International Marine Coatings – MICI Coatings
International Marine Coatings. Sounds interesting, right? Well, maybe not but if you’re a person who enjoys watercraft and you want to keep your boat in top condition for as long as you can (and who doesn’t?) then international marine coating is something you’ll want to look into.
Ok. So what is it?
Marine coatings are protective paints that actively help to prevent barnacles or mussles from planting themselves to your marine vessel. To address this problem in the past, people would often use coatings that contained biocide. These, too, were effective in keeping these ride-alongs off of watercraft. However, in the process of preventing aquatic life from becoming too attached, biocide would damage the materials of the boats themselves. Obviously, these materials were counter-productive to the goal of keeping a boat in great condition for as long as possible.
I use my boat in fresh water. Do I still need marine coating?
Whether you tend to boat in fresh or salt water, eventually microorganisms and other hitchhikers will affix themselves to your boat. Over time, this creates a “skin” that weighs down the hull of your craft. Not only does this add weight, it also takes away from the smoothness which creates drag. In saltwater, the usual culprit is the barnacle. In fresh, it’s often the mussel (specifically, the dreaded Zebra Mussel) that begin to accumulate to the sides and bottom of crafts.
Invasive species are bad for area lakes and rivers.
Some states have enacted laws specifically to reduce the transport of invasive species such as zebra mussels from bodies of water that already have them to those that don’t. While no coating can prevent all contaminants, international marine coatings are an effective contributor to their reduction. However, even if you use these products, it’s important that you follow local laws and regulations. Drain your boat before trailering it and be sure that you spray it clean before setting it into another body of water.