Ports of Jersey is trialling a new product to coat the hulls of its workboats, which not only prevents barnacles and seaweed from attaching to the hulls, but also reduces drag and protects the marine environment.
‘Seacoat’ is a clear, thin coating which prevents bio-fouling by stopping marine life from being able to stick to the hull, rather than by killing anything that comes into contact with it. It contains no biocides (toxic chemicals), and improves the performance of vessels by reducing drag.
Ports of Jersey’s Marine Operations Manager, Fleur Moisan, said: “We are always looking for ways to improve our practices, and while it’s important to prevent fouling, if we can use a new product that does the job without leaching toxic chemicals into the sea, then that’s a win for us.
“We’ll initially try the product on the RIB we use for maintenance and enforcement patrols, and on one of the Marina team’s buster boats. If the trial is successful, we will expand it to other workboats. We are keen to do what we can to protect our marine environment, and this coating is commercially sustainable too. It takes a third of the time to apply as traditional anti-foul paint, and as it reduces drag there’ll be savings on fuel. So, we hope it will be a practical and environmentally friendly solution to the annual application of anti-foul.”
Head of Sustainability and Community Value, Sophie Roffe said: “It’s great that we are trialling a product with many environmental benefits, as well as offering commercial advantages. The chemicals used in traditional anti-fouling are designed to shed during the season, and these layers end up in the sediment around the coast. Anything we can do to protect our marine environment, while also allowing the business to run efficiently, is something Ports of Jersey will support.”
Mark Edwards, from Edwards & Renouf Ltd, has applied for a patent for the product. He said: “As a chemist I’ve worked on innovation in many different industries, and I’m passionate about the marine world. When I saw what was being painted on to the hulls of vessels every year, I thought we could come up with a better way to achieve the same objective.
“We’ve been developing this coating for more than three years. We hope it will replace traditional anti-foul which releases poisonous chemicals to prevent barnacles, molluscs and algae from fouling hulls. Our coating prevents marine life from getting a grip and sticking to the hull without the need for toxic biocides, and it also inhibits corrosion.”
