A CLEAR Antifouiling paint ?

[Capt Popeye]

Might ask if anyone knows of a CLEAR Antifouling paint , you know , on that we can see through , will not clash with the Hull colour , does not appear as a difference colour to the hull above waterline colour ?

Copuld be the 'best of the cut bread theory ?)

 

[Tranona]

It has been tried in the pat but did not catch on. suspect the solids used to make it effective are incompatible with clear.

 

[Neeves]

I think Prop Speed make something - they use it on those twee underwater lights. Check their website.

Their standard AF is a silicone and used on props, very common on MoBos. It has specific application instructions. Being silicone once applied its a devil to remove and not much else will stick to it unless removed completely. Complete removal needs aggressive use of a wire brush on an angle grinder and acid (though there may be other techniques).

Most conventional AF use compounds of copper as the active ingredient. Its a solid and not transparent. To meet your needs needs to step outside normality. I think Velox has a different active ingredient, but again its not transparent - and expensive (Prop Speed is also expensive). There are other makers of silicone AF - the theory is its too slippery for fouling to stick - there is something of a gap between theory and practice - or we would all be using silicones.

Jonathan

 

[bignick]

There’s a clear spray on antifoul made by TK Line. It’s intended for use on props, but I’ve sprayed it onto the boot topping in the past. On a prop it is better than nothing, but I don’t really know how effective it is.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

It has been tried in the pat but did not catch on. suspect the solids used to make it effective are incompatible with clear.

Indeed. Mostly the active ingredients are copper compounds, and they are almost all opaque and strongly coloured. Other biocides tend to be a) less effective and b) more expensive.

There’s a clear spray on antifoul made by TK Line. It’s intended for use on props, but I’ve sprayed it onto the boot topping in the past. On a prop it is better than nothing, but I don’t really know how effective it is.

Most such work by being slippery so that fouling organisms get washed off at speed. Ok for a prop, but ineffective for the lower water speeds on the hull.

 

[lustyd]

It's not just about being slippery, they create a gel like layer at the surface so barnacles don't try to attach in the first place. The slipperyness is to allow slime and weed growth to come away easily with a wipe down. Seems extremely effective for cruisers in warmer water who can dive and wipe down the hull easily, and several YouTube channels have shown it working over years of use. Delos seem to have given up on it though, either because they couldn't get the silicone stuff in Mexico or because they figured they'll be diving the hull and cleaning either way.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Well thank you for all them replies , so far : all most interesting comments and observations

For over about 70 years I have been servicing my Displacement craft , made in both Timber and GRP : well now , in part , accepting my ageisim is not reducing , I have gone Plastic , with an open plan Planning Hull and Outboard : a self draining hull design , with built in lockers , a 'proper job' seat and steering wheel with remote controls : the hull has not been Antifouled at all , so a few Barnacles with a muddy waterline require my attention : so looking it over I thought , is there a Paint / Substance (??) that I could paint on the underwater profile to keep Barnacles etc at bay without effecting the boats profile appearance , as Antifoul sure can do on these smaller craft ?

 

[James_Calvert]

Micron Clear was available in the late 80s. Certainly worked but as it wore off in the season, only the thicker bits remained effective. The white hull turned into a zebra skin when the slime got going.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Humm well having now to really think about all the time that I spend visiting my boats to drain the rainwater out , scrub their bottoms , check the moorings etc etc prepare for varnishing as well I have at last accepted the need to reduce drastically my boat maintainence time , plus reduce my annual Mooring and Yard expenses significantly : so going to transfer by main boating activities into a Trailer Boat pastime

Hence my thoughts upon a Clear antifoul to apply to a Plastic Moulding boat

My good times regularly vistiting Boats on the forshore during winters gales and rainstorms has now passed its prime , for me , so a Clear A/Foul is needed

 

[Neeves]

Humm well having now to really think about all the time that I spend visiting my boats to drain the rainwater out , scrub their bottoms , check the moorings etc etc prepare for varnishing as well I have at last accepted the need to reduce drastically my boat maintainence time , plus reduce my annual Mooring and Yard expenses significantly : so going to transfer by main boating activities into a Trailer Boat pastime

Hence my thoughts upon a Clear antifoul to apply to a Plastic Moulding boat

My good times regularly vistiting Boats on the forshore during winters gales and rainstorms has now passed its prime , for me , so a Clear A/Foul is needed

Ah!!!

A silicone coating might answer your needs apart from the disadvantage that silicone is not very strong - it will be damaged by constant use of devices used to launch, retreive and trail a trailer sailor. Just think of any silicone you might use (or not) at home and most (all?) silicone coating have the same strength.

My suggestion of looking at PropSpeed is probably a non starter and I think this would apply to any silicone coating on a hull. As I mentioned - if silicone was the answer - we would all be using it. Many large commercial vessels have tried it - and some have reverted to chemical based (like traditional AF and the stuff most of us use) commercial coatings. International used it 10-15 years ago on a Dutch racing yacht - never heard of again.

If effectively you are going to 'dry sail' - use your craft then retreive - you don't need any AF. We campaigned out X-99, dry sailed, for a long time (18 months), stripped the AF off and we have the trophies to reward the move - but we were dropped into the water on a Thursday or Friday and lifted again on Monday - HK waters). We did the China Sea races which meant we were in the water for a few weeks (4 ish) and we did not suffer any infestations. Most yachts like Etchells and Dragons are dry sailed....

Maybe: Silicone wax the hull, try to retreive as often as possible and be prepared to wipe down the hull when you retrieve and having left her for longer than intended

There is really not a satisfactory answer.

Jonathan