COATING DEFECT SURVEY REPORT

NOBISKRUG YACHT PROJECT NB 795 - SUPERSTRUCTURE

July 13th & August 24th, 2022 – Rendsburg, Germany

 Survey Report NB795 Nobiskrug

CONTENTS

1. SCOPE........................................................................................................................................ 2
2. SURVEY CONDITIONS ................................................................................................................. 2
3. YACHT DETAILS.......................................................................................................................... 2
4. SHORT HISTORY ........................................................................................................................ 2
5. PAINT SYSTEM DETAILS ............................................................................................................. 4
6. INSPECTION METHODS ............................................................................................................... 4
7. OBSERVATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 5
8. CONCLUSIONS............................................................................................................................ 7
9. PHOTOGRAPHS........................................................................................................................... 8

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1. SCOPE

At the request of Thraki Yacht Painting GmbH, a coating survey was carried out on new build project 795
at the Nobiskrug Yachts shipyard facility in Rendsburg, Germany.
The exterior coating on the superstructure was subjected to analysis.
The purpose of the survey was to examine the observed dieback effect of the applied topcoat on the
superstructure of the yacht and to establish a likely cause of the dieback effect without carrying out
destructive testing.

2. SURVEY CONDITIONS

The surveys were carried out by Teun-Piet van Es on July 13th and August 24th, 2022.
The yacht was inside an indoor drydock at the Nobiskrug Yachts shipyard facility. The assessment of the
superstructure surfaces was carried out from the decks as the surrounding scaffold had already been
removed.
Most of the accessible surfaces were clean at the time of the survey. Where necessary, a cloth was used
to clean the surfaces for assessments purposes.

3. YACHT DETAILS

Construction: Steel hull and Aluminium superstructure.

LOA: Not provided
Beam: Not provided
Draft: Not provided

4. SHORT HISTORY

The topcoat application stage of the entire filler and coatings application process has a pre-history which is
or might be relevant for the defect as observed in the applied topcoats.
The following timeline of events has been provided by Thraki Yacht Painting:
1. 27-11-2021. Cancellation of final topcoat application on Sundeck Roof (Antenna Deck) due to
contamination problem (named as Crystal effect). Akzo Nobel and Yard immediately informed about
the issue.
2. 04-12-2021. Akzo Nobel team participated on the G-Line showcoat application. Mixing prepared by
Akzo Nobel team and actively applying the paints. Again, contamination was found.

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3. 09.12.2021. Akzo Nobel informs with email that the lab is working on the cause of the contamination
and proposes Awlgrip HDT topcoat to replace the Awlgrip G-Line topcoat.
4. 11.12.2021. First training with Awlgrip HDT Topcoat by Roman and Steffen from Akzo Nobel. Instructed
to only use a 2-coat application, not a 3-coat application.
5. 13.12.2021. Conference call between THRAKI, NBK, OR and Akzo Nobel. G-Line named as
contaminated paint and subject for further investigation by Akzo Nobel. Green light is given to move
forward with HDT over the G-Line (first spray area sundeck roof (G-Line applied surfaces)). Confirmed
by Akzo Nobel to go directly with HDT. Areas that haven’t been applied yet showcoat decided to receive
HDT showcoat.
6. 15.12.2021. Sundeck roof Awlgrip HDT topcoat application. Akzo Nobel team present during paint
mixing and application.
7. Several intermediate visits from Akzo Nobel team with no remarks over the preparation/application
methods
8. 20-04-2022. Ullrich from Akzo Nobel visits the project and inspects the areas where first appearance
of the dieback effect is observed. Initial concerns expressed with regards to curing times.
9. 27.04.2022. Thraki and Yard make an evaluation of the affected areas (appearing until that date) all
areas marked on GA.
10. 04.05.2022. Main deck walls Awlgrip HDT Anthracite Grey application
11. 07.05.2022. Sundeck exterior bulwarks (arches) Awlgrip HDT cloud white application (respray due to
dieback effect) inspected by Ullrich afterwards.
17. 14.05.2022. Bridge Deck outer bulwarks/aft visor/curtain plate-HDT cloud white application (re-spray
due to Halo effect). Maxim (Akzo Nobel) present during mixing of paint and application. Not any
concerns with regards to thickness application paint and application.
18. 21.05.2022. Sundeck roof Awlgrip HDT cloud white application (respray due to dieback effect).
Inspected by Akzo Nobel, not any concerns expressed with regards to application methods/thickness.
19. 28.05.2022. Sundeck seating area, Outer bulwarks and visors Awlgrip HDT cloud white application (re-
spray due to dieback effect). Very good results, not any remarks or feedback from Akzo Nobel during
their visit with regards to thickness etc.
20. 01.06.2022. Email received from Rene Bremer (Akzo Nobel) with regards to the sample lab analysis.
First time reference made to DFT issues.
21 04.06.2022. MOB area-stern door (respray due to dieback effect) and furniture seating area -HDT
cloud white application- Very good results.
22 24.06.2022. The vessel moves to Rendsburg from Lindenau/Kiel.
23 05.08.2022. First re-occurrence of the dieback effect observed on STB Sundeck and Bridge deck
exterior bulwarks (resprayed in May 2022).
24 17.08.2022 – Inspection onboard /meeting onboard in Rendsburg by all parties (Akzo Nobel, NBK,
Thraki, OR) to discuss the re-occurrence of the dieback effect

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5. PAINT SYSTEM DETAILS

Paint and fairing products used on all external areas above the waterline are produced by AkzoNobel. The
original complete system build up is displayed in the table below:

Used products Required DFT (dry)

International Epoxy GP Coating 100 µm

International Interfill 830 6000 µm

International Epoxy Finishing Filler 500 µm

Awlgrip High Build Epoxy Primer 250 µm

Awlgrip 545 Epoxy Primer 75 µm

Awlgrip G-Line Showcoat 50 µm

Awlgrip G-Line Topcoat 50 µm

As mentioned in Paragraph 4 of this report, the Awlgrip G-Line was replaced by Awlgrip HDT on December
13th, 2021, due to the alleged contamination of the Awlgrip G-Line showcoat/topcoat.
The nominal specified thickness for Awlgrip HDT topcoat is 75 µm with a minimum of 50 µm according to
the product’s technical datasheet and verbal information by the Awlgrip technical representatives.
It must be noted that the Awlgrip G-Line showcoat as mentioned in the system build up is a sacrificial coat
to verify the fairness of the fillers and primers underneath. Although Akzo Nobel mentions in their paint
specification that all DFT’s should be considered as values after sanding (!), the showcoat is often removed
entirely by (corrective) sanding. This is common industry practice.

6. INSPECTION METHODS

Visual Inspection

The paint system on the superstructure of the yacht was inspected for the presence of visual defects with
specific reference to the observed dieback effect in the applied topcoats.
Possible other observed defects are not mentioned in this report.

Coating Thickness

Dry Film Thickness (DFT) measurements were carried out with a Defelsko Positector gauge in combination
with the #200 ultrasonic probe which measures DFT’s non-destructive. The gauge was calibrated, and
measurements were verified with destructive PIG measurement on a separate panel prior to taking the
measurements onboard.

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7. OBSERVATIONS

Visual Observations

According to information provided by the paint applicator, all surfaces of the superstructure have been
showcoated with Awlgrip G-Line Topcoat except for the mast area and the mooring deck inner bulwarks.
The hull topsides and transom have not been showcoated with Awlgrip G-Line Topcoat.
The vessels superstructure shows on a number of locations dull patches in the applied topcoat. These dull
patches only seem to appear where Awlgrip HDT Topcoat has been applied on top of Awlgrip G-Line Topcoat
used as a showcoat.
The surfaces where the Awlgrip G-Line has not been applied (the mast, hull topsides, transom and mooring
deck inner bulwarks) do not show any dull patches.
Moreover, on the main deck deckhouse bulkhead starboard side, a panel had been resprayed partially (top
and bottom section) with Awlgrip 545 Epoxy Primer prior to the application of the Awlgrip HDT Topcoat. It
was observed that only on the middle section of the panel the dull patches reoccurred, not on the top and
bottom section where primer had been applied prior to the Awlgrip HDT Topcoat.
Also on the mooring deck inner bulwarks, the location where no Awlgrip G-Line showcoat was applied, no
dull patches were observed in the applied Awlgrip HDT Topcoat.
The dull patches themselves are random in shape, size and location on a particular surface. Closer scrutiny
of these so-called dull patches shows that the dull patches are in fact a paint defect called dieback. Sanding
patterns are visible on the locations of the dieback but in 50% of the cases only with a magnifier.
Dieback is the effect that appears visually as a loss of gloss or fading. Dieback can be caused by a large
variety of issues such as (but not limited to) porosity of the undercoat, sanding marks in the undercoat,
overthinning of the topcoat, ventilation during or after the application of the topcoat, compatibility with
undercoats etc.
Between the first part of the survey on July 13th, 2022, and the 2nd part of the survey on August 24th, 2022,
several areas on the Sundeck had been resprayed again with Awlgrip HDT Topcoat following on a
recommendation from Akzo Nobel. This was recommended by Akzo Nobel based on their opinion that the
dieback had only been caused by insufficient DFT of the Awlgrip HDT Topcoat applied.
However, the dieback reoccurred in these resprayed areas after the second Awlgrip HDT Topcoat
application. This was visible on a number of locations on the outer Sundeck bulwarks (from a distance) and
also on a few locations on the Sundeck inner surfaces. The Sundeck corridor bulkheads had just been
sprayed a few days prior to the survey on August 24th, 2022, and no dieback of the topcoat was observed
yet. According to the information of the paint applicator, the occurrence of the dieback develops over time
within the curing time of the paint material. This means that the dieback effect might still start to appear
in the days after the survey on August 24th, 2022.
Prior to, and on the day of the survey on August 24th, 2022, application logs of the topcoat shoots, mixing
procedures of the topcoat, viscosities of the mixed topcoats, surface preparation and cleaning procedures
of the to be painted areas and also ventilation and extraction setups and running times have been discussed
in depth with the Thraki application team. This was done in order to rule out any possible errors prior to,
or during application sessions, by the application team on site that could potentially have caused the dieback

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 Survey Report NB795 Nobiskrug

effect. No deviations from the paint manufacturer’s guideline or common standard industry practices were
discovered.
Also, the timeline as set out in paragraph 4 of this report mentions inspection visits from the paint
manufacturer during and prior to topcoat application sessions where no comments were made that suggest
an error from the paint applicator.

Dry Film Thickness (DFT) Measurements

Dry Film Thickness (DFT) measurements of the applied topcoats were carried out on locations with different
paint system build-up in combination with visible affected surfaces and non-visible affected surfaces.
The DFT measurements were carried out with a Defelsko Positector gauge in combination with the #200
ultrasonic probe which allows to measure DFT’s non-destructive.

The measurement results are displayed in the table below.

No. Location Paint Date Dieback Average

system* measured visible DFT

1.a Sundeck corridor fwd bulkhead port side B 13-07-2022 Yes 41 µm

1.b Sundeck corridor fwd bulkhead port side B 13-07-2022 No 39 µm

1.c Sundeck corridor fwd bulkhead port side C 24-08-2022 No 77 µm

2.a Sundeck corridor fwd bulkhead starboard side B 13-07-2022 Yes 44 µm

2.b Sundeck corridor fwd bulkhead starboard side B 13-07-2022 No 43 µm

2.c Sundeck corridor fwd bulkhead starboard side C 24-08-2022 No 79 µm

3.a Sundeck topside fwd bulwark behind settee port side C 24-08-2022 Yes 59 µm

3.b Sundeck topside fwd bulwark behind settee port side C 24-08-2022 No 71 µm

4.a Mooring deck bulwarks port side A 13-07-2022 No 46 µm

5.a Main deck deckhouse, aft panel starboard side (high) A 24-08-2022 No 44 µm

5.b Main deck deckhouse, aft panel starboard side (mid) B 24-08-2022 Yes 71 µm

5.c Main deck deckhouse, aft panel starboard side (low) A 24-08-2022 No 47 µm

* Paint system (only Awlgrip 545 primer in combination with various topcoats)
A. Awlgrip 545 Epoxy Primer + Awlgrip HDT Topcoat
B. Awlgrip 545 Epoxy Primer + Awlgrip G-Line Topcoat + Awlgrip HDT Topcoat
C. Awlgrip 545 Epoxy Primer + Awlgrip G-Line Topcoat + 2x Awlgrip HDT Topcoat

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8. CONCLUSIONS

During the surveys it was observed that a dieback of the topcoat had occurred on a number of locations
on the superstructure.
The visual assessment made clear that the dieback is only occurring on surfaces that had been sprayed
with Awlgrip G-Line as a showcoat and subsequently sprayed with Awlgrip HDT as a topcoat. The dieback
effect hasn’t occurred on surface areas where Awlgrip HDT had been applied directly on top of Awlgrip 545
Epoxy Primer.
The average measured Dry Film Thickness (DFT) values show that the Awlgrip HDT Topcoat has been
applied under specification (>50µm) in locations 1.a, 1.b, 2.a, 2.b, 4.a, 5.a and 5.c. However, the dieback
is only visible on locations 1.a and 2.a whilst there is just a slight difference in average measured DFT
values.
From this we can conclude that the average measured DFT values are below specification, but it doesn’t
necessarily cause the dieback effect. The fact that the dieback effect is also reoccurring on surfaces that
have been sprayed with a second coat of Awlgrip HDT topcoat (measurement location 3.a = 59 µm) is also
substantiating this conclusion.
The common denominator of the dieback effect is not the measured low DFT values but the substrate on
which the Awlgrip HDT topcoat has been sprayed.
It seems that the Awlgrip HDT topcoat is more “sensitive” on a polyurethane-based undercoat (Awlgrip G-
Line) than on an epoxy-based primer (Awlgrip 545 Primer), although Akzo Nobel states that the 2 mentioned
types of topcoat are compatible.
In theory, the potential cause of dieback could come from solvent entrapment in the primers that have
been applied underneath the Awlgrip G-Line showcoat. This can be ruled out as the dieback effect would
then also be visible on the surface areas where Awlgrip HTD topcoat has been applied directly onto Awlgrip
545 Primer, for example on the Mooring deck inner bulwarks.
The timeline as set out in paragraph 4 of this report mentions a type of contamination in the applied Awlgrip
G-Line showcoat. The contamination was the reason that all involved parties decided to switch from Awlgrip
G-Line to Awlgrip HDT.
This raises the question whether the alleged contaminated Awlgrip G-Line topcoat could potentially be the
root cause of the dieback effect. This has not been ruled out yet to our knowledge.
Fact is, adding only an additional layer of Awlgrip HDT topcoat on the affected surface areas does not
prevent that the dieback effect reoccurs. For this reason, the root cause of the dieback effect must be
investigated further starting with thorough laboratory testing of the retained batch samples of the Awlgrip
G-Line paint materials (bases, converters, and reducers) as used on the project.

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 Survey Report NB795 Nobiskrug

9. PHOTOGRAPHS

01. Overview panel with visible dieback effect. 02. Same as photo 01, close-up.

03. Overview Sundeck bulkhead with dieback effect 04. Same as photo 03, close-up.
on 13-07-2022. Location 1.a and 1.b.

05. Same as photo 03, close-up. 06. Same as photo 03, close-up.

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07. Location with paint system C and reoccuring 08. Same as photo 07., close-up.
dieback effect.

09. Location 3.a and 3.b. 10. Same as photo 09., dieback effect visible.

11. A DFT measurement on location 3.b. 12. A DFT measurement on location 3.a.

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13. A DFT measurement on location 4.a. 14. A DFT measurement on location 2.c.

Issued by:

Teun-Piet van Es
Specter Paint Management

Nace certified no. 67982

RMCI certified no.019
Tech IIMS no. E1168

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