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#Industry News

Smart stuff for Seawork

The newest fouling release product to enter the UK market will be making its debut at Seawork in June where its impressive claims for performance and longevity are expected to attract considerable interest from commercial boat operators. Representatives from Tudor Streamline Surfaces Ltd, the UK licence holder, will be on hand to justify the impressive claims being made about the Duplex product.

The Smart Surfaces Duplex silicone fouling release coating was developed by the US Navy and is now manufactured by part of the giant Fujifilm Corporation which brings its reputation and technical expertise to this demanding market. Duplex was devised to cut biocide and heavy metal pollution in US ports and it has been in use successfully with the US Navy for over ten years. It is only now on sale in the United Kingdom where its anti-fouling and proven fuel saving capabilities are expected to have a major impact.

The Duplex silicone finish is professionally applied to hulls where it creates a surface so slippery that marine life cannot maintain a grip on it. At speeds over 8 knots, weeds and crustaceans cannot resist the water flow over the hull and are simply washed-off. This exposes a surface with so little friction that, according to the manufacturers it immediately becomes possible to measure increases in boat speed and fuel economy. The company makes the impressive claim that tests by reputable scientific institutions have confirmed that vessels using Duplex can benefit from fuel savings of at least five per cent or corresponding increases in boat speed.

Developed in anticipation of the increasingly strict anti-pollution regulations that are being introduced in many parts of the world, Duplex achieves its remarkable results entirely without chemicals or toxins. This means that the composition of the surface remains unchanged throughout its life which, on some tugs in the US, is known to exceed ten years. Unless the hull surface sustains some physical damage, there is consequently no need for the hull coating to be renewed which results in significant long term cost savings.

Despite the advanced science that lies behind it, Smart Surfaces points out that the practical reality of owning a boat treated with Duplex is that it will repay the investment in many ways. There will be years of reduced maintenance bills to look forward to, faster sailing, lower fuel bills and the satisfaction that comes with knowing that one’s boat is at the peak of its performance yet with nothing polluting the oceans in order for it to be so.

Details

  • United States
  • Fujifilm Corporation