Published 29 October 2025

Most, if not all, premature coatings failures are due to improper surface preparation and incorrect application procedures. Corrosion tends to increase during the third and fourth renewal surveys, especially in areas exposed to tough environmental conditions. These patterns point to a clear need for better application, maintenance and inspection habits. Once coatings start to degrade, corrosion spreads fast, driving up maintenance costs, creating unsafe conditions and reducing vessel performance.

Hands-on seastock training helps crews catch and fix marine coatings issues before they escalate. It reinforces proper techniques, improves coating consistency and helps maintain vessel protection between dry dock cycles.

In fact, well-trained crews approach daily maintenance with sharper awareness and stronger judgment. They recognize when surfaces need more attention, ask for guidance when unsure and document their work. These habits reduce mistakes, limit material waste and build stronger communication with their teams.

This approach delivers real financial value. Crews who know how to maintain coatings effectively reduce rework, stretch maintenance intervals and help marine coatings last longer. That leads to lower costs. Data shows proactive maintenance can cut emergency repairs by 20 to 30%. Ship Universe also reports that companies investing in technical training see fewer operational errors and longer component life. Across a full fleet, even small gains add up to major savings.

The Role of Skills Training

In the past, coating maintenance often fell into a reactive pattern, where crews addressed issues as they arose with limited focus on prevention. Today, forward-thinking ship operators understand the value of proactive care, especially in marine coating management. A coating system’s longevity hinges on the quality of application, surface preparation, environmental controls and timely inspections. Even minor application errors, such as incorrect mixing ratios, can shorten a marine coating’s life cycle, resulting in unplanned repairs. These risks underscore the critical need for skilled, well-trained maintenance crews who understand both the science and the practical application behind anti-corrosive coatings.

Training crews in proper coating practices also directly supports sustainability by reducing material waste and environmental impact. Well-trained personnel understand how to manage correct mixing ratios, prepare surfaces effectively and avoid overcoating to minimize unnecessary paint use and maximize product performance. When crews know how to paint correctly the first time, they spend less time on rework and have more capacity to focus on other essential maintenance tasks.

What Makes a Program Successful

The best training programs share common traits:

Relevance: They match what crews do

Flexibility: They adapt to time, space and crew rotation

Practicality: They include hands-on learning

Frequency: They happen regularly

Feedback: They evolve based on crew response

Sustainability: They reduce waste through better material use and application practices

Cost Efficiency: They improve paint usage and reduce rework, lowering long-term expenses

Reliability: They build consistent habits that will enhance fleet-wide maintenance standards and vessel performance

Training should enhance operations, not interrupt them. This requires delivering sessions at maritime training centers, led by instructors who understand vessel workflows. Effective programs prioritize live demonstrations over slideshows and include practical case studies, real-world examples and corrective strategies.

While most training targets the crew applying coatings, supervisors play a pivotal role. When chief mates and superintendents join these sessions, they become better equipped to support maintenance teams, guide repairs and communicate with shore-based technical staff. This alignment between deck leadership and crew ensures coating practices remain consistent across trips and vessels.

PPG Seastock Training Model

Let’s specifically look at PPG's seastock training program. Conducted globally, these tailored on-site sessions address the real-world needs of marine crews to offer both theoretical instruction and hands-on practice using the actual products and tools employed onboard.

The training modules cover essential topics such as:

Fundamentals of corrosion and protection

Correct surface preparation techniques

Correct mixing and application of coatings (single and two-component systems)

Correct paint application techniques

Identification and rectification of coating defects

Maintenance strategies for prolonged lifecycle performance

This curriculum, based on customer input, takes into account vessel types, crew experience, operational conditions and regional logistics. Training formats range from one-hour seminars to three-day workshops, depending on the customer crew's availability and needs.

Hands-On Learning in Local Contexts

Crew demographics shape where training programs take root. Sessions often take place in countries with a strong maritime labor presence, such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Turkey, China and Romania. For example, the trainings hosted in Manila, Philippines, stand out for their consistency, with monthly programs aligned with officer conferences and pre-deployment rotations. Training in Manila includes both senior officers and junior crew, from ordinary seamen and bosuns to chief mates and superintendents. This broad inclusion fosters shared standards and clearer communication across ranks.

Shipowners may request in-country sessions for crews based elsewhere, such as in Europe or the Middle East. In these cases, the customer provides the facility and equipment, while trainers supply the coatings and conduct the sessions using materials that crews will handle onboard. This practical, location-based approach ensures relevance and real-world alignment.

Overall, hands-on components deliver the greatest value. Crews use the same coatings, tools and equipment they’ll handle onboard. They learn to prepare surfaces, mix materials and apply coatings correctly, all under expert guidance. This hands-on practice bridges the gap between instruction and execution.

How Crews Apply What They Learn

Well-trained crews bring sharper awareness and better decision-making to day-to-day maintenance. They know when surfaces need more preparation, ask questions instead of guessing and provide accurate reports. These habits reduce errors, minimize waste and improve collaboration with their technical teams.

Crews spend less time on preventable fixes and more on proactive strategies that support long-term coating performance. Shipowners report smoother inspections, clearer documentation, and more efficient maintenance cycles as a result.

It also supports the future of the workforce. As Gen Z enters the maritime industry, they bring different expectations, prioritizing value-driven roles, mental wellbeing and career growth over short-term perks. Hands-on seastock training builds real-world competence while sending a strong signal: the value of skilled maintenance roles to support vessel performance. This clarity helps bridge generational expectations and reinforces long-term fleet readiness.

The Business Case of Seastock Training

The business case for seastock training proves strong. When well-trained crews maintain coatings while at sea, they reduce rework, extend maintenance intervals and preserve coating integrity, translating directly into cost savings. Proactive onboard maintenance lowers the risk of failures and avoids costly emergency repairs or premature dry dockings. Industry data shows such programs can cut emergency repair costs by 20–30%. Across a fleet, even modest gains can deliver substantial annual savings. Ship Universe data also shows that companies that invest in technical training see 20–30% fewer operational errors and 10–15% longer component lifespans.

Consider the experience of CPO Crewing GmbH & Co. KG, a German crew management company based in Hamburg. It's part of the Offen Group, a well-established shipowner and manager operating a container fleet of more than 50 vessels and specializing in providing qualified seafarers for its ships and third-party vessels. Since partnering with PPG in 2018, their crews have undergone regular seastock training. According to feedback, the program has led to improved technical proficiency, smoother onboard maintenance, extended coating durability, and ultimately, more reliable fleet performance.

“This training has enhanced our crew’s confidence and technical proficiency, allowing them to take ownership of vessel maintenance with greater efficiency and accuracy. As a direct result, we have witnessed smoother maintenance operations, improved vessel appearance, and extended coating durability, all of which contribute to operational reliability and cost savings for our company,” reported by CPO Crewing GmbH & Co. KG.

Another example includes a German-based shipping company and ship-management provider, which hosts monthly training. These sessions, lasting up to three days, provide in-depth education on surface preparation and coating application, as well as explore the identification and correction of defects. The result? The company reports improved coating integrity, fewer in-service failures and a higher standard of onboard maintenance.

Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Seastock training programs must stay current, with modules regularly updated to reflect new products, application methods, technologies and industry regulations. Regular refreshers, delivered quarterly or biannually, help crews maintain sharp skills and stay aligned with best practices.

Hybrid models that blend in-person instruction with digital tools have become increasingly effective. While hands-on sessions remain critical for practical application, online modules, video walkthroughs and virtual demonstrations enable fleets to train dispersed crews without logistical strain.

Digital learning can also complement the use of digital maintenance tools. For example, PPG’s SIGMACARE PLUS tool simplifies coatings management onboard by helping crews track inventory, choose the right products, place orders, and follow step-by-step maintenance guidance. In real-world use, this platform has helped fleets streamline operations, reduce mistakes and maintain higher standards of onboard performance.

Charting What’s Ahead

Seastock training ultimately delivers far more than technical know-how. Hands-on learning opportunities provide practical education for crews, adapting to the realities of time, space and rotation schedules. By adapting to crew feedback, these programs enable continuous improvement that strengthens fleet reliability and vessel performance. The result is less waste, more efficient use of coatings and significant cost savings through reduced rework and extended maintenance cycles. Together, these advantages ensure that training is not simply an operational necessity but a strategic tool for long-term sustainability and fleet readiness.

Strong seastock programs empower crews to protect vessels from the inside out, ensuring that every layer applied at sea performs to its full potential. In today’s environment, the quality of the marine coatings depends as much on the product as on the people applying it, and training closes that gap.

Ewout Bosman is PPG Global Segment Director for Marine Seastock, Protective and Marine Coatings, where he leads international initiatives focused on sustainable maintenance strategies for the maritime industry. With almostmore than two decades of industry experience in the coatings industry, Bosman brings deep expertise in segment strategy, product and portfolio management, and innovation across global markets. For more, visit https://www.ppgpmc.com/marine/seastock.

Originally published in Dry Dock Magazine.

The front line of vessel protection