Expect an increase in the price of antifouling, soon...

Kukri

Kukri

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 Jul 2008
Messages
15,562
Location
East coast UK. Mostly. Sometimes the Philippines
Visit site
Here is an article in the shipping online newspaper "Splash 24/7", which is relevant because yacht antifoulings and ship antifoulings are more or less the same sort of stuff|:

http://splash247.com/spiralling-raw-material-prices-see-coatings-costs-hiked/

That is an increase in dollar terms, of course (merchant shipping does everything in Dollars) so one can add something for Sterling devaluation as well.
 
Ah, just wait until the "non-professional" application of antifouling is banned. Then the cost of keeping the hull clean really will spiral!
 
I thought big ships are - somewhat ludicrously - still allowed to use TBT Tri-Butyl-Tin antifouling, ie the stuff which actually works, while we yotties get something like evaporated milk at the price of single malt ?!
 
Re possible banning of DIY antifouling. I can't understand why this is being cooked up by the paint manufacturers and the EC. What do the manufacturers stand to gain from this proposed legislation? In any case when we leave the EC it will no longer apply to us.
 
philwebb said:
Re possible banning of DIY antifouling. I can't understand why this is being cooked up by the paint manufacturers and the EC. What do the manufacturers stand to gain from this proposed legislation? In any case when we leave the EC it will no longer apply to us.
Click to expand...

It'll probably be linked in to global legislation which the UK signs up to, maybe in relation to possible discharge of waste.
 
philwebb said:
Re possible banning of DIY antifouling. I can't understand why this is being cooked up by the paint manufacturers and the EC. What do the manufacturers stand to gain from this proposed legislation? In any case when we leave the EC it will no longer apply to us.
Click to expand...

On what basis do you think that this is being "cooked up" by the paint manufacturers?
 
Elecglitch said:
On what basis do you think that this is being "cooked up" by the paint manufacturers?
Click to expand...

Quite. I understood that it was the paint manufacturers who took fright at the EC proposals and initiated the survey of DIY antifoulers, a step towards ensuring the DIY market continues..
 
Seems to be a bit of all road merging at the wrong time for antifouling paint.

As Sandy alluded to, the price of raw materials such as epoxy and copper have seen a slight increase in the last 12 months, while zinc has nearly doubled in price. As well as the fact that all the manufacturers will be passing the cost of their research and design on to us in the light of the new regulations. Least we forget the variable strength of the pound.

Been scouring the internet looking to pick up some Micron Extra for the club but proving hard work, although I did notice that there appears to be some good discounts on the new stuff, for example Marine Super Store selling Hempel Tiger Xtra for £57 (https://www.marinesuperstore.com/paint-cleaners-care/antifoul). Maybe the chandlery’s have sold off all their old stuff now?
 
Got an offer from Force 4 today, International and Hempel heavily discounted 'discontinued antifoul' offer dated 8th. Feb.
quote in the small print-
' The new Biocidal Product Regulations state that all retailers must have cleared their shelves of non-compliant product by the end of June 2018 and consumer must have applied the antifoul to their boats by 1st. Jan 2019. Seajet and Flag are unaffected by this change.'

So some of the Hempel/International make up is not complaint from this year, can't imagine the new stuff will be stronger.
 
pvb said:
No, it's only been banned in countries which supported the ban, perhaps only two-thirds of the world's tonnage. The other third happily slap the stuff on their hulls.
Click to expand...

I don't think that's right. In common with many other international agreements, once it had been ratified by a majority of the members of the IMO, it became internationally binding UNLESS a nation had registered an objection during the ratification process. Like the moratorium on whaling; it is binding on everyone EXCEPT for nations (such as Norway and Japan) that registered an objection (yes, I know about exceptions for aboriginal subsistence hunts).

Of course, a) the enforcement of the regulations may well be patchy or non-existent in some countries where it isn't a priority and b) it has been posted on here that there are nations where TBT on the can doesn't actually correspond to there being any TBT in the product - it is marketing.

Whatever the situation, you'd better not turn up in a nation that HAS ratified the agreement with TBT on your hull!

TBT is, of course, produced as an industrial chemical, so it is available.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top