Two shipyard workers touching up the CROMWELL's black
antifouling paint. This paint contains chemicals that prevent fouling organisms
from growing on the hull. Fouling organisms are plants and animals that grow on
the ships hull and decrease its efficiency moving through the water with extra
drag. On the right side of the picture you can see the opening for the bow
thruster (covered over to keep paint out). We use the bow thruster to move the
bow to port or starboard, increasing our maneuverability while deploying
scientific instruments or docking.