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Learn More About Finsulate® Boat Protection
What Was the Inspiration for Finsulate?
As long as people have been inventing things, they have often looked to nature for inspiration. Finsulate was inspired by the spines of the humble sea urchin and was created by inventor Rik Breur, who was awarded European Inventor of the Year in 2019 for his design. European researchers and laboratories developed a non-toxic adhesive to act as a substrate for the fibers that are applied using a method called electrostatic flocking. This process allows the fibers to attach to the adhesive layer vertically, creating a surface very much akin to that of a sea urchin. Once the adhesive is set, the foul release is ready for use.
The Finsulate® Concept
Any surface that is submerged in water will eventually become a host to marine organisms, including algae, barnacles, and mussels. Traditionally, foul release paint has been used to deter this marine growth, but that solution has some major drawbacks — including slowly deteriorating and polluting marine environments with toxic chemicals. Finsulate offers an effective, non-toxic solution to prevent this marine material colonization on both boats and stationary marine structures like oil rigs and wind turbines.
Finsulate Lifespan
Every Finsulate product includes a warranty of five years, which is already much longer than the effectiveness of traditional foul release paint. Even with a warranty of five years, longer lifespans for Finsulate are possible, with one of our first applications still going strong after seven years. In the case that the film needs to be replaced, it is possible to do so with a steam cleaner. Once the old film is removed, Finsulated can be directly renewed.
Is Finsulate® Easy to Clean?
The Finsulate film surface consists of very fine fibers. These fibers are so close together that marine organisms cannot get between them and adhere to your boat’s hull. While it is much harder for marine organisms to attach to your boat, a small amount may still occur over time — but this fouling is easily cleaned off with high-pressure washing.
Five years sailing with Finsulate®
Applying antifouling paint with mouth cap, a bloom of toxic paint when you want to remove some fouling in the water, this must change! For many boat owners the environment is a large factor when selecting Finsulate®. The additional benefit of the longevity is a second strong argument. At least 5 years of no sanding and painting. We talked to Mr. De Vries about his experiences.
Finsulate® experience with “drying out”
The Finsulate® film is stronger than you might think. Lifting and resting on stands are no problem. And if damage occurs, you can easily repair by yourself. In case of drying out, sharp objects can of course damage the film like it would with regular paint. Ineke Dicker dries out regularly in the Wadden Sea. After the sailing season, they make a small repair job on the hull.
Finsulate Installation Product Video
Traditional anti-fouling practices cost time, money and pollute our waterways. Finsulate is a turnkey solution using short and nanotech fiber that create zero surface energy and which provides a protective barrier and easy to maintain foul-release surface. This video is a step by step instruction on how to install Finsulate wrap.