Unique Hull Coating Helps Improve Performance

With the ever-increasing scrutiny on anti-fouling paints and their harmful effects on marine life, the paints & coatings industry is looking for viable modern alternatives which can meet new regulatory standards and protect the environment whilst maintaining a high level of performance.

In April 2019, Chemco was approached by the owners of a luxury racing yacht, tasked with providing a high-quality coating system for the yacht’s hull. The owner was seeking an environmentally friendly coating, in order to comply with port regulations, which would also support the yacht’s need to become more streamlined, fuel-efficient and, ultimately, faster during races.

Chemco’s Chem-glide™ RA 500CG was selected as the coating system to fulfil the yacht’s requirements, with application supervised by Chemco’s approved representatives Bosun’s Locker of Mallorca.

RA 500CG is a unique solvent-free, biocide-free, non-toxic, non-stick and scrubbable hull coating which can be utilised as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to conventional anti-fouling paints.

As RA 500CG is not an anti-foul, Chemco’s technical representatives informed the captain and crew that, in order to remove/avoid marine growth, the hull would require periodic scrubbing (or light water jetting) should the yacht be stationary in seawater for extended periods of time.

For approximately 6 weeks after coating application, the yacht remained stationary in the port before being removed, scrubbed and primed for racing.

In July 2019, the luxury yacht completed a 16-day race from the USA to the UK where, upon completion of the race, the yacht displayed no marine growth and was calculated to have achieved a significant 0.4kn increase in speed from previous races.

Since this race, the yacht has remained out of the water at its home port with the hull in great condition and the captain satisfied that the RA 500CG will remain as the coating system for races to come.

The below table indicates the benefits which can be attained by utilising RA 500CG in favour of conventional anti-fouling paints.

To learn more about RA 500CG and its applications, contact [email protected] or submit a contact form below.

Chem-glide™ RA 500CG	Conventional Anti-fouling Paints
Solvent-free with no biocides, harmful chemicals or leaching compounds	Variable high solvent content; typically contains harmful biocides and chemicals
Glassflake reinforced, offering extremely good abrasion/chemical resistance	No physical and mechanical strength
No weather restrictions	Application in adverse weather conditions is prohibited
Two-coat system	Three to five-coat systems
Health & Safety risk / Fire Hazard significantly reduced	Flammable products carrying major risk
Marine growth can be easily removed by water jetting and scrubbing; touch-up repairs can be undertaken where required	Conventional anti-fouling paints have a definitive lifespan; normally requires to be re-blasted and re-painted every 5 years