Furniture on Jeff Bezos' 125-metre yacht "Koru" made from illegal timber
As the Dutch news site NRC reports, the Dutch public prosecutor's office sentenced Oceanco, a shipyard specialising in the construction of gigayachts, to a fine of 148,000 euros following an investigation lasting several years because the company failed to investigate the origin of the wood used for some of the yacht's furniture and panelling when completing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' 125-metre-long "Koru". According to NRC's research, the shipyard admitted that it had not complied with the EUTR, but that this had never been the intention. Furthermore, the shipyard recognises the importance of the EUTR legislation and deeply regrets the mistakes.
Sunseeker pays a fine of 290,000 euros
The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) reports that the British superyacht shipyard has also been ordered to pay fines totalling 240,000 euros. The EIA already helped the Pool-based company prove the illegal use of teak from Myanmar in 2018, but the shipyard was in breach of the EUTR Directive at the time. Not so this year, because the legislation changed with BREXIT to a British Timber Regulation, which the company has now violated in several cases. After the hearing, the EIA welcomed the judge's ruling as a milestone in the fight against the illegal trade in teak from Myanmar. Sunseeker had previously pleaded guilty to three charges under the UK Timber Regulation, the first prosecution under the legislation that replaced the EU Timber Regulation after Brexit. The court heard that Sunseeker's timber imports included teak from Myanmar, wenge from Africa and European oak worth around €72,000.
Why teak is so popular in yacht building
Until recently, untreated teak from Myanmar was considered the undisputed gold standard, which also applies to its colour appearance. The particularly weather-resistant, knotless wood is non-slip and does not work when installed. It is easy to bend during processing and does not splinter. The weather resistance of teak from Burmese natural forests has long been one of the main arguments in favour of its use in boat building, especially for high-quality Scandinavian-style sailing yachts.
In addition, organic growth also produces particularly long logs - this is particularly important on mega and gigayachts, as longer planks require fewer joints during installation and result in a more homogeneous overall appearance. Due to the long growth, the annual rings are also very close together, resulting in fine, usually strictly parallel fibres. This results in a calm grain, probably the greatest visual asset. When laid on decks, the straight-grained wood visually elongates them and thus the entire hull.
Preventing violent repression
Timber harvesting in Myanmar has a long history that is closely linked to corruption and exploitation. The rainforests, which serve as a habitat for thousands of species, are being systematically destroyed. Independent reports show that many of the logging activities of recent decades have not only been illegal, but also linked to the financing of armed groups and the oppression of the local population. The indigenous communities who consider the forests their home are being displaced by the massive logging and the violent repression associated with it.
For this reason, the EU adopted the Timber Trade Regulation (EUTR) back in 2013 to combat illegal logging and trade. In a second step, sanctions were introduced as a result of the coup d'état on 1 February 2021 by the Myanmar military against the state-owned company MTE (Myanmar Timber Enterprise), which holds the exclusive rights for timber production and export. No timber from illegal logging was allowed to enter the EU domestic market.
The aim was to use economic pressure to persuade the regime to respect human rights and to adopt sustainable forestry practices. In addition, the teak business is an extremely lucrative source of income and foreign currency for the current rulers; a cartel of corrupt government officials in Myanmar, international timber traders and sawmill operators left no stone unturned to circumvent the EU restrictions. The term "bloodwood" became established in the mass media, also in connection with the "Gorch Fock" - in reference to diamonds of dubious African origin.
There are many alternatives to teak
In addition to legal teak from certified plantations, there are various other alternatives for deck design. And not only in the normal boat classes, but also in the superyacht sector, where a teak deck was previously almost a matter of course. Nautor offers cork as an option for the ClubSwans, even in the interior of the new ClubSwan 43. The basic properties of cork are almost ideal as a deck covering, and it is also easy to keep clean and can be laid individually.
Other options for decking include other types of wood, modified wood or plastic replicas. We have summarised the different products, their properties and how you can install plastic decking yourself in the article Alternatives to the teak deck explained
The soft SeaDek, which resembles the surface of a SUP board, can be found on the 13 metre long motor yacht Swan Shadow, for example. At boot, Beneteau took a special approach and presented an attractive deck made of Fineline Iroko on the First 44. Contest, on the other hand, fitted the new model with an Esthec deck, which the daysailers from Saffier Yachts have been relying on for several years.
Azimut also relies on Esthec, even for superyachts. The shipyard giant from the Turin area often chose the polyurethane (PU)-based material for the helipads of various large formats, but also for complete exterior decks, such as on the almost 100-metre-long A&R building "Aviva". There, Esthec panels form various patterns that adapt to the respective floor design of the interior. The art-collecting owner is quoted as saying: "We're not on the 'Titanic' here." On board for months, he could not bear the black Sika stripes between the classic teak deck.
New deck materials are being trialled
Another alternative is Tesumo. The Lürssen shipyard and the University of Göttingen developed the material as part of a research project and it is marketed in a joint venture with Wolz Nautic. It is produced on the basis of natural, fast-growing wood from controlled sustainable forestry, which is refined in a three-stage modification process. Michael Wolz is confident: "Test surfaces on smaller yachts have been on the water for more than six years and work flawlessly."
