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If you have ever forgotten a piece of equipment out in the sun throughout the entire summer, then you are surely aware of the degrading process the gear suffered during this period. While you can prevent UV damage to home tools and small equipment by storing them properly inside a shed, the same does not apply for marine hardware. Boats and marine equipment alike are forced to withstand a harsh environment where there is heavy exposure to UV light. Nevertheless, even under these circumstances you shouldn’t give up on your marine equipment, especially when you can actually do something to reverse and limit the damage. Let’s elaborate.
1. Carefully choose your base coating
The energy from the UV rays weakens the chemical bonds of certain materials used in boat manufacturing. The UV light utilizes heat to work its way in layer by layer and the more transparent the surface of your equipment, the higher the damage. The solution in this case implies selecting an opaque base coating with a darker pigment to prevent the light from penetrating the inferior layers.
2. Invest in quality materials
If you’re shopping for marine equipment, then verify that the materials the hardware is made of have strong molecular bonds. These types of materials don’t just make your equipment or boat more durable, but they can endure the UV radiation exposure much better. Take note that UV rays that are considered strong enough to actually break strong chemical bonds have not been reported to reach the Earth’s surface. In addition to the equipment, it is wise to select resilient bolts, screws and nuts known to perform well in marine conditions.
3. Apply UV stabilizers to the sensitive parts of the marine hardware
In the event that you notice some parts of the equipment are more prone to degradation than others, the best approach is to apply UV stabilizers on the affected sections. The stabilizers have the role of absorbing and dissipating UV radiation as low heat. Certain materials used in the marine industry already contain such stabilizers that include active ingredients found in sunscreen.
4. Make sure the materials are free of impurities
Marine equipment made of high performance plastics is very popular due to its high affordability and non-rusting properties. Plastic hardware does perform well in the marine environment and is less prone to UV rays damage, but only as long as it doesn’t contain impurities. The impurities embedded in cheap plastic equipment will absorb the radiation and keep it trapped inside. Moreover, they can also contribute to creating free radicals so damage to the hardware becomes inevitable. Therefore, you need find out if the materials contain impurities by checking the quality control before purchasing the hardware.
5. Test the marine hardware regularly
The environmental factors such as salinity, heat, humidity and radiation present will affect the long-term quality of your marine equipment and slow down or speed up the degradation. This is why you should test your marine hardware regularly and make sure it’s working perfectly before sailing off.