A 275-metre containership recently arrived at the Yiu Lian Dockyards in Hong Kong suffering from severe cavitation and mechanical damage to its rudder.
The containership was given an Ecospeed protective coating to prevent this from happening again.
As the drydock was only available for a short period of time, the ship left the dock after the rudder was removed and was berthed alongside. Extensive repairs to the rudder were then carried out after which it was coated. In between the application of layers one and two, a stripe coat was applied on the weld seams to give the entire surface coverage and protection.
Just before the end of the application the ship returned to drydock and after the curing process the rudder was reinstalled. The severely damaged rudder horn was then coated with Ecospeed.
The smoothness attained by the coating provides optimum hydrodynamic conditions for rudders to operate at maximum efficiency. The ship's performance remains stable and the owner's investment is secured.
The coating is both flexible and tough. It provides the vessel with an impenetrable protective layer while its flexibility enables absorption of the forces that are produced by cavitation. Because of this Ecospeed prevents the damage that is normally caused by cavitation.
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