Anti-fouling - decision time

[sarabande]

Raggy boat nearly ready to go in the (sea) water, with the intention of being in commission all year round from now on.

She has been powerwashed and sanded back almost to the flow coat, and will shortly have 3 coats of aluminium primer/tie coat.

From that point on, I have three choices:

1 a 1 year duration well-known yacht-legal anti-fouling, (a softish one) which will need renewing/overpainting next winter 2016

2 a 2 yr duration, ditto, harder, which will just need a wash down and (probably) touch up near the water line, before being cleaned and overpainted winter 2017

3 a 36 month commercial AF, which self polishes in normal slow speed use, and should need just a light brush down when dried out alongside.


Interestingly the prices are not linear. Very roughly:-

£70 for the 1 year paint
£140 for the 2 year paint
£90 for the 3 year commercial paint.


Now, I have the full land-based hazardous chemical spraying and appplication qualifications, so can work out the risk management practices of applying #3 properly.

My question is, therefore, if prudent management and general cruising tactics lead to the boat drying out a couple of times a year, and enabling general checks and touch up, and barring any unforeseen events requiring a liftout, are there any advantages or otherwise acrrueing to the use of the 36 month AF ?

Or are we wedded to the concept of intensive labour, hauling out and recoating every year ?

As I understand it, the amount of the active ingredient for the three options is proportionately similar.

 

[Bobc]

Option 3

 

[sailorman]

No 3 sounds like a no brainer, is it a self ablating paint.
Others much more knowledgeable that me will be along soon

 

[RAI]

Interesting copper coat is not an option. Anyway, option 3 sounds attractive. I suspect anodes and general issues tend to have fully active boats out of the water (or dried out) ever couple of years, so that might be a factor.
One tip is to use different colours (I use black on white) for successive coats, it make it easier to see how the ablative paint is fairing and to get the application uniform.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

When I could still obtain it from people who worked at the dockyard I used commercial. Now, since the yard was privatised it is no longer 'available'. There were times when the boat was left in the water for five years with no trace of any barnacles. It was by International and was called something beginning withe "Eco" (Ecoloflex?). If it were still available I would certainly go for it.

 

[Bobc]

When I could still obtain it from people who worked at the dockyard I used commercial. Now, since the yard was privatised it is no longer 'available'. There were times when the boat was left in the water for five years with no trace of any barnacles. It was by International and was called something beginning withe "Eco" (Ecoloflex?). If it were still available I would certainly go for it.

This is the stuff you want. I had it on my boat when it wa in the caribbean. Lasted 4 years in the UK.

http://www.paints4trade.com/international-micron-77-antifouling-261224-p.asp?variantid=261225#fo_c=888&fo_k=6223134c703f8f86d453dde529c14b3d&fo_s=gplauk

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

This is the stuff you want. I had it on my boat when it wa in the caribbean. Lasted 4 years in the UK.

I would say that conditions in the central Mediterranean are more similar to those in the Caribbean than those in the UK. How was its performance there?

 

[NormanS]

When I could still obtain it from people who worked at the dockyard I used commercial. Now, since the yard was privatised it is no longer 'available'. There were times when the boat was left in the water for five years with no trace of any barnacles. It was by International and was called something beginning withe "Eco" (Ecoloflex?). If it were still available I would certainly go for it.

Is that the stuff that goes on red, and eventually goes a kind of green, so that everyone thinks it's Coppercoat?
If it is, I've still got lots of it.

 

[Bobc]

I would say that conditions in the central Mediterranean are more similar to those in the Caribbean than those in the UK. How was its performance there?

It was pretty-much the only stuff that worked out there, but needed doing every year or so.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Is that the stuff that goes on red, and eventually goes a kind of green, so that everyone thinks it's Coppercoat?
If it is, I've still got lots of it.

No, it was a peculiar shade of light green right from the start, a sort of 'Eau de Nil'. Rather like this sample, perhaps slightly darker:

At the price that I used to pay for a 20-litre drum (25?) I learned to live with the colour until I didn't mind it at all. When delivered home the first thing I used to do was to power-mix it and then transfer it into catering-size Nescafe tins so that it would keep. I imagine that there were other colours but that is what the ships used.

P.S. I'll try to find a picture of my previous boat and will post it. Don't hold your breath though; it would be on an external drive and I need to wake up early tomorrow.

 

[Neeves]

You will need to access prop and anodes as you will not get 3 years from any known prop treatment. So you need to ensure those drying out times, or dive. Depends on your prop but changing anodes under water can be a challenge.

I'd go for option 3, which is the option we hope we are following. There are a number of ablative commercial AF that should give you the life you are looking for we are using Jotun SeaQuantum Ultra, but Hempel's Globic is another. The major difficulty is finding the AF and then buying it. Sea Quantum only came in 20l drums when we bought, now available Oz 10l drums. 20l of AF is another challenge - remember its full of copper!

Jonathan

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

20l of AF is another challenge - remember its full of copper!

Jonathan

My back can certainly vouch for that!

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

It was pretty-much the only stuff that worked out there, but needed doing every year or so.

Not enough I'm afraid. At present I am using Veneziani Raffaello and the boat only comes out of the water every two years. Another good reason is that I get a very substantial discount from my friend the chandler.

 

[sarabande]

thank you everyone for advice and ideas.

I've managed to buy a "36 month" antifouling paint. The boat will be coming out of the water (most likely drying out alongside) fairly regularly, so I'll be able to keep an eye on the prop and anodes.

And to satisfy Puff's aesthetic considerations, the colour is dark blue, halfway between Prussian and Cobalt

 

[Neeves]

thank you everyone for advice and ideas.

I've managed to buy a "36 month" antifouling paint. The boat will be coming out of the water (most likely drying out alongside) fairly regularly, so I'll be able to keep an eye on the prop and anodes.

And to satisfy Puff's aesthetic considerations, the colour is dark blue, halfway between Prussian and Cobalt

But given you have found a 3 year paint, we all want a 3 year paint - what is it?

Jonathan

 

[sarabande]

lots of commercial antifouling available, but for application only by properly qualified herbicide/pesticide users with the proper environmental management certificates.


International
Witham (Woco)
Hempel
Gael Force
Jotun
Fujifilm-Hunt (Smart Services)


3 years is nothing. The silicone ones can go up to 15 years given a supportive operating regime.

 

[Neeves]

Ignoring the silicone coatings on which the jury still seems to be out - and based on trials on yachts that have not been extended - look to remain out for some time?

I do not understand your reluctance to divulge the names of the products offering 36 months life. In some parts of the world restrictions on the use, by 'amateurs', of AF is not strict and/or owners may find yards meeting all the necessary requirements. Your opening post suggest a 3 year life costs, for the product, not much more than a one year life.

So for the benefit of those who might not know - and as you obviously have the information at your finger tips.

What are the specific names of products, not the manufacturers - the names under which they might sell them, that are available that will, or might, give 3 years foul free coverage.

Jonathan

 

[sarabande]

Goodness, gracious me; you do get stroppy when you don't get spoon-fed an answer.



Take your pick

International - too many linear or self-polishing to list

Witham (Woco) - Traditional Soft, Admiralty

Hempel - Globic, Helix, etc

Gael Force - own brand commercial antifouling

Jotun - Sea Force and Quantum range

Fujifilm-Hunt (Smart Services) - Duplex. They, in particular, will be happy to take you up on your provocative comment that the jury is still out on silicone coatings. DIY.


Five half-simple minutes with a decent websearch will give you all the answers, as usual.


And for an answer to your unspoken sub-text, I do have the full qualifications in relation to both pesticides and herbicides (and similar nasty chemicals) , and their selection and application within the appropriate environmental management protocols.

 

[Neeves]

There was no sub text. If you, or anyone else, say you have expertise and qualifications in whatever technology I, for one, will take that information at face value as being honest and correct. I would have no basis to do otherwise and for you to suggest I implied otherwise is presumptuous, at best.

I will wait for widespread uptake of Fujifilm-Hunt (Smart Servce) - Duplex in leisure yachts in anticipation.

You asked for reasoned comment in your opening post - it does not seem unreasonable for you to share your research and knowledge.

edit: You will note, Post # 11, we are already using SeaQuantum and have tried Globic. it did not seem unreasonable, given your knowledge, to query what else was available. We too applied the SeaQuantum ourselves. close edit



Jonathan

Further edit

I've just re-read the post that provoked your presumptuous reply. I assume you thought the comment on 'amateurs' was a snide comment at you. far from it - it referred to me - here there are no restrictions on we amateurs in using Jotun's SeaQuantum (though I do know that Jotun Europe take a very dim view of the idea). However there is nothing in the licence awarded to Jotun in Australia for SeaQuantum that restricts how it might be applied or to what (in terms of application as an AF). Interestingly it is not approved in the US - but I do not know why.

Maybe turn down the prickly meter

close edit.

 

[Binman]

My choice for next season is Ultra extra 2 or Tiger extra, brush applied 3 coats, don't think spray on is ever thick enough.