Last month the rudder and the ice belt of the harbor icebreaker tug Jääsalo were coated with Ecospeed in Naantali, Finland.
The m/s Jääsalo is responsible for keeping the Veitsiluoto fairway open in the port of Kemi in Finland. The Port of Kemi in the Bothnian Bay is an excellent import and export harbor for the industry of the Barents Region. The harbor represents the fastest route to the northern areas of Finland, Sweden, Norway, and the Murmansk area in Russia.
Nearly 750 vessels visit Kemi each year, with relatively equal distribution throughout the year. The vessels carry about 3 million tons of goods. It is therefore extremely important that the harbor is able to offer its own icebreaker services to vessels.
The Bothnian Bay usually begins to freeze in October-November and the last of the ice melts away by the beginning of June at the latest. Since the channel is narrow, shallow (7 m), and winding, large icebreakers are unable to open it. Navigation in the Bothnian Bay during the icy season is therefore made possible thanks to the icebreaker tug Jääsalo.
The decision to use Ecospeed on the rudder of the vessel was made by the shipowner after cavitation damage had appeared. Ecospeed will prevent similar damage from occurring again and ensures lasting protection for the remainder of the vessel’s service life.
The rudder must be protected from the damaging effects of cavitation. Ecospeed gives a very thorough and lasting defense against cavitation and corrosion damage for a ship hull’s entire service life. The coating equally provides the rudder (and the entire underwater hull) with an impenetrable protective layer while its flexibility enables absorption of the forces that are produced by cavitation. This prevents the damage normally caused by this phenomenon.
