chair.
Avoid little, unsightly incidents such as this by purchasing furniture that is easy to clean and withstands staining, such as furniture made out of aluminum.
3. Aesthetic Appeal
If you’re on a mission at sea, you could be there anywhere from a few months to over a year. Your furnishings are something you look at every single day. As miniscule as it sounds, your morale will be improved if you’re working in an environment that looks nice!
Furniture that is mismatched, stained, broken, scuffed, scratched, and sloppy is just unpleasant -- and there is no reason for it! You can get shipboard furniture that looks nice, functions effectively, and lasts long if you just know where to look, and what to look for.
Looking to Update Your Shipboard Furniture?
If your shipboard furniture is showing any of the above signs of needing to be changed, it might be time to look into metal options. Again, an experienced sheet metal fabricator can help you understand the implications of selecting a certain metal or specific grade.
