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annually—about 3.4 percent of global GDP—and found 
that existing corrosion-control practices could reduce those 
costs by 15 percent to 35 percent.
Paint is not cosmetic; it is protection. Every properly pre-
pared surface and well-maintained coating system delays 
deterioration, extends equipment life, and protects capital 
investment. There is an old joke about nuclear submarines: 
the hull exists to protect the paint, and the reactor exists 
to move the paint around. Like most good sea stories, it is 
funny because it carries more truth than exaggeration.
I am also the steward of a wooden tugboat built in 1912. 
Restored as a recreational vessel and floating home, she 
still operates more than a century later. A great deal of 
care—along with cotton, oak, skill, and persistence—has 
kept her going, but her coatings have been one of the most 
important constants in her survival.
Maintenance also develops people. Crews who help main-
tain their vessels become better operators because they 
understand what normal looks and sounds like. A crew 
member who has spent a week needle-gunning rust, rolling 
paint, or assisting with engine service develops a sense of 
ownership that cannot be taught in a classroom.
After someone restores a coating, their eyes naturally re-
turn to it over time. They notice the next patch of corro-
sion before anyone asks. I have seen this repeatedly with 
our employees: those who spend part of the winter main-
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Below: Crew members prepare coatings aboard Tamalpais, demonstrating the hands-on maintenance culture that supports 
long-term vessel reliability.

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