Page 38: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2022)

GREEN TECH FEATURE COATINGS

Coated for the

Long Haul

By Matt Heffernan, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine ith protective marine technology to be overspeci? ed. These For hauling operations, crewmembers coatings, a little extra parties are used to the ? ve- to seven- on The Providence ? ll the vessel’s inte- insurance can go a long year maintenance intervals realized with rior 6-foot deep pontoon ballast tanks way. That may mean ap- traditional coatings. However, FastClad with river water to submerge the ? oat-

W plying thicker coats or specifying more ER offers a 15- to 20-year service life ing dry dock below the vessel that’s go- durable coatings to get you more time at – triple to quadruple that of traditional ing to be hauled. After getting that ves- sea and longer intervals between main- coatings – making it an excellent choice sel into place between the 14-foot tall tenance drydockings. And that’s exactly to meet Biblia’s goal of extending main- wing walls of The Providence and over what Biblia Marine Towing and Trans- tenance intervals and minimizing down- its submerged deck, operators pump wa- portation did when it speci? ed protec- time for The Providence. With the coat- ter from the ballast tanks to raise both tive coatings for The Providence, a new ing meeting Biblia’s longevity goals, the vessels out of the water. Maintenance 500-ton lift capacity ? oating dry dock vessel owner speci? ed the coating sys- crews can then repair the dry-docked the company had built for its operations tem to protect its new investment inside vessel right from the deck of The Provi- in Savannah, Ga. and out. dence or transport it to a shipyard.

The Providence is a 120 x 60 ft. ? oat- Because the vessel’s ballast tanks ing dry dock that Biblia will primarily Extending Maintenance for the New would be frequently immersed with use for hauling tugboats, including its Floating Dry Dock brackish water from the Savannah own ? eet and other vessels navigating Biblia offers an array of marine ser- River, the design team speci? ed the ap- local waters. It will replace Biblia’s ex- vices from shipyard repairs to barge plication of a coating system to prevent isting dry dock and serve as a primary rentals and also maintains its own ? eet corrosion and damage that could other- means for pulling vessels out of the wa- of tugs and barges that perform bed- wise lead to expensive steel repairs and ter for repairs. With the dry dock being a leveling, dredging and dragging ser- longer downtime during maintenance critical part of the company’s repair and vices throughout the waters of Savan- activities. Traditional systems used to maintenance services for its own tug- nah, Georgia; Delaware Bay, Delaware; line ballast tanks are two-component, boats, as well as a money maker when Charleston Harbor, South Carolina; and high-solids, polyamine-cured epoxies transporting other vessels for similar Fernandina and Jacksonville, Florida. that offer roughly ? ve to seven years of service, Biblia wanted to maximize up- Stationed near the company’s Savannah life before requiring maintenance. With time for The Providence. River facilities, The Providence will Biblia requesting a more robust system

Looking for some added insurance to primarily haul tug boats with a maxi- that could offer longer maintenance in- protect this lifeblood of its operations, mum length of 120 feet and maximum tervals, Sherwin-Williams suggested the

Biblia speci? ed an edge-retentive, ultra- draft of 10 feet. JMS Naval Architects FastClad ER system, which is expected high solids epoxy amine coating system from Mystic, Connecticut, developed a to last 15 to 20 years or more. This time from Sherwin-Williams Protective & complete engineering and design pack- span provides a far longer maintenance

Marine that’s ? t for the U.S. Navy. In age for the vessel that meets the require- interval and will keep The Providence fact, the coating – FastClad ER – has ments of the ABS Rules for Building on the water ready to service other ves- been a Navy staple since 2004. Yet, it and Classing Steel Floating Dry Docks. sels in need of repair – and continuing to had not yet been used before in the com- Conrad Shipyard constructed The Prov- contribute to Biblia’s operating income mercial marine industry as many ship- idence at the company’s Morgan City , instead of sitting more frequently in dry yards and vessel owners considered the Louisiana, yard. dock itself for repairs.

38 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • May 2022

MR #5 (34-49).indd 38 5/3/2022 8:50:48 AM