When black goes green
SAVING the planet has become a growing concern among the boating community. But while only a few can run to the ultimate luxury of electric power, there are other means of assuaging one’s environmental conscience.
What you put on to protect your hull can, in its small way, help reduce the canal boat owner’s impact on the environment.
Like the apocryphal Post-It note, chance can lead to extraordinary outcomes. A random application of what was then used as a timber preservative was found to be highly durable on steel, with the bonus of low cost and positive environmental benefits.
Since its launch, Keelblack has been enthusiastically received by users on the Cut not only for its speed of application – it goes on as easily as painting a hull with water – but also for its hardness, longevity and cost-effectiveness.
Of course, saving the planet must also go hand in hand with practical considerations and the inevitable ‘How long will it last?’ is a real piece- of-string question. Water quality, helmsman’s competence, engine hours and numbers of locks navigated... all have a bearing on the answer but, on a level playing field, Keelblack has been shown to outlast other blackings and even two-pack epoxy.
All of these advantages are at significantly lower cost than other quality bitumens while being much, much simpler to apply.
But to return to the ‘green’ aspect, Keelblack customers overwhelmingly say that protecting the environment is one of their influences when choosing Keelblack. As a water-based blacking emulsion, it contains none of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in all the other solvent-based paints, making it as green as any bitumen can be. Indeed, the Dutch Water authorities, in awarding Keelblack European Standard 7375 compliance, declared it to be ‘to all intents and purposes, inert’. And, as a bonus, steel-coated with three layers of Keelblack tested at a German University was found to outlast conventional blackings by six times and even outlasted two-pack by about two times. Being water-based, hulls do not need to be dry, reducing docking duration and cost to all parties. If pushed for time, all three coats can be applied in less than one day. And all this on a 60ft hull for about £100.
Now that’s saving the planet AND balancing the books. Political chancellors, take note.
Keelblack can be contacted on 0333 405 4045 for friendly and comprehensive advice or via the website www. keelblack.com