Anti Foul the Prop?

[jusw]

I have a Hunter Horizon 27 with 1GM10 engine.

Last season I notied severe reduction in performance - I beached the boat expecting to see something wrapped around the prop - not so, but there was a heavy infestation of barnacles covering the prop - On removal all was OK.

I have never AF'd the prop before and last seaon I made a big effort to polish it as shiny as I could. Now maybe I've been lucky before.

Up till now I've had Treble C on a drying mooring so it was only in the water 50% of the time - next season I'm moving to a permanently floating mooring.

So I guess I should expect worse fouling?

If so, would you AF the propellor, try polishing again. or just beach her a couple of times per season?

Advice please....

Finally, what do forumites think is the best (ideally low cost) AF to use?

JuSw

 

[Norman_E]

I bought a small tin of an antifouling paint designed for propellers about 4 years ago, and it worked fairly well, however I left the boat in water from April 2009 to October 2010 and by September 2010 the prop was fouled to the extent that I had lost at least a knot at cruising revs. A diver cleaned it for me. I cannot tell you the make of the paint because the tin is in Turkey, on the boat.

In practice I still think that if you have a nice shiny propeller it will probably stay clean for just as long as a painted one. I will put it to the test this year as I have just bought a new MaxProp, and polished it up with Brasso, and I am also fitting Ultrasonic Antifouling this year.

 

[philip_stevens]

I have a Hunter Horizon 27 with 1GM10 engine.

Last season I notied severe reduction in performance - I beached the boat expecting to see something wrapped around the prop - not so, but there was a heavy infestation of barnacles covering the prop - On removal all was OK.

I have never AF'd the prop before and last seaon I made a big effort to polish it as shiny as I could. Now maybe I've been lucky before.

Up till now I've had Treble C on a drying mooring so it was only in the water 50% of the time - next season I'm moving to a permanently floating mooring.

So I guess I should expect worse fouling?

If so, would you AF the propellor, try polishing again. or just beach her a couple of times per season?

Advice please....

Finally, what do forumites think is the best (ideally low cost) AF to use?

JuSw

This scenario sounds just like my problem, only I am on swinging moorings and afloat at all tides.

In the past I have highly polished the prop, and halfway through the season, have had to dry out and clean off the weed and barnacle fouling from both prop and shaft. The hull still being clean at the end of the season.

This year, for the first time, I have anti-fouled the prop and shaft. I have given both sides two coats of hard racing AF, and then two coats of self-ablating AF on both sides. I have managed to get the AF quite smooth with a brush, and will await results over the coming season to see if it is successful.

I will know of any reduction in performance through watching engine revs over the season. I can begin the season at 3000 revs, and last year got down to a max of only 2500 at the end of the season. On lift out, the prop and shaft were completely covered in barnacles and weed.

Now to wait and see if it has been worth AF'ing the prop and shaft.

 

[alahol2]

Last season was the first time I have anti-fouled the prop. It was definitely cleaner at the end of the season than on previous occasions. I just used the same anti-foul as the rest of the boat (Flag eroding - two coats). Will be doing the same this year.

 

[Bajansailor]

Two years ago I was given the leftovers of a mixed tin of Propspeed, from a large sportsfishing yacht here who had just coated their props, P brackets and rudders with the stuff and didnt want the leftovers to go to waste, which was very nice of them.

We coated our prop with it, and even after 22 months in the oggin now it has worked amazingly well - more about the stuff at http://www.propspeedusa.com/

They do not appear to have an English agent though.

Another product which looks good (but I have no experience of) is Propshield - http://www.prop-shield.com/

 

[cowpat]

when we tried a/f on the propeller the result after a few months was alarming and so the paint was quickly removed. Beware of the electrolisis that hapens between the metals in the paint and the bronze of the propeller. I expect that complete details will now be posted by our resident metalurgists.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Two years ago I was given the leftovers of a mixed tin of Propspeed, from a large sportsfishing yacht here who had just coated their props, P brackets and rudders with the stuff and didnt want the leftovers to go to waste, which was very nice of them.

We coated our prop with it, and even after 22 months in the oggin now it has worked amazingly well - more about the stuff at http://www.propspeedusa.com/

They do not appear to have an English agent though.

Another product which looks good (but I have no experience of) is Propshield - http://www.prop-shield.com/

Actually, Propspeed is easily available in the UK.

http://www.propspeed.co.uk/

We have used Propspeed for a couple of years on our Maxprop. It is an excellent product.

 

[Gubbo]

Cheap Prop protection

Several boats on the East Coast use Lanocote lanolin-based grease on props.

I have been really pleased with the lack of barnacles after this treatment for the past 3 seasons. Many less than when I used trilux stuff.

Its horrid and smelly and needs to be heated before application but its certainly cheap and the residue can be used to grease importantant little places all over the boat.