Now being made available for yachts in Fort Lauderdale and more widely in the US, Finsulate antifouling wrap is an environmentally conscious alternative to toxic paints that also keeps barnacles and other sea life from attaching to hulls. Initially targeting commercial shipping, the makers are now looking to yachts.
Finsulate is the creation of Dutch inventor Rik Breur, who in 2019 won the EU’s European Inventor of the Year award for it. An avid diver, he thought of it after observing the prickly sea urchin. Finsulate wrap mimics the urchin, providing a protective coating made from environmentally friendly nylon microfibers.
Once attached, it cuts down on maintenance as an antifouling paint would, by providing an unactive surface for algae, barnacles and other unwanted sea life. But rather than toxic paint, Finsulate does it the way nature does, with a prickly surface that’s unattractive for marine life. Finsulate comes in rolls; one side is adhesive, while the other is the prickly surface.
Every Finsulate installation comes with a five-year warranty. It’s available in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere through Eco Safeway.