Anti-fouling paint goes green

A retired fisherman in Geraldton has developed an environmentally friendly “biofouling release coating” he says will reduce marine build-up and allow boats to be cleaned in the water. After 14 years developing the formula, 64-year-old Jeff Hamilton says he is ready to unveil the finished product. Mr Hamilton said all conventional anti-fouling paints contained toxic chemicals that leached into the water. “Boats with anti-fouling on them can’t be cleaned in the water, they have to be lifted out,” he said. “All that water that comes off from cleaning them down once they come ashore has to go into a holding tank, and that water has got to go to a correct facility pond at a high cost. “My coating alleviates all that. “It can be cleaned in or out of the water with a water pressure blaster, with no toxic effect to the environment.” The Batavia Coast Maritime Institute has verified these claims, having conducted trials that proved the coating was non-toxic and did not leach into the water. Mr Hamilton is now working on an “in-water, hull-cleaning, drive-through boat wash”. He said when the boat wash was ready, owners of vessels coated with his product would reap the savings. “What we’re aiming for is to have all the crayfishermen change over to this coating and eventually get them all clean and green,” Mr Hamilton said. “They’re working every day, so there’s less chance of build-up. But if they do happen to be sitting for any period of time, instead of having to pay for a lift-out and clean before they go fishing, they can just go to the boat wash.” Three months ago, boat owner Mark Dawson had the coating applied to his small catamaran. Last month, he had it lifted from the water at Geraldton Fisherman’s Wharf to inspect the hull. “The product is good,” Mr Dawson said. “If you were out there every day in a big cray boat or something, I don’t think you’d have anything stick to it. I think it’d be just perfect for those guys.”