Mersey Maritime Boosts Safety

Mersey Maritime is helping to ensure the safety of vessels in the River Mersey after linking up several like-minded companies within the region's maritime industry to help solve the age-old problem of how to keep a ship's window clean from salt spray. Mersey Maritime has helped to tackle the problem on the Mersey, by introducing a number of major companies to Preston-based company Kleentec Marine. Thanks to their clear non-stick glass treatment, which makes water and salt spray literally run off the glass, vessels that use the Mersey, have been able to improve their resilience to the elements. Dave Pendleton, business development director for Mersey Maritime said: "When I heard about the technology behind the Kleentec Bridge Window Safety System I knew it was something which would benefit our members. Now, a number of major businesses in Merseyside are using the system, including the one of the world's largest ferries, the P&O Stena Adventurer, which recently underwent conversion work at ABP in Garston. Nigel Whitaker, former purser's officer with P&O and the managing director of Kleentec Marine, explains the technology behind the product: "To the naked eye, glass appears to be smooth, but the surface is covered in tiny pits and craters which hold onto water, dirt and salt. By chemically bonding an invisible polymer layer onto the glass, the water and dirt, can't reach the surface and with regular treatments, the glass stays sparkling clean - so clean that there is no need for a vessel to even use wiper blades in heavy weather conditions." If proof were needed, glass treatment was applied to the P&O European Pioneer ferry, which runs from Fleetwood to Larne four months ago, and since then, the captain hasn't needed to switch on the wiper blades. One of the Liverpool companies to benefit from the technology is Adsteam Towage, based at North Huskisson Dock. Their Manager David Waterhouse said: "When Nigel showed us the system the safety benefits and cost savings were so obvious that we had no hesitation in fitting it to our entire fleet."