by GuestfromEU » March 5, 2023, 8:06 pm
An ocean trading ship docking in a foreign shipyard incurs the highest expense of special survey for hull painting. Coatings can cost USD 60-70,000 minimum. Assume 20% blasting area, two touch-up coats and one full coat, the cost of blasting and coating in labour may cost an additional $50,000 +/-. Those are costs at a yard in Europe, subtract 25% for blasting and coating costs in China. In the USA, coating material cost is roughly the same, but blasting and coating labour can cost $150,000 or more.
I do not believe ships on the Great Lakes apply anti-fouling coatings to the underwater hull portion, so material cost would be slightly less, but costs all-in are $250,000 minimum in the USA (I presume Canada as well, though I have little experience with Canadian yards). In summary, "painting" is not cheap and has many other factors involved besides only the cost of the coatings.
While others correctly stated the purpose of hull coatings are to protect and preserve the steel, this is less of a critical concern for ships trading exclusively in fresh water. Ocean ships are more subjected to proper blasting and coating each drydocking due to salt water and economic/efficiency concerns. Ships expected to be laid up or recycled often skip hull blasting and coating at the last drydocking, which is likely the case with ASC. There are different outlooks here and what is deemed a cost-for-value proposition, decisions made at top levels, with best investment for the company always in mind. Often those decisions are communicated down the chain without full explanations so it is a guessing game, with the public least informed. What is "best investment"? That varies from company to company, current economic climate, and countless other variables.
An ocean trading ship docking in a foreign shipyard incurs the highest expense of special survey for hull painting. Coatings can cost USD 60-70,000 minimum. Assume 20% blasting area, two touch-up coats and one full coat, the cost of blasting and coating in labour may cost an additional $50,000 +/-. Those are costs at a yard in Europe, subtract 25% for blasting and coating costs in China. In the USA, coating material cost is roughly the same, but blasting and coating labour can cost $150,000 or more.
I do not believe ships on the Great Lakes apply anti-fouling coatings to the underwater hull portion, so material cost would be slightly less, but costs all-in are $250,000 minimum in the USA (I presume Canada as well, though I have little experience with Canadian yards). In summary, "painting" is not cheap and has many other factors involved besides only the cost of the coatings.
While others correctly stated the purpose of hull coatings are to protect and preserve the steel, this is less of a critical concern for ships trading exclusively in fresh water. Ocean ships are more subjected to proper blasting and coating each drydocking due to salt water and economic/efficiency concerns. Ships expected to be laid up or recycled often skip hull blasting and coating at the last drydocking, which is likely the case with ASC. There are different outlooks here and what is deemed a cost-for-value proposition, decisions made at top levels, with best investment for the company always in mind. Often those decisions are communicated down the chain without full explanations so it is a guessing game, with the public least informed. What is "best investment"? That varies from company to company, current economic climate, and countless other variables.