The exercise was repeated using Sherwin-Williams’ C530 range of products on the vessel to help with protection in marine environments.

The Turner-nominated artist Ciara Phillips was commissioned by Edinburgh Art Festival and 14-18 NOW, as part of the EAF 2016 Commissions Program, with the vessel being towed from the district of Leith in Edinburgh to the town of South Queensferry as part of the celebrations.

Using strongly contrasting blocks of color, stripes and curves, Dazzle Ships transformed ships into a confusing array of shapes making it difficult to gauge a ship’s direction or speed.

Sorcha Carey, Director of Edinburgh Art Festival, said, “We are very grateful to Sherwin-Williams for their support on this commission, contributing the coating for the ship.”

The ship was originally launched in Glasgow in 1963 for the Commissioners of Northern Lights at Leith and decommissioned in 2001 with a plan to turn it into a two-bedroom floating hotel with space for functions by the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust.

Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine Coatings recently received the ultimate accolade, the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2016, for its development of a new product that is helping to change the face of the energy and infrastructure markets in Europe.

The breakthrough was made by Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine Coatings, which employs more than 200 people at its headquarters in Bolton, Greater Manchester, through its coating to protect assets in the harshest of environments.