Superyachts could benefit from cruise ship experiment
When a 294 metre cruise ship came into drydock in the Bahamas last month several super yacht Captains were interested to see the ships bottom.
After sailing for three years without the application of new antifoul paint, only minor parts of the underwater hull needed touch ups and no new paint layers were required on the rest of the underwater hull.
As a consequence the technical operations that needed to be carried out on the vessel were far easier to plan because no full repaint needed to be added to the schedule. The vessel could leave drydock again earlier than would have been the case if an extensive repaint had been required.
During the docking those interested in superyacht maintenance were invited to see first-hand the advantages Ecospeed offers the cruise industry. All visitors could clearly see that the required touch ups involved only 2 % of the total surface. The antifouling is an once-in-a-lifetime coating that comes with a 10 year warranty and there will also be no need to repaint the vessel during future drydockings as it maintains its smoothness throughout its lifetime, allowing the owner to always operate his fleet in excellent condition.
The application of the product is combined with an underwater cleaning and conditioning system, devised to remove any marine fouling at an early stage of development. This procedure is made very easy by Ecospeed's non-stick properties that make it difficult for fouling organisms to attach to the hull. The coatings surface characteristics steadily improve with each hull cleaning throughout the service life of the vessel, setting it entirely apart from antifouling paints that deteriorate over time.
Ecospeed is and will remain nontoxic and 100% environmentally safe throughout its entire lifetime. It contains no poisons, which could leach into the water as happens with antifouling paint, and toxic fuel emissions are reduced.
