DRY DOCK INSPECTION METHODS FOR IMPROVED FOULING CONTROL COATING PERFORMANCE

摘要

Dry docking is the scheduled time when the fouling control coating is assessed, the hull refurbished and new coatingsrnapplied. The decisions made during this period will affect the performance of the ship for several years. RoyalrnCaribbean Cruises Ltd. has funded research at the Florida Institute of Technology to develop a strategy to improverntheir selection, application and management of ship hull coatings. The purpose of the research was threefold:rnestablish an in-house baseline of performance to improve selection, maintenance and life cycle costs of the differentrncommercially available coatings; improve quality control of dry dock procedures to include surface preparation andrncoating application; and insure that the ships are operating in compliance with both local and internationalrnregulations. The paper will present the methods that have been developed to measure specific aspects of the dry dockrnprocess and how this data may be used for quality control and coating selection.