Permanent antifouling is the dream of all boaters. To stop applying a new coat of paint every year to counter these little beasts that colonize our living works. This is also the wish of all ecologists (often boaters) who no longer want to discharge biocides into the sea.
We were able to discover the hull of the Ikone 7.50 covered with a very special film. It is a sticker developed by Uniflow and covered with a silicone layer called Flow Silikon. Antifouling manufacturers had already tried the adventure of silicone, applied directly to the hulls.
But the application is very delicate to obtain a uniform film and especially the "reverse", i. e. remove the applied silicone, almost impossible. Thereafter, no paint adheres to silicone, hence the reluctance of boat owners to try the product. With the film this problem is solved, since the silicone is applied to the self-adhesive film directly in the factory. The film is then glued on the hull without risk of spraying silicone everywhere (and especially not on the neighbour's boat).
Protective or decorative film technology is widely used in many fields. Aircraft or high-speed trains are decorated with them, for example. The technological difficulty for Uniflow was to find a glue adapted to boating so that the film would last over time. In addition, when taking off, the glue must remain on the film and not on the hull. This is done with this film, which is guaranteed to last for at least 5 years.
The performance of silicone antifouling is known. Algae have trouble clinging to it. It can be cleaned with a simple sponge and this film weighs less than paint. In the event of an impact on the shell, the silicone film can be easily repaired by gluing a part.
The installation remains very delicate and should be reserved for a professional, because the specific glue to hold under the shells is not repositionable (as is the case with decorative films for dead works). The strips are 60 cm wide and must be perfectly laid edge to edge. The gap, even the smallest, that remains between 2 strips is blocked with a silicone sealant or algae will manage to cling.
As for the price, you need to count 4,200 ? on a boat like the Ikone 7.50 (two-shell) for a product guaranteed for 5 years, installed by a professional included. Note that this product also works on boats that overwinter out of the water: silicone does not fade in the open air (which is not the case with an antifouling with biocide).
