INDUSTRY NEWS BELZONA KEEPS HISTORIC, 70-YEAR-OLD VESSEL STEAMING ON


Nearly 70 years on from its maiden voyage, PS Waverley is still a gleaming vision of British maritime heritage, being the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world. Listed among the National Historical Fleets records, the vessel retired during the mid- 1970s, but was then acquired by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society and lovingly restored to its original condition. The PS Waverley now operates passenger excursions around the British coastline and thanks to tireless maintenance efforts, it remains a much-loved tourist attraction.


Any maintenance to the Waverley takes place out of season, in Winter, as to avoid any downtime during peak periods. During the most recent maintenance phase, some of the steam cylinders on board the famous vessel were inspected for damage. This revealed them to be heavily corroded, due to the high temperature steam conditions.


This steam environment exploited the porosity of the cast metal cylinders,


SUPPLYING THE SMALLER SHIP/BOATBUILDING AND REFITTING COMPANY


Large manufacturers are keen to support and supply large orders but often the smaller ones attract less effort. SML Marine Paints are the largest distributor of Jotun Marine paints in the UK and pride themselves on offering the same level of service and discounts on every order - not just the ones for big projects. SML is unique in only supplying paints and coatings from the one manufacturer “We focus on the Jotun brand because we believe it to be the best quality paint but also the best value for money paint in the market today. Concentrating on the one brand also means we know the Jotun products inside out and can specify the ideal paint system for practically every marine application” says Malcom Johnston, Owner.


SML says that it sees no reason to stock a lesser product just because it is better known.


“We know that Jotun is well known amongst p18 | www.dockyard-mag.com | August 2017


the large fleets but lesser so in the smaller companies. Brands that spend a lot of money in advertising and promoting to these companies often charge more for what we consider to be inferior products. “ Says Malcolm Johnson, Owner, SML Marine Paints.


SML’s biggest customers could be considered ‘small fry’ to the large paint company reps, SML can supply the same products and quantities but with the kind of customer service and level of support that a large shipyard would expect.


SML also store all their paint in temperature and humidity controlled containers and package everything to ensure the products arrive in the best possible condition ready for application.


“It is the attention to detail that we know our regular customers appreciate, they know they can speak to someone with genuine experience and knowledge of the product then place an order (before 2pm) and get it next day with all the application guides and data sheets printed ready for use”, Malcolm continues.


“We must be doing something right, some of our customers are big enough to have an account direct with Jotun but prefer the extra attention they get from us. We will continue to do business this way despite the extra time and effort involved because so many manufacturersand distributors are only interested in the numbers rather than customer


satisfaction and that is just not good enough.”


SML Marine Paints can be contacted by calling:


01285 862132 Email to: info@smlpaints.co.uk or visiting their website at: www.smlmarinepaints.co.uk


over time leading to significant pitting found throughout the metal. Attempts had been made to repair this previously, however similar defects had arisen. Therefore, Belzona was recommended as a viable option by Engineers from a neighbouring ferry company, who had successful experiences with Belzona’s polymeric solutions.


To reverse these effects and combat the high temperature environment, Belzona 1511 (Super HT-Metal) was used to rebuild the


Right and bottom photos: The famous paddle steamer approached Belzona during its annual maintenance period.


pitted areas. Hand-applied and solvent-free, the solution leant itself well to the confined space on board the vessel. Once cured, the metal repair material was machined down to be flush with the surrounding areas.


This application took under two hours to complete, demonstrating the rapid-curing and easy-to-apply nature of the solution. The client was impressed by the speed of the repairs and expressed interest in additional applications to the other steam cylinders. Each individual steam cylinder is accessed every five years; therefore, any further applications of this type will be reviewed within the next maintenance window.


Below: Being easy to mix and apply, Belzona 1511 leant itself well to the confined space on board.


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