Time restrictions required the remedial work to be carried out in water, and the only available berth was in close proximity to Itchen Marine's marina.

To minimise any airborne contaminants during blasting, MG Duff enlisted the help of Quill Falcon with their breakthrough dustless Kwikblast system. MG Duff would then spray apply the Zingard roller the tie coat, and finish with Jotun Hardtop Flexi topcoat.

The scope of works involved blasting to S.A. 2.5 with a Blast Profile Rz 50-80um and a roughness of 12.5-15um, application of 60-80um Zingard using a ZingardAlufer N tie coat of 50um thickness, and the Jotun Hardtop flexi overcoat protection system. Blasting was achieved at a rate of 2m 2per hour using 14 X 25kg bags of garnet, an environmentally friendly natural aggregate. No trace of blast residue was left on neighbouring vessels.

The Zingard was applied to some 25m 2of blasted deck surface, with some 35kg of the product used to give a thickness of 70um. Some five litres of Alufer N tie coat was applied over the Zingard to a thickness of 50um followed by the Jotun Hardtop Flexi to the manufacturer's specified thickness.

Nine months later the decks have withstood the rigours of towing and winter frosts remarkably well. In areas where the deck paint has been damaged, Zingard has protected the bare steel, requiring only minimal touching up to 'keep up appearances'.

For the full step by step application procedure and any other technical advice, visit the MG Duff stand at Seawork 2006.

MJ Information No: 21722