Paint

[Peppermint]

I do, for my sins, spend a bit of time on various north sea truck ferries. The Stena Hollandica has got the painters in sprucing up the topsides, painting the decks etc. Project time 6 weeks for 8 blokes. Cost 50k euro's. The interesting thing was they were using yacht enamel. They buy it at £1.60 per litre.

The !st officer was telling me that she's antifouled every second year. They take her back to primer, use a hard antifouling and then a soft one. It only takes 12 tonnes of paint. Just like yotties they haul her out once a year for a day. Give her a jet washing and straight back in.

 

[Evadne]

On the NERC research ships I occasionally go out on, the topsides and decks always have been done in yacht enamel. Chipping and painting as we went along used to be part of the AB's daily routine but most of it gets done at refit now. I've no idea what antifouling they use.

 

[penultimate]

Interesting how much they pay for yacht enamel. As for the antifouling: the essential difference between the ferries and yachties is the pattern of usuage. I launched on 12th March and after 6 weeks of mainly light usuage hauled ashore for pressure wash and antifouling. Already the hull was coated in slime. I have antifouled with "pussers" black, and since I imagine it is intended for high usuage it will be interesting to see how it performs on a cruising boat.