RRS Discovery Intersleek Renewal & Weather Deck Coatings

NOTICE FOR THE CONTRACT AWARD National Marine Facilities (NMF) operates two ocean-going Royal Research vessels on behalf of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook. Both vessels undertake cruises to support interdisciplinary ocean research ranging from the tropics to the edge of the ice sheets and continental margins to deep ocean projects. Both vessels have used International Paint (Akzo Nobel) coatings to preserve the hull and structure since build. The coating of lntersleek on the vessels underwater hull is due for renewal, damaged areas will be repaired as required and the top coat replaced with a new upgraded lntersleek coating, other areas of the weather decks are also due to have their paint schemes renewed/repaired. lntersleek is applied to the underwater sections of the vessels hull form, this aids in the reduction of marine growth on the hull and at speeds above 6 knots is self-cleaning. This has the benefit of reducing the vessels fuel usage. Painting of the hull is scheduled into the vessels term docking which is due in June 2018.