Alexseal Introduces HS Ultimate Clear Coat for High-UV Yachts

Caribbean sun puts yacht finishes to the test. Alexseal has introduced HS Ultimate Clear Coat, a new coating developed with increased UV and scratch resistance for yachts operating in high-UV regions, running double seasons or working in charter.

Alexseal HS Ultimate Clear Coat at a glance

Product	HS Ultimate Clear Coat, code H0125
Chemistry	High-solid, two-component polyurethane clear
System	Final layer over Alexseal HS Base Coat; spray application
Where it goes	Above the waterline, indoors or out; not for permanent immersion
Built for	High-UV regions, double-season boats, charter yachts
Claims	Harder surface (fewer micro-scratches and holograms), UV protection, better flow and leveling, overspray uptake, faster drying
Replaces	HS Clear Coat (H0150), available until end of 2026
Maker	Alexseal Yacht Coatings, a Mankiewicz brand (Hamburg); US operation in Charleston, SC

The product is the final layer in Alexseal’s Base Coat/Clear Coat system, protecting the color coat underneath and providing the finished gloss. According to the company, the increased surface hardness is designed to reduce micro-scratches and holograms caused by wiping and polishing, while UV protection helps slow weathering of the finish.

For boatyards and paint crews, Alexseal focused development on flow, leveling, and overspray uptake. The latter is particularly important on large yacht projects, where fine overspray can settle on already painted areas. The coating is formulated to absorb those particles into the wet surface for a more uniform finish.

The new clear carries the product code H0125 and, like its predecessor, is a high-solid, two-component polyurethane, sprayed over Alexseal’s HS Base Coat and meant for everything above the waterline; it is not for surfaces under permanent immersion. The company also claims faster drying, which matters in a Caribbean paint shed where humidity and a packed haul-out calendar compete for the same hours.

HS Ultimate Clear is based on Alexseal’s existing HS Clear Coat and will replace that product by the end of 2026. For owners, the base coat/clear coat approach follows the same logic as a modern car finish: the colour sits in a base layer and the clear does the work of taking the sun, the chamois and the polisher. The clear is also the layer a yard addresses when it eventually dulls, which is the usual argument for a two-layer system on a charter yacht that gets washed every day. The launch follows the Color Configurator Alexseal introduced in January, which lets an owner preview a scheme on the hull before any paint is mixed.

Alexseal is the yacht-coatings brand of Hamburg, Germany-headquartered Mankiewicz, with its U.S. operation based in Charleston, South Carolina. www.alexseal.com 

Carol Bareuther has written for ALL AT SEA since 2004.