Nauteco

The Evolution of Marine Antifouling

Using the latest technology to create a clean wake as well as a clean bottom 

Being kind to worms, barnacles and mussels? Not so easy when they start to colonise your finely crafted hull. We all spend a great deal of time, effort and money on trying to keep our boat hull clean for at least one season, often with mixed results. We also have to deal with a bewildering choice of the latest technology in anti-foul paints and methods - from copper coatings, to nanostructuring technology, to silicone elastomeric materials and eroding, hard, soft or self polishing. What does it all mean, and what really is the best antifouling solution?

Back in the square rigger days a rather more direct approach was taken with a variety of fouling remedies - arsenic, lime, mercury , tar and nailed copper sheets were tried, often with the effect not only of leaving a trail of dead fish but corroding the hull itself. In the 1960’s TBT (tributyl tin) arrived and it was fantastic at getting rid of everything that lives on the hull besides being a third of the price of today’s ingredients. Unfortunately, it caused whelks to get gender confused and was banned by the International Maritime Organisation, with a complete prohibition effective from January 2008.

So now the search is on for the magic anti-foul that is totally effective in all conditions but is harmless to living organisms - a bit of a contradiction in terms you might think. So far copper and zinc compounds have filled the gap but these are being phased out over time because of environmental concerns. Attention now is focusing on natural biological solutions - synthesising nature’s own repellents.

Nauteco’s manufacturing partner was one of the first to introduce an antifouling that merged the proven effectiveness of copper oxide as a biocide with a patented microbiological agent that inhibits the primary level of marine fouling. Basically, fouling starts with micro organisms that attach to minute gaps in the hull surface, even on Teflon type surfaces. Undisturbed, this base layer forms a slime which is the food source for the next higher level of organisms and eventually builds up to the full magnificence of marine life. Besides being rather unattractive, this does not help your boat to go through the water.

By attacking that first level of fouling, Nauteco Peformance Antifouling works at the cellular level to inhibit micro organisms and produce an unpalatable surface for higher organisms. This means it is much less harmful to marine life and it manages to be effective in all marine conditions. Nauteco Performance also has an extra benefit in that a catalytic conversion takes place on immersion, forming a slippery surface skin - not unlike that achieved in nature by fish. A combination of micro biological protection and a slippery surface, leaves your worms, barnacles and mussels floundering in your wake but happily for them, still alive.

That of course is not the end of the story - our manufacturing partner is working on the next evolution of anti foul paint, aiming to further reduce environmental impact whilst maintaining anti foul effectiveness, in conjunction with a leading University marine research department. In the future it is likely that copper and other metals will be phased out in favour of non-toxic agents and Nauteco aims to be at the forefront of those developments. In the meantime, Nauteco Performance Antifouling offers the best practical solution to your antifouling needs - and at a sensible price too!