Fouling has a domino effect on cost and maintenance workload. It increases the roughness of the hull’s surface, consequently increasing a yacht’s drag through the water. It leads to higher fuel consumption and thus increased cost. Increased fuel consumption leads to increased emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Maintenance costs also increase with fouling. The superyacht must be dry-docked more often, and will require extra surface treatment and painting. In addition to all that, fouling also has a negative effect on a ship’s manoeuvrability.
The antifouling paint and its performance is becoming more and more talked about for 2 reasons: first; Superyachts are often static for extended periods of time, which inevitably results in more fouling and more maintenance. Second: antifouling plays a huge role in the prevention of the invasive species migration between different parts of the world’s Oceans and seas.
Superyacht captains and management companies will do anything they can to reduce their maintenance workload while maintaining efficiency. Monthly cleaning regimes delay drydocking as long as possible.
In order to be more environmentally friendly, more and more captains are reaching out to biocide free solutions, however the question remains how efficient are these solutions?
Is there really a product out there that ticks all the boxes?
At Hempel’s we believe we’ve found one!
Hempaguard X7 provides excellent results improving the yacht’s performance while also reducing the maintenance costs, the fuel consumption and the overall emissions. It helps keep the hull clean even when the yacht is stationary for long periods.
How is this possible? The advanced fouling defence coating Hempaguard X7 is based on ActiGuard® technology which utilizes the combined effect of advanced hydrogel silicone and an efficient biocide.
We recently applied it to the Superyacht Saudade.
Although the previous underwater hull coating of Saudade was also a silicone system, according to the crew, it required regular diving and cleaning.
‘We tried Hempel’s X7 on the rudder and keel for the last 6 months and had fantastic results and now decided to do the whole boat.” – Rob Cumming, Captain of Saudade.
This more eco-friendly alternative to standard antifouling products is suitable for all superyachts, with no limitations on service speeds. It’s very suitable for vessels operating with long service intervals up to 60 months and long idle periods of up to 120 days.
