Why Are Ships Painted Red?

We've all asked ourselves the question, "Why are ships painted red?" At least why are ships always painted red under the water line and not some colour that reflects the ocean like blue or green? We all subconsciously think it. Is it to hide rust or some kind of age-old tradition that's still followed blindly today? Well, it's a very interesting story... or I think it is, so sit back and relax as I reveal exactly why ships are painted red!

Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels– from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!

#ships #red #mystery #unveiling #fascinating #paint #color #history #maritime #ocean #navy #sailing #vessel #boat #explore #travel #adventure #curiosity #knowledge #documentary #titanic #history #facts #ships

[stephenlawson]

This is one of the most important subjects you could bring up. Being a marine machinist and serving on ships. Corrosion is a constant battle if it doesn't grow out side the hull. Grows inside the plumbing. Wrong material can rust away in hours. It is the biggest pain the ass. Thanks

[smthnew]

Just called my dad. For 50 years, he was a large ship builder. He say that there are green, gray, blue ones now. And explained everything you said here as well. This video is spot on!!!

[amyhamaker]

Fascinating--I had no idea! Fun fact--my husband was a pilot, and he said that red is one of the few colors they don't usually use heavily on aircraft because it tends to weigh just a little bit more than the other colors, and every ounce of weight counts in the air.

[justingt]

"Once for dust, twice for rust" is a joke we use in the navy for painting

[whillard]

I absolutely love this natural and friendly feeling you give while talking during your videos! It makes it easier to understand and sometimes funny too ! :)

Keep going Mike, you’re making a wonderful job :D

[Falcon]

THAT'S I have an old Entex model kit of the QE2 that has been on my "to build" stack for decades. It's sitting there because I remember seeing a large poster of the QE2 when she was first launched. Her waterline color was this beautiful medium blue. That is how I want to do my model kit. But that was the only picture I ever saw of it, the kit instructions give the red anti-fouling color. I wrote to Cunard, I searched old magazines and books, but I could never find it. Some, including a polite customer relations person even insinuated that I was "daft" and the QE2 NEVER had a blue waterline.
But there it is. You found a picture of it! I'm not nutz! Now I just need to find out what that color is called or get a paint chip to try to mix and match it. THANK YOU! It's nice to know that I'm not totally "balmy".

[Anubis]

One thing I always wondered is how they got rid of ashes and dust from boiler rooms when they burned coal. And whether they had to periodically clean the insides of boilers and funnels from soot as with house chimneys. That would make a great video.

[NazzaKandybar]

This was a very interesting video about the red we find below ships waterlines. Thank you. One small point about venetian red, it is a pigment which does not dye fabric. I believe that the British used madder initially for their red uniforms, and later when it became available in the mid 19th century, alizarin. Another antifouling paint that turns up, and may explain the choices of green on some of the ships you showed, was copper acetoarsenite or a variation of emerald green, Paris Green etc. Thar pigment contains copper and arsenic and is very effective at reducing biogrowth below the waterline. Thanks again for the great videos.

[Local-Of-The-Mitten-State]

I wish I could meet Mike one day. He’s like my mentor. He’s one of the reasons I got into maritime history.

[melissaolson]

I've been following you for years and remember when you were like a dear caught in the headlights. Your honest confidence, along with your glorious clear speech and accent, make you a real joy to listen to. Every cruise company, and especially Cunard, should hire you as a spokesperson. If it has your confident support, I would trust it implicitly.

[jhfdhgvnbjm]

I'm surprised; I'd have thought the paint was red because it included red lead to prevent rust, not venitian red, I've learned something new :)

[Quint]

Another great documentary Mike! Cheers from Texas!

[Teaboyseej]

I never realised how interesting this stuff was. I think it is your presentation and knowledge that has roped me in.

[mrrobg]

Modern antifoul is designed to shed the uppermost layer of the antifoul as the hull moves through the water, preventing marine growth from forming. These coatings are called Self Polishing Coplymers (SPC). The major downfall of these coatings is that if applied to a hull that does not move for some time, then marine growth will develop.

[georgejohnson]

Fred Olsen's sister ships Blenheim and Breamar, launched 1951 and '52 respectively, had green paint at the waterline.

I wonder if you would consider doing a video on these two venerable North Sea passenger and cargo ships that each served about four decades on the Newcastle/Oslo route. I sailed on both in the 1960s and early '70s. Lovely little ships that were shipshape rather than ferry-shaped, and the cars were lowered into the hold with a crane! Like a fully formed but miniature trans-Atlantic liner!

I really enjoy your videos!

Best wishes from George

[WatchmakerErik]

Thanks for another wonderful video!

One thing I learned from Grady on practical engineering is that if something is merely for aesthetics it's called paint. If it serves other purposes including protection of the surface beneath it's called a coating. Looks like anti foul is a coating and boot topping is a paint.

[F-Man]

The Battleship New Jersey YouTube channel also recently did an episode on below waterline coatings, as part of their discussion of their upcoming drydock effort. This video is a perfect complement to that!

[WiredrawnMurder]

I love this channel, there's always something interesting to learn; either near-hardcore engineering specifications of past ships or simply why ships have certain flags, all taught in an easy to understand way

[kentslocum]

I have never given any thought to this subject, but now that you mention it, all of my model ships have a dark-red hull below the waterline. Now it all makes sense! 😊

[nektulosnewbie]

I once knew a man in the defence industry who got started developing naval technology like hull paint for the RN in the late 70s and early 80s.

He and his team took awhile, but they found the Holy Grail of hull paint. It was low in toxicity but highly effective against marine life attaching to it (Environmental concerns then were the big push for a new paint as most hull paint's anti-fouling effectiveness comes from being too toxic for marine life to tolerate, but that results in harbours becoming environmental nightmares as paint sloughs off, especially busy places like Portsmouth), cheap and it lasted a long while on a ship's hull. The only downside was the paint's colour was hot pink.

The RN took one look at the colour and outright rejected it.