Innovation profile: Hempel product showing promise for boats challenged by barnacles

A new fouling-release hull coating system is offering boat owners another tool to help reduce the spread of marine pests. 

Unlike traditional antifouling paints that rely on biocides, silicone-based coatings such as Hempel’s Hempaguard X7 and Silic One create an ultra-smooth surface that makes it difficult for marine organisms to attach. Any growth that does settle is more easily removed through normal boat movement or light cleaning. This can reduce biofouling build-up, improve fuel efficiency, and lower environmental impact by avoiding heavy metal leaching. For boat owners, it means easier hull maintenance while supporting efforts to minimise the transfer of unwanted marine species.

The distributors of Hempel’s Hempaguard X7 and Silic One Foul Release products are reporting early signs of success in the war against resistant barnacles in parts of Northland. 

 Duncan Crawford of Paint Smart Group Ltd & Wairau Paint Centre says of one boat: 

"The Hempaguard X7 was applied in December 2024 and as mentioned she has been in Opua, bar a couple of trips to Gulf Harbour since. She had a long lay-up period for several months at Opua due to mechanical issues. The feedback is that it is very clean and only had barnacles and oysters in the skin fittings where there is very little friction, and on a couple of patches where the boat had been propped whilst out of the water." 

Clean Below? Good to Go shares information from time to time about new products. These are not recommendations and many factors must be taken into account when considering solutions to marine pests. If you have a product for us to consider in a future issue, please email info@marinepests.nz with details.