Have you ever wonder why most saltwater boats are white? I was window-shopping in the local boat show. While there are various shapes and sizes, I observed that the majority of them are white. You may see some streak of different colors, but they are still mostly white. And that got me thinking, why is that?
The reason why most saltwater boats are white is that boats tend to get really hot on the inside, and white does a greater job of keeping the boats cooler than most other colors. It is common knowledge that white color reflects most light waves back while dark colors tend to absorb them.
The same applies to boats. This is especially useful to boats in saltwater because they tend to stay longer on the open water, where there are only clouds to shade them from direct sunlight. Add to that, the light waves also being reflected by the water, further raising the temperature inside the boat, so it really pays to paint boats that reflect most of it back.
While it is true that you can see other boat colors, especially cargo ships and military ships in different colors other than the white. The majority of vessels such as yacht, passenger ships, and cruise ships are still white.
Having white boats means less heat is being trapped inside the ship. This allows these ships to use less power for things like air conditioning to keep their passengers comfortable.
Manufacturers often opt to build white-colored ships, especially those that are made up of fiberglass. This is because imperfections with the surface of the vessels are less visible on the white surface than colored ones. That way, they can spend more time building more quality boats in a much faster time because they would not need to spend more time fixing scratches, bumps, and other surface imperfections that may arise during the building period. Besides, there are many advantages to having white boats than just those mentioned earlier.
Advantages of having white boats:
- Saltwater can leave white salt residues on the hull of the boat, which will be less visible on the white boats. That means less cleaning. Though it would still be advisable to clean, of course, salt can increase the time it takes to develop rust on metal, so it is better to clean every now and again to prevent this.
- Salt speeds the oxidation process, which can turn the boats surface dull and chalky a lot faster. This meant that if you have a more dark boat color, it will fade more quickly, so you will have to repaint it frequently to maintain it’s pristine color. This can be lessened if you opt to have a white boat.
- It is easier to be seen with the blue sky and blue sea in the background. This is very helpful since oncoming ships can easily see your boat even from a distance. This especially helps should you encounter any problems in the sea. The rescue may find you faster when they can get a vision of your boat more quickly. White boats especially have higher-visibility at night than most other colors, which will be very helpful in maneuvering your boats with oncoming ships.
- The white surface is especially helpful when you need to clean your boats as it is easier to see if any organisms attach themselves to your hulls such as mussels, barnacles, algae, and mold.
- It just looks more classy. If you ever find the need to resell your boat, it may be easier to resell a sleek, clean-looking, easier to maintain, shiny white boat than say a dull, faded blue boat. It may not be much, but white boats just look more appealing than other colors. It will also be easier to put the buyer’s own spin to it since it is like a blank canvas that they can get easily personalized.
Boat Colors
While it’s true that most boats have white colors, there are still a few that choose to be unique. It may be more strategic to have white colors when you need the comfort of a cooler interior, and I do not mean cool like in the looks department but cool in the temperature department. Most high-end boats, especially yachts, tend to have some streak of color that pops. This is because these kinds of boats tend to cost more since creating them costs more and are more labor-intensive than building white ones; that is why they are not built in large quantities.
White boats are not as common in cargo ships. Most cargo ships are colored to represent the company that owns it. If it is not used exclusively by a company, their hulls tend to be red. These kinds of ships are painted with paint that has antifouling effects, which are initially color red. Antifouling paints are a protective layer of paint used to protect the boat hull from marine organisms that may attach themselves to the bottom of the ship. Cargo ships tend to spend more time in the ocean since they travel more distance than your typical ships; that is why it is a must to have antifouling paint over it. Marine growth, such as barnacles. Tubeworms, oysters, and mussels can multiply rapidly that may add more weight to the boat. The increase in weight will cause more drag that would mean an increase in the ship’s fuel consumption and an increase in the travel time as well.
Military ships are colored gray, on the other hand, to kind of camouflage the boat when it is in the sea. If most private and commercial vessels opt for white colors for higher visibility, Military ships are the opposite. They are strategically colored gray to blend in the sea, especially at night. This is very helpful on a more covet surveyings and other Military missions.
Boats do not really require it to be just one color, it can be as colorful as you want. Like cars, you can put graphics in it, paint it neon if that’s your thing. Even if you wish to have a protective antifouling paint on it, you can choose various colors of it nowadays. In choosing the right color for your boat, sure there are more things to consider if you want to paint it. One being, what kind of material is the boat made of? Is it metal or fiberglass? Where is it mostly going to be used? Will it be in saltwater or freshwater?
You might not think that considering where the boat will be used is not really that important because it mostly really does not matter when it comes to cars so why should it matter when it comes to boats.
A red car can drive just as well in the city as it is on the dirt road as long as it is built to drive on both. And while it is true that most boats made to sail on freshwater can sail just fine on saltwater, sometimes the paint can affect just how long you can use your both on one side than the other. Lastly, you need to select the right painter. They will be the ones to handle the actual painting of your boat, and selecting the right painter sometimes is more important than choosing the right paint because they can guide you through it.