Replacing a discontinued boat part: what we need from you
The fitting snapped, the manufacturer stopped making it, and the chandler quoted six weeks. Here is what we need to print you a replacement.
Boats outlive their parts. A hatch catch from 2009, a rail clip on a hull the yard stopped supporting, a fitting whose manufacturer has since been bought twice — these fail on a Saturday, and the answer from the chandler is usually "we can order it, six to eight weeks, if it's still made at all."
Most of those parts can be printed here in Malta in a few days. This is what we need from you to do it.
What do you need to send us?
Ideally, the broken original. Even in pieces. It tells us the dimensions, the wall thicknesses, where it was under load, and — usefully — where it failed, which is often a design weakness we can improve rather than reproduce.
If you don't have it, we can work from:
- Photographs from several angles, with a ruler or coin in frame for scale
- Key measurements, especially anything that has to mate with something else
- The part number or a catalogue photo, if you have one
- A photo of where it fits on the boat
How accurate does the measuring need to be?
For most fittings, a millimetre either way is fine. Where it matters is any surface that mates with something — bolt spacing, a slot that a strap passes through, the diameter of a rail it clamps to. Measure those carefully; we can work the rest out from photographs.
If the part clamps to a rail or tube, measure the rail rather than the broken clamp. Old plastic deforms, and a copy of a distorted part fits worse than a fresh one designed around the actual tube.
What material will it be printed in?
For anything permanently exposed on deck, we print in ASA. It is UV-stable and colour-fast, so it does not yellow or go brittle the way most filaments do after a Maltese summer or two. For parts that live in a locker, a cabin, or only see occasional spray, PETG is tougher on cost and perfectly adequate.
We will tell you which applies to your part, and roughly how long it should last, before printing rather than after. If we think 3D printing is the wrong answer for a particular load, we will say so — some things want machining or a metal fabricator.
You can compare all five materials we work with, including heat tolerance and UV stability, on our materials page.
How much does a replacement boat part cost?
A simple clip or fitting, printed from measurements you supply, typically costs between €15 and €45. A custom bracket or mount that needs modelling from a photograph or a broken original usually falls between €80 and €250, depending on complexity. ASA costs a little more than PETG and is worth it for anything that lives in the sun.
For comparison: importing an OEM part often costs more once shipping is added, and takes weeks rather than days.
How long does it take?
Most marine parts are ready in two to three working days once the design is approved. If the part needs modelling from scratch, allow five to seven working days in total. Tell us if you have a haul-out date or a charter booked and we will confirm whether it is achievable before you commit.
What if the printed part fails?
Then we look at why and reprint it. Sometimes the answer is a different material, sometimes a thicker section, sometimes a different print orientation so the layers run across the load rather than along it. Printed parts are stronger across layers than between them, and getting that orientation right is most of the job.
Got a broken part on the boat?
Send us a photo and the measurements. We will tell you whether we can print it, in what, and what it will cost — usually within one working day.