SaƒeBoatSkin®  -  SaƒeSpeedSkin®
FOR DISTRIBUTORS – INTERNAL USE ONLY
Refer also  to Fact / Benefit / MSDS sheets and Instructions for Use on http://www.safeboatskin.com (most up-to-date)

Bits & Bytes – update: March 2005[1]

 

Application

-        Temperature: use above freezing conditions

-        Windows: is being used on windows / underwater lights and underwater camera’s – works well for these applications: SaƒeSpeedSkin®

-        Rowing boats / Canoes/ Water- and Snowboard’s: SaƒeSpeedSkin® 

-        SaƒeSpeedSkin® especially in case of raceboat applications:  note that the effectiveness is almost in direct correlation with the number of applications.

 

Background

-        Report John Lewis – National Shipping Boat Conference March 2001, Sydney – report available from us.

-        Brady, R.F., Jr. 2000. In future, ships and barnacles will benefit from fouling release systems. Polymer Paint and Colour Journal, March 2000, 18-20. – Copy requested. Aug 5,2002.

-        Rittschof, D. 1999. Fouling and natural products as antifoulants. Pp. 245-257. In, M. Fingerman et al. (eds),  Recent  Advances  in  Marine  Biotechnology.  Vol.  3.  Biofilms,  Bioadhesion,  Corrosion,  and Biofouling. Science Publishers Inc., Enfield, USA. Copy requested – aug. 5,2002. 

-        Min. VROM (dutch) Press article July 2001 – still a lot of copper based anti fouling is used[2]

 

Competition

-        To protect boats from Antifouling you normally use hard or soft anti-fouling paints which contain copper or TNT.

-        Hard antifouling paints are also referred to as self-polishing paints, over time the water ‘polishes’ the paint and fresh paint, with ‘fresh’ toxic features becomes available to fight the fouling.

-        Soft paints (e.g. MICRON CSC) slowly dissolve in water.

-        Please note that copper paints damage aluminum hulls.

-        There are new paints which do not contain Copper or TNT but they are only good for ‘mild’ protection in fresh (not salt) water and require regular cleaning (by hand or with brush systems) during the season. Usage is very limited.

-        SaƒeBoatSkin® contains no Copper or TNT but creates a ‘bio-mass’ which is so slippery that build-up of fouling is limited / impossible. In addition SaƒeBoatSkin® has unique strong UV filter and anti-oxidation characteristics which help in the prevention of fouling build-up.

-        The additional reduced hull resistance feature of SaƒeBoatSkin®  leads to a better boat performance and reduces fuel consumption.

-        Teflon applications: See Teflon section

-        SealCoat – Environment friendly anti fouling. Method: after full preparation - Apply Base glue layer and pulse spray/insert small hairs – Growth is claimed to not attach – velvet structure.
Plusses: claimed long life. Minuses: Can only be applied by trained specialist; expensive; prown to damage; cannot be ‘repainted’ – complete overhaul required.

-        International Micron Copper Free. MSDS sheet available on request. Biocide (=poison) based  self polishing antifouling paint. Available colours: Red/ Black/ Blue / White. Cost: Tin of 750 ml €39,95, coverage approx. 10m2 – required coverage 3-4 layers. Fresh water product  very limited on salt water. 
SaƒeBoatSkin® competitive advantages: 1.No paint. 2. No sanding/ primer etc. required. 3. No color (transparent) 4. UV and Osmosis protection  5. Smoothness for speed enhancement and energy efficiency (less use of fuel). 6. Perfect for salt water environment 7. Cleaner and Polisher 8. Can be used under. on and above waterline! 9. Environment friendly 10. Cost: SaƒeBoatSkin® is at least 80% less expensive then International Micron Copper Free.

-    Competitive analysis EcoMar 2000 (pepper extract)

Please treat any competitive material as confidential

 

Background: EcoMar2000 is the only other ‘non-toxic’ fouling prevention product as identified by ITM (Stockholm University) – refer to ITM brochure.  As it is quite possible you will be asked about this product and its pro- and con’s compared to SaƒeBoatSkin® following a short comparison.

 

Additional comments and information are welcome

 

FACT

EcoM

SBS®

Advantage / Disadvantage for SaƒeBoatSkin®

Paint

Yes

No

Advantage – no need for scraping/ sanding etc. / no build-up of layers overtime.

Number of layers

1

2-3/4

Disadvantage and advantage – Ecomar specifies to use primer – this is an additional layer, not required for SaƒeBoatSkin® Maintenance also easier (no sanding/scraping)

Application

Just before launch

Year around

Strong advantage – Ecomar specifies to apply just before launching and protect the treated surfaces against wind and dust. Apparent high risk. SaƒeBoatSkin® can be applied year around AND protects surfaces also outside the water, in addition you can without any problem take boats treated with SaƒeBoatSkin® in- and out of the water as required.

Also: personal protection material is a must with Ecomar (pepper very aggressive), also surrounding protection is specified!!

Protect against UV / osmosis

No

Yes

Strong advantage. UV is major aging factor for plastics and osmosis is a ‘nightmare’ for most boat owners.

Protects paint

No

Yes

Strong (economic) advantage: SaƒeBoatSkin® enhances / doubles paint life

Above water line

No

Yes

Advantage: the waterline area is a crucial fouling area and SaƒeBoatSkin® provides complete boat protection.

Slippery surface

No

Yes

Advantage: enhances speed, reduces fuel, enhances sailing characteristics.

Price

 

 

SaƒeBoatSkin® approx. 40% cheaper for same application.

References

Limited

Many

Advantage SaƒeBoatSkin® has proven itself worldwide in many applications and areas. Also effectivity of pepper based products is questioned in many publications.

 

-        “Kiss-Cote” - USA competitive analysis (and similar SILICON products)

1.     Kiss cote is a SILICON based product

2.     SILICON creates permanent greasy type surfaces which are a disaster for all paint applications.

3.     SILICON binds with the underlying layers and forms a combination which can not be separated.

4.     To remove SILICON based products heavy sanding and scraping is required. This creates a (dangerous to very dangerous) environment and human unfriendly waste. For the applied surfaces and underlying layers the biggest risk is to damage them. It is virtually impossible to remove silicon type products without damaging the original surface.

Supporting documents: - (click to review)

- Kiss-cote article 1991 discussing lack of success of product in various applications. Background reason: silicon based (see above)
- Kiss-cote MSDS: dangerous components. Product as such would not be importable in Europe.

- Problems with silicon based paints
- Additional information available

 

 

 

Instructions for Use
Due to a manufacturing problem some bottles contain product which does not mix well – these bottles should not be used and will be replaced.
Question: Can SaƒeBoatSkin® or SaƒeSpeedSkin® be applied over any surface?
 Answer: The end result (and longevity) of a treatment with SaƒeBoatSkin® or SaƒeSpeedSkin® is (as always) directly related to the quality of the hull it is applied to. The hull must be dry and clean.
 Ablative paints like MICRON CSC must be removed completely. Also when underlying layers consist of a high percentage of Teflon or Silicon (not a big issue with existing boats because they wear out quickly) is it recommendable to take precautions.
When the make-up of the base layer is unknown or you are in doubt, clean the hull with mineral spirit=white spirit=turpentine or acetone (after which the boat must be washed with water and soap to prevent the diluters to react with SaƒeBoatSkin® or SaƒeSpeedSkin®. After such a treatment you can be sure that you have a perfect base for SaƒeBoatSkin® or SaƒeSpeedSkin®.

Question: Will SaƒeBoatSkin® prevent any and all fouling on my boat?
Answer:
1. To work effectively SaƒeBoatSkin® must be wet and have friction. Fouling (if any) below the waterline will disappear like "snow in the sun" (according to a satisfied user) after some sailing.
2. At those spots which are not wet continuously (around and above the waterline) some fouling can occur. In all cases this fouling can be easily removed with a sponge or soft brush (also in this regard SaƒeBoatSkin® is unique).

 

-        Contrary to the published Instructions for Use (also those on the bottles!) please note that it is NOT required anymore to polish SaƒeSpeedSkin® in between layers and at the end layer AND it is possible to polish SaƒeBoatSkin® in between and at the end layer. Polishing SaƒeBoatSkin® is especially good for those customers who want to get a nice shine on their boats (also around the waterline).

-        Making a boat shine with SaƒeBoatSkin® is possible, however it is recommended to polish as soon as possible after the last layer has been applied. When polishing is too hard, the suggestion is to add a little bit of fresh SaƒeBoatSkin® and polish as soon as possible.

 

Layers / thickness (Micron)

-        Traditional protection is with paint. The thinner the layers of the paint the better (less heavy) – layer thickness is measured in Micron.

-        SaƒeBoatSkin® / SaƒeSpeedSkin® weight depends on how the product is applied (thinner with spray then hand). General it can be said that the total weight for an effective Antifouling application will be 1/3 to 2/5 of the traditional weight of paints.

 

Legal (International perspective)

-        Antifouling products containing TNT (Tributyltin) are / will be strictly forbidden worldwide latest starting 2003. TNT is extremely toxic and damages ECO systems. Starting 1/1/2003 TNT containing paints may not be used anymore, starting 1/1/2008 all TNT containing paint must have been removed. (source: IMO: International Maritime Organisation)

-        Replacement is mostly with Copper containing paints. Copper damages the environment as well. Copper containing paints are / will be forbidden as well especially for all recreational applications.

-        Although damaging Copper containing paints are still allowed for industrial and defense boats (sometimes also for large boats). Pressure is being put on Governments to forbid Copper containing Antifouling paints for all applications.

-        The key and main problem for introducing new Antifouling products is the acceptance of (new) biocides which effectively fight the fouling mechanisms.

1.      New biocides have to be approved in the Netherlands – (similar institutes consist in all EU countries) by the CBT.

2.     The approval process is long and complicated as all cross references are checked.

3.     Substances are checked against Biocidal Products Directive (98/8/EC)

4.     SaƒeBoatSkin® and SaƒeSpeedSkin® do not contain TBT, Copper, Carcinogens or any known harmful toxic chemical or biocide.

-        The EU directives are being implemented in The Netherlands as part of SOMS (Strategienota Omgaan Met Stoffen, Min. VROM – Maart 2001) ) to the best of our knowledge SaƒeBoatSkin® and SaƒeSpeedSkin® can now already be categorized as the lowest concern level material: ”no concern”.

 

Spray

-        Both SaƒeBoatSkin® and SaƒeSpeedSkin® can be sprayed superbly.

-        With the new EU products a handsprayer (separately packaged) will be available.

-        High volume Low pressure systems to be used to prevent ‘dust’ spraying.
Quality / Effectiveness and Speed is greatly enhanced when sprayed.

 

Square meter calculation – ships

-        For motoryachts with limited depth:

Length waterline X (width+depth) = square meters (m2)

 

-        For sailing boats with limited depth:

0.75 X Length waterline X (width+depth) = square meters (m2)

 

-        For sailing boats with extended depth:

0.50 X Length waterline X (width+depth) = square meters (m2)

 

Storage

-        Between 4°C and 35°C.

-        Shelf life: 2 years in sealed containers.

-        Shipping can be done below freezing but it should not be possible for the product to freeze.

 

TEFLON

-        FPU / PTFE . The abbreviations stand for: FluroPolyUrethane and PolyTetraFluoroEthylene. PTFE is the chemical name of Teflon

-        Offered often in combination with Copper addition.

-        PTFE has toxic characteristics when used as paint (details available: Presentation Advanced Coating (www.compacoating.com).

-        Teflon is not well suited as Antifouling (refer a.o.  to John Lewis presentation National Shipping Ind. Conference, march 2001, Sydney as well as Ref. 5 and 6 same report) – report available.

-        Teflon is very expensive and not easy to apply (many preparations / sanding/ complete removal of all previous paint layers required).

-        Teflon cannot be overpainted (damages / maintenance !) unless previous layer is completely removed;  a point which in itself makes Teflon practically unusable for Antifouling applications.

 

Wax

-        SaƒeBoatSkin® and SaƒeSpeedSkin® are a kind of wax. One of the objections might be the perception that wax can be removed / damaged easily. One of THE inventions in SaƒeBoatSkin® is a component which makes SaƒeBoatSkin® adhere very well to any hull (like mussels / shells). SaƒeBoatSkin® forms a bio-mass which ensures a full coverage of the hull against oxidation and osmosis, both being the base for fouling of the hull. Under normal circumstances SaƒeBoatSkin® will adhere at least as good as paint to the hull, well applied it should last for 12-15 months.

 

 

 

 


[1] Changes 2005 as follows:

Jan: general updates and hand sprayer

March: Comp analysis EcoMar 2000 (see also ITM report in regular www.safeboatskin.com website)
March: Comp analysis Kiss-Cote

 

[2]

PERSINFORMATIE

Inspectie milieuhygiëne: Verbod op gebruik van anti-algenverf met koper onvoldoende nageleefd

 

Een aanzienlijk deel van de bedrijven die schepen onderhouden leven de voorschriften voor het gebruik van koperhoudende antifouling (algenaangroeiwerende verf voor de scheepshuid onder de waterlijn) onvoldoende na.

Vermoedelijk passen veel particulieren koperhoudende antifoulings toe en handelen daarmee in strijd met de Bestrijdingsmiddelenwet. Om het verbod op het gebruik van deze antifoulings beter af te kunnen dwingen, zou de verkoop van deze verfsoort strikt beperkt moeten worden tot de beroepsmatige zeevaart en de marine.
Dat zijn de belangrijkste conclusies van de handhavings-actie 'Kopervrije antifouling mist de boot' van de Inspectie Milieuhygiëne (IMH) die in de periode van begin maart tot begin april 2001 plaatsvond.
Het gebruik van koperhoudende antifoulings op pleziervaartuigen is door het College voor de Toelating van Bestrijdingsmiddelen (CTB) verboden vanaf 1 maart 1999. Koperhoudende antifoulings mogen alleen worden gebruikt door de beroepsmatige zeevaart (en offshore industrie) en de marine. Echter, verkoop, koop en het in bezit hebben van deze voor het natte milieu schadelijke verf is niet verboden. Het vermoedelijke gevolg hiervan is dat veel particulieren hun boten, in strijd met de wet, met deze verf behandelen.
De IMH adviseert om het verbod op het gebruik van koperhoudende antifouling op pleziervaartuigen te verbreden met een verbod op de verkoop aan particulieren en bedrijven die pleziervaartuigen onderhouden.

Onderzoek
Onder de vijfentwintig bezochte bedrijven is een proces-verbaal opgemaakt voor het aanbrengen van een koperhoudende antifouling op een pleziervaartuig. Daarnaast werden tien overtredingen vastgesteld vanwege het negeren van voorschriften voor de opslag van deze antifouling of andere bestrijdingsmiddelen. Deze bedrijven kregen, conform de afspraken met het Openbaar Ministerie, een waarschuwing. De bezochte bedrijven liggen verspreid over de provincies met veel waterrecreatie; Zuid-Holland, Friesland, Overijssel, Gelderland, Noord-Brabant en Limburg.
De IMH zal in de maanden voor de start van het vaarseizoen van 2002 opnieuw onderzoek verrichten, dit keer in zowel zoet- als zoutwaterhavens. Aan andere handhavingsdiensten, zoals KLPD en waterkwaliteitsbeheerders, is gevraagd ook de rest van het jaar te controleren op het gebruik van koperhoudende antifoulings.