Commercial ICCP Systems for Fast Ferries

Cathelco have world leading expertise in protecting the hulls of fast ferries and high speed military craft against corrosion. They have also developed Jettek, a unique and highly effective method of protecting water jet tunnels.

The systems have been installed on fast ferries operated by Sea Containers, Color Line Marine, Nordic Jetline, Tirrenia, British Columbia Ferries, Angjutan Sungai Danuadan and New World Ferries - to name but a few. In the military sector, the Corrintec division of Cathelco has provided systems for Triton, the experimental trimaran and the US navy's 'X' Craft programme. This background of experience in ICCP system design makes Corrintec the first choice in corrosion protection for fast craft.

Minitek – Protecting steel hulls

The Minitek system uses the latest technology to protect steel hulled craft against corrosion. This is achieved by using a compact control panel and an arrangement of anodes and reference cells which are flush mounted on the hull – so there is nothing to interrupt the smooth profile or cause additional drag.

The current to the anodes is constantly monitored and adjusted to provide the ‘optimum’ level of protection at all times. This is far superior to the performance of sacrificial anodes where the amount of protection cannot be easily verified and may be insufficient to prevent corrosion.

Aluminium is generally regarded as a stable material which does not corrode easily. However, when used in conjunction with other metals such as bronze propellers and steel components, serious problems of hull corrosion can arise.

The Alutek System uses the latest technology to eliminate corrosion on aluminium hulls. Unlike traditional sacrificial anode systems, it uses flush mounted, lightweight anodes and advanced monitoring systems to provide the optimum level of protection.

So there is nothing to detract from the smooth lines of your craft or reduce its speed.

The Jettek ICCP system provides water propulsion units on fast craft with a unique and highly effective corrosion protection package. Its reliability has been proved on fast ferries and military high speed craft around the world, superseding systems solely based on ‘isolation’ methods.

The problem
Water jet tunnels are particularly vulnerable to corrosion because they are constructed from dissimilar metals, typically aluminium and stainless steel or high tensile steel and stainless steel. Problems can arise at the interface of these materials resulting in rapid corrosion which can put the safety and structural integrity of the vessel at risk. Most high speed craft are fitted with ‘isolation’ systems to prevent corrosive activity between the dissimilar metals.

However, many have a history of repeated failure, indicating that ‘isolation’ is not a particularly efficient or successful method of preventing galvanic corrosion.

Jettek – the solution

The Jettek system has been designed to protect the ‘interface’ of the dissimilar metals. It consists of an arrangement of anodes which are flush mounted within the water jet tunnel which are carefully monitored by reference cells which raise or lower the anode output via the control panel. This maintains the optimum level of protection at all times, without affecting the flow or the efficiency of the propulsion unit.

A number of ‘fail safe’ features are built into the Jettek system including an aluminium shield sensor which automatically detects any breakdown in the di-electric shield. There is also a monitoring reference cell on the edge of the di-electric shield. Both of these devices prevent the risk of ‘over protection’.