How do I protect my boat against osmosis?

Protection is always better than cure and it really does make sense to protect a new boat as well as an older craft. To achieve this protection it is necessary to sheath the hull with a water barrier to seal the surface. This is done over the existing gelcoat. There is no better time to apply an anti-osmosis system than before the boat has been launched. Some boat builders now apply the International Paint Gelshield 200 system as part of their production process, so it is worth finding out if this is the case. However, it must be stressed that protective systems cannot stop osmosis once it has started, or prevent it from occurring in poorly constructed hulls. Therefore, it is important that a full inspection is undertaken before starting.