Another anti - fouling thread.

moondancer

moondancer

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 Dec 2001
Messages
1,450
www.wisereach.co.uk
Ok so I have just had Moondancer lifted for a jetwash and there was about a foot of growth on her.

Some strange looking marine life that ranged in colour from red to green. It made me think that the Flag antifouling I applied at the beginning of the season must contain fertiliser rather than any horrible pesticide material. Talking to the chap who jetwashed the boat he is of the view that the antifouling paints are now so weak that you would be just as well not to bother with anything and scrub the bottom four or five times in the season.

What is the best thing to do? The copper epoxy coatings seem useless, certainly judging by Dick Durham's experience - he has painted antifouling over his, antifoulings are rubbish, lifting several times costs money?

Is the solution a diving kit and a very tough brush??

Has anyone managed to find a reasonable solution?
 
For the last few seasons I've been using Hempel Hard - it's not supposed to be for yachts (commercial vessels and warships only - says so on the tin). It contains more toxins than yottie antifoul - but when was the last time an official cheked the bottom of your boat.

The result (Orwell - swinging mooring) as been fairly OK. If you sail on a regular basis (every week, or pretty cose) no growth will occur, however leave her for a month or more when it's warm...

Will be going down the copper epoxy route. However not Ecosea which DD used. Talked to a few boatowners in my neck of the woods who had theirs Coppercoated and all were pleqsed with the result. So, it'll be Coppercoat for Guapa too.
 
I used cheapo Flag on Bonsella in March 2008 and did not lift out last winter. I've scrubbed the bottom on the beach several times since then and have only had slime to deal with. The one difference I am seeing though is the "beard" of weed that now seems to grow on the waterline after just a few weeks. This comes off very easily although clogs up the brush! I reckon the sail back from Clacton yesterday must have pressure washed the hull fairly thoroughly, it certainly cleaned the decks and soaked the crew!
Morgan
 
For the past three seasons I have been using a couple of coats of XM's CX2000 Cruising Self Eroding antifoul at about £40 for 3 litres.

'Endymion' lives on a pontoon mooring in Brightlingsea, and in fairness the levels of fouling we have experienced have not been that bad, but still not convinced of the efficacy of any of the present antifouling offerings.

As an aside, just reading through this months Sailing Today, and they have a fairly in depth article on Ultrasonic Antifouling systems. Anyone on here tried them?
 
I will try from this PM. I think by attaching my Daughter's IPOD to the side of the boat I will check whether the barnacles fall off on that side. Not sure whether to try Snow Patrol or Oasis.
 
I have just reached an 'out of Court' settlement regarding the Coppercoat applied to my boat, which is moored at West Mersea.

It was applied four years ago now and has never worked, despite being back to the applying yard several times, the involvement of Coppercoat themselves, etc.

Faced with a final 'that's the last chance, money back or litigation' letter I sent to them, we struck a deal involving a substantial payment from them to me, which leaves me just about even - ignoring all the trouble...........

I am firmly of the opinion of the OP, that the Health and Safety and Environment people insist that the antifouling compositions available these days are so ineffective that you may as well not bother. I've resigned myself to 5 or 6 scrubs a year for the foreseeable future.
 
I used the cheap Flag for the first time this year. I thought there would be tons of weed when lifted this week but it was only a beard on the waterline. I applied it over the previous Tiger Cruising. After the jet wash there was no Flag left on there (it was a different colour) so I am back to Tiger which I shall use again next time.

The lady at Marinestore told me the Flag only has copper in it and no biocides. "It was more effective on the Crouch because that was less salty (or was it more salty) than the Blackwater".:confused::confused: Anyway I think that with cheap you get what you pay for.
 
They don't come cheaper than Sixpence with no a/f, six months after launching I did a sandbank special and got out to have a look. Quick rub with a sponge and any beard or slime came straight off. Wouldn't mind using some Guapa stuff but I'm not wasting cash on any of the other rubbish. Just my opinion mind :D
 
Guapa said:
For the last few seasons I've been using Hempel Hard - it's not supposed to be for yachts (commercial vessels and warships only - says so on the tin). It contains more toxins than yottie antifoul - but when was the last time an official cheked the bottom of your boat.

The result (Orwell - swinging mooring) as been fairly OK. If you sail on a regular basis (every week, or pretty cose) no growth will occur, however leave her for a month or more when it's warm...

Will be going down the copper epoxy route. However not Ecosea which DD used. Talked to a few boatowners in my neck of the woods who had theirs Coppercoated and all were pleqsed with the result. So, it'll be Coppercoat for Guapa too.
Click to expand...

Hempel looks like blakes to me - look at the printing logo on this tin!


http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Hempel-Antif...ItemQQimsxZ20090821?IMSfp=TL090821158001r6125
 
FullCircle said:
Hempel looks like blakes to me - look at the printing logo on this tin!
Click to expand...

From what I've been told, Hempel sold their yottie division to Blakes a while ago and now concentrate on the stuff for professionals. (Maybe Blakes still use the name.)
So, you won't see it in swindleries (but did see it at Essex Boat Jumble last year).

I got mine in Ostend through company that supplies the local fishermen. An acquaintance managed to get some in Grimsby.
 
A lot depends on the kind of sailing you do, and where. Nothing will protect you if your boat spends most of the time up an Essex creek, as we used to find at Maylandsea. Nowadays we tend to keep on the move in the summer (!?) and because it is not easy to dry out and expensive to lift, we use Optima - at a price - and hope to save on lift-outs.
We had to be lifted out for other reasons three weeks ago (long story; anodes etc) and our bottom wasn't bad;


IMG_5022.jpg
 
I'm not an expert but surely the amount of growth anywhere is directly proportional to the amount of light and nutrients in the water so a boat moored in one place cannot be compared to a boat in another place.
 
Guapa said:
From what I've been told, Hempel sold their yottie division to Blakes a while ago and now concentrate on the stuff for professionals. (Maybe Blakes still use the name.)
So, you won't see it in swindleries (but did see it at Essex Boat Jumble last year).

I got mine in Ostend through company that supplies the local fishermen. An acquaintance managed to get some in Grimsby.
Click to expand...

Am told by a chandlery that all Blakes paint will be sold with the name Hempel on the tin in future.
 
We use XM's CX2000 Cruising Self Eroding as well, with good results on the Orwell.

We just get a layer of black slime that easily washes off. No barnacles or weed.
 
Seajet Shogun this year. Swinging mooring on the Orwell. Launched March, slipped and sponged off the goo in June. No livestock.

Slime started to build up again, but neatly killed by 2 weeks in freshwater on a cruise to The Netherlands. All spotless again, even the prop and shaft!

Will see what its like come laying up time. So far, reasonably pleased.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top