Give or treat yourself to a subscription to Boats in Motion print + digital and for only 39 euros a year you get the magazine at home plus read it on your PC, smartphone and tablet. With a sea of advantages.
The lifespan of an antifouling paint depends, first and foremost, on choosing the right type of product for your boat’s class and intended use. For example, if you have a fast open boat, choose one designed to withstand the kind of stress caused by a fast hull that’s almost always planing. If you have a displacement trawler, a paint designed for slow-moving boats will be more suitable for you. If you have any doubts about which product is best for you, discover all the secrets of the new antifouling paints.
The service life of a product that prevents or reduces the growth of algae, plants, and animals on the hull also depends on the environmental conditions in which it operates. In particularly aggressive seas or areas, where there is a high concentration of microorganisms that cause “fouling”—such as barnacles, algae, and dogtooth barnacles—the level of marine pollution can inhibit the proper functioning of the antifouling coating.
This happens because the coating, which is designed to keep the hull as clean as possible, “works” by absorbing water into its interior. If that water is replaced by diesel fuel or another pollutant, the product loses its proper functionality.
The lifespan of an antifouling depends on the correct thickness applied. This thickness is assessed during the product development phase and is indicated in the relevant technical data sheet. Applying less than this thickness will not provide sufficient protection to keep the hull smooth and clean for a long time.
However, this does not mean that one can indiscriminately apply thicknesses greater than those required to improve the antifouling coating’s performance, as this could lead to physical problems such as an increase in the weight of the coating system (this is the technical term for the applied product: “cycle”), as well as the risk of delamination in the existing coating, especially if there is no “history” of previous applications. The thickness indicated on the technical data sheet represents the proper balance between performance and the chemical composition of the product.
Sign up for our Newsletter
Powerboats, its stories, from small open to motoryachts. Sign up now for our free newsletter and receive the best news selected by the editorial staff each week. Enter your email below, agree to the Privacy Policy and click the “sign me up” button.
Not a Cap Camarat, not a Merry Fisher, but the dawn of a new era. Today we’re taking you aboard the brand-new Jeanneau EX 34, the flagship of the shipyard’s new line, which aims to strike the perfect balance between the explorer spirit of Finnish nautical tradition and the desire to experience the sea in
The countdown has already begun. The Genoa International Boat Show is about to open its doors, and once again, it will be one of the most important events for gauging the direction of the powerboat market. New models, previews, engines, technologies, ways to enjoy the sea, and above all, plenty of boats to see in
Nautica Bertelli, a dealer operating on Lake Iseo and in the Gulf of Tigullio, has become the official dealer for the Sealine shipyard. Cutting-edge design, luxurious comfort, top performance, and German engineering precision: these are the hallmarks of Sealine yachts. Founded in 1972 and part of HanseYachts AG since 2013, the Sealine brand, with its
Welcome to the special Classic Boat Archive section, where Boats by Motor opens for you its paper archive where hundreds and hundreds of boats we have tested, presented and reviewed in the magazine’s more than 35-year history are kept. Technical data, original boat data sheets, including engines and performance. In short, a database (constantly being
