NEW ZEALAND’S CHANGING MARINE
ENVIRONMENT + REGULATIONS
THE PROBLEM: Sea temperatures of 24 to 25’C were recorded at Opua in the Bay of Islands during the summer of 2025 | 2026. A non-native barnacle is strongly established in the area. For vessels that are infrequently used or cleaned, this species is likely to invade underwater surfaces. The problem of increased fouling brought about by invasive marine pests, rising sea temperatures and high nutrient levels is not unique to the North Island. Marlborough and other coastal regions are experiencing similar challenges.
Legislation introduced by the Environmental Protection Authority in July 2023 had the express intent to protect New Zealand marine life and ecosystems from decades of harm caused by biocides and toxins leached from traditional antifouling paints. In the face of greater challenges to prevent fouling, the legislation resulted in fewer antifouling coating choices for vessel owners.
Anecdotally, some of the traditional antifouling paints that survived the 2023 legislation are softer, less effective against fouling and have shorter lifespans. The problem of protecting against fouling became bigger.
The future requirement for effective antifouling treatments is essential to efficient vessel operation and to prevent transmission of unwanted marine species. New Zealand’s antifouling paint legislation and similar regulatory controls throughout the world are critically important. It is indisputable that biocides and toxins leached from antifouling paints have caused tremendous harm to marine life, marine ecosystems and the oceans’ most important oxygen-producing organisms.
HULLWELL SOLUTIONS: Observation of global sea temperature rises and international regulations restricting or prohibiting the release of biocides from traditional antifouling products, led to the creation of HullWell Advanced Marine Coating Technologies in 2000. Its objective … to deliver underwater surface protection solutions for vessels without harmful environmental impacts.
Coppercoat MultiSeason Antifoul Coating has been re-engineered. The product is hard, highly durable, non-eroding, solvent-free and provides hull substrate protection and antifouling protection for a minimum of ten years before re-coating is required. It requires minimal maintenance and typically delivers cost savings to owners in 24-months or less. Coppercoat is the only two-part epoxy antifoul coating in the world and the only to achieve non-hazardous classification. A P600 to P1200 burnished surface is the new Coppercoat benchmark. This surface optimises antifouling efficacy and delivers higher speeds, reduced emissions and significant fuel savings that outperform alternatives.
CK 426 Ceramic Infused Two-Part Epoxy Anticorrosive | Barrier Coating is specifically engineered as a predecessor coating for Coppercoat. CK 426 is solvent-free and displaces the need for multiple primers, tie coats, undercoats, barrier coats and anticorrosive coatings. It delivers unmatched protection for steel, aluminium, iron, carbon fibre and GRP hull substrates. CK 426 chemically fuses with Coppercoat to create a hard, monolithic, nonporous protective shell over a vessel’s underwater surfaces.
Removing years and years of redundant antifouling paint is arguably the worst part of vessel ownership. Exposure to toxic paint waste and the hull damage that often results from blasting and scraping removal methods are added problems.
DeFOUL Antifouling Paint Remover [AXE AFR in Australia] is a people-safe, non-toxic, non-corrosive, biodegradable, encapsulating technology that removes up to 10-years of antifouling paint in under 24 hours. The product removes antifouling paint only, preserves sound epoxy coatings and eliminates hull damage associated with alternative removal methods.
The HullWell System comprises three products to deliver optimum outcomes for vessels constructed of different materials, for high-speed, foiling and racing vessels, for low-use and low-speed operation, for different marine environments and for minimal maintenance. It safely removes redundant coatings, it protects hull substrates against saltwater degradation and delivers ten+ years of unrivalled protection against fouling, and exponential cost savings. HullWell provides comprehensive technical support and project management expertise to every project.
ANTIFOUL COATING MAINTENANCE: Raised sea temperatures, higher nutrient levels, invasive fouling species, and often infrequent vessel use make an antifoul maintenance program essential regardless of product type.
An accumulation of slime [biofilm or microfouling] reduces the effectiveness of all antifouling types against hard fouling [barnacles, mussels and similar]. A frequently used vessel will typically wash slime away by motion through the water. An infrequently used vessel is highly susceptible to slime accumulation that will be followed by hard fouling.
Essential antifouling maintenance requires periodic slime removal, either by vessel use, water blasting, scrubbing or wiping down. Considerable care is required to remove slime from traditional porous biocidal antifouling paints; water blasting and wiping may erode the coating, while scrubbing will irreparably damage it. Coppercoat is hard, durable and non-porous and not susceptible to damage by the described slime removal methods.
A recommended Maintenance Procedure for Coppercoat Vessels has recently been developed. It encompasses inputs from boatyards, marine professionals, vessel owners and marine biologists. Its intention is to maintain Coppercoat surfaces at optimum performance levels while minimising maintenance costs.
Season | Sea Temperature ‘C | Fouling Activity | Maintenance | Frequency |
Peak Summer Dec to Mar | 18 – 20 > | General – High | In- water. Brush or Scotchbrite wipe. | 2 – 4 weeks. |
Autumn and Winter Apr to Aug | <12 – 15> | General – Low | In- water. Brush or Scotchbrite Wipe. | 4 – 8 weeks. |
Spring Sept to Oct | <14 – 18> | General – Medium Hard Fouling Spat Active | In- water. Brush or Scotchbrite Wipe. | 6 weeks. |
Lift + Hold Machine Burnish | 1, 2 or 3 Year Intervals [dependent upon surface profile + marine environment] | |||
Summer Nov | 18 – 20> | General – High | In- water. Brush or Scotchbrite wipe. | 2 – 4 weeks. |
HULLWELL IN AUSTRALIA Scandinavian Marine Supplies [SMS] is the exclusive distribution partner for HullWell System products in Australia. SMS is Sydney-based with extensive reach across multiple Australian marine industry sectors and also supplies a range of high-quality marine products into New Zealand.
SMS Founder and Managing Director, Kevin Wallis, is New Zealand-born and educated and has lived in Australia for 25 years. Kevin, SMS and HullWell share an ethos of delivering the best-of-type products to the marine industry, to providing levels of service and expertise that exceed normal industry standards and supplying best value, long-term solutions for vessel owners.
Among the first HullWell | SMS projects is an underwater surfaces upgrade for a 40-metre steel superyacht owned by one of Australia’s most notable families.
