What is fouling? Fouling, or more accurately ‘bio-fouling’, is the build-up of plant and animal life that occurs on all submerged structures, from rocks to oil-rigs – and, of course, boat hulls. These are generally split up into two subdivisions: micro-fouling and macro-fouling. Micro-fouling is made up of microscopic bio-organisms, such as slime, bacteria and other small algal life forms. Macro-fouling is the bigger stuff that us boaters tend to get worked up about, such as barnacles, muscles, tubeworm, sea squirts and seaweed.
How fast does biofouling take effect? Macroscopic fouling community Tertary colonizers Secondary colonizers Primary colonizers Particles of organic matter
1
Disolved organic matter is absorbed onto the material surface, creating a conditioning film.
2
A complex, multispecies microbial biofilm is formed onto the organic layer.
3
Secondary colonizers arrive. Frequently, they are attracted by chemical cues produced by the microbial community.
4
Eventually, the substrate is colonized by invetebrate larvae. Algae and invertebrates grow and develop a community of macroscopic individuals.
Conditioning film Biofilm Macroscopic fouling
Why should I worry about it? Any significant growth of fouling has an immediate effect on your boat’s performance and its fuel efficiency. On planing powerboats, even a light buildup of macro fouling can reduce your top speed by 5 knots and increase fuel cost consumption due to the
The most cost effective option for preventing fouling is of course to keep your boat trailered when not in use. Or You can purchase floating dry docking option that lifts your boat out of the water while berthed. These options are limited by the size and weight of the boats they can lift.
increased workload on the engines. Heavier growth
Next would be to clean the hull in the water to
may prevent a boat from planing altogether.
keep free of fouling. Currently scraping is used to
Does fouling vary from place to place? Absolutely – from place to place and even year to year, according to the water temperature, its salinity, the level of sunlight, the quantity of nutrients and countless other factors. Generally speaking, the higher the water temperature, the greater the growth, hence the reason fouling
accomplish hull cleaning in the water. This actually damages the anti-fouling reducing its effectiveness increasing the speed fouling takes place. Here is where Smooth Sailing can help rejuvenate your anti-fouling extending it life up to a year or more with scheduled cleaning. Smooth Sailing uses new technologies that use cavitation to safely remove fouling without damaging your anti-fouling. The effectiveness of this technology allows us to be competitively priced. Scan barcode
is so bad in the Middle East. After
with your phone to book a hull
boating here in the United Arab
survey a quote to clean your boat
Emirates for the past 10 years we
hull. Improve the performance of
find March through November
your boat and reduce fuel cost.
to be the most aggressive months for bio fouling. December through
Recovery Diving
February are no where near as bad.
Our team is also available to help
What are the current options? The three main choices for leisure boaters are to:
1 2 3
Paint it with some form of eroding antifouling.
Coat it with a semi-permanent copper treatment.
Prevent build up of growth by keeping it out of the water or regular scrubbing of the hull.
with recovery of item you may have dropped overboard at anchor or in berth.
RYAN WYNN Chief Operating Officer
Al Najmat Tower A, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Phone: +971 50 811 4541 Email: ryan.wynn@smoothsailing.ae www.smoothsailing.ae