Anti-fouling DIY or not DIY?

'Professional application' is now for Jotun Anti fouling which I always found excellent paint. Used EU45 this year and it's terrible - came out yesterday and it was badly fouled compared to the Jotun which only had slime. Moored on the Deben in Suffolk. Had a chat with a guy when I mentioned that you can't get Jotun any more and he said 'Depends who you know.........'
 
I am now in my seventies and probably like many others on this forum have antifouled boats for over 40 years. I am all for health and safety within reason but has the world gone mad, do we really need someone to tell us we don't know what we are doing.

I for one would never pay anyone to antifoul my boat and would pack up boating forever if it has to be applied by so called professionals as we all get ripped off enough these days when it comes to boat maintenance as we all don't own superyachts!.

Mike
 
I am now in my seventies and probably like many others on this forum have antifouled boats for over 40 years. I am all for health and safety within reason but has the world gone mad, do we really need someone to tell us we don't know what we are doing.

I for one would never pay anyone to antifoul my boat and would pack up boating forever if it has to be applied by so called professionals as we all get ripped off enough these days when it comes to boat maintenance as we all don't own superyachts!.

Mike

+1 Except that I've been anti-fouling since I was a young teenager.
 
I am now in my seventies and probably like many others on this forum have antifouled boats for over 40 years. I am all for health and safety within reason but has the world gone mad, do we really need someone to tell us we don't know what we are doing.

I for one would never pay anyone to antifoul my boat and would pack up boating forever if it has to be applied by so called professionals as we all get ripped off enough these days when it comes to boat maintenance as we all don't own superyachts!.

Mike

+2 well said Mike, I agree with you entirely. I have only been doing it for 20 years but intend to keep going until I am forced to stop!! ................... or have to sell the boat because of it.

Philip
 
The fact that the three of you are still alive after such a long time applying AF, without the currently required protective kit, suggests the health issues are overstated (and possibly do not actually exist).

In Sydney we do not quite have the same range of AF that is available in the UK but we do have the main ones that enjoy mention. I note they are applied here in boatyards and protective gear extends to work boots, shorts and 'T' shirts. Not once have I heard of a boatyard worker, who might apply AF 5 days a week, suffering any health issues as a result of his job. It is possible the hazardous content of the AF is only absorbed though the feet - in which case the safety boots do their job - but I doubt it :)

But then we have a more relaxed outlook on life here - and still use 2 stroke OBs, and the skies are still blue.

Indeed your world has gone, or is going, mad.

Jonathan
 
I can add another 'veteran' of 40 years or so of antifouling still being alive - Now on my 4th boat, and put the A/F on all of them.

I do always use overalls and gloves plus a face mask if I'm sanding it (usually use wet and dry though, so not aware of any 'dust'). The water run off from this, when I wet/dry it (about 4-6 gallons of water probably) does disappear into the yard ground but as this has had boatbuilding on it for 200 years I suggest the ground is already heavily soaked in noxious substances and is not any real hazard to any wee-liitle-beasties who long since will have moved to nicer surroundings!

As for letting a professional do it, what will they do that I am not already? Fully air-conditioned positive air suit, lovely little blankets around the boat to catch any 'dropping's etc? I suspect not and in most cases amongst my boating friends this would be well beyond their purse to fund.
 
As I replied in the questionnaire, the 'professionals' who do antifouling in our yard are young, untrained migrants who wear exactly the same PPE as I do. The difference is that they might do six boats in a day, whereas I do one per year.
 
I am looking forward to seeing a huge number of court cases where the antifoul did not work and the "professionals" are sued out of existence.

I shall be stipulating in any contract that any failure of the antifoul to work will incur a penalty of £500,000.
 
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I still don't understand what a "professional" is.
How is this to be defined by anyone applying a restriction?

Presumably it means that although you couldn't legally do your own boat, you could do your next door neighbour's, and he could legally do your's:D
 
I am looking forward to seeing a huge number of court cases where the antifoul did not work and the "professionals" are sued out of existence.

I shall be stipulating in any contract that any failure of the antifoul to work will incur a penalty of £500,000.

I will take that one up
the cost will be £ 550,000-00 per application ( will be the cheapest one going)
I will do the job through the company that I am in the process of shutting down. But will keep it open just for you
 
As I replied in the questionnaire, the 'professionals' who do antifouling in our yard are young, untrained migrants who wear exactly the same PPE as I do. The difference is that they might do six boats in a day, whereas I do one per year.

Another ageist !!!
I was always taught that if the chap could do the job it did not matter what age he was .

I used to love proving old craftsmen with fixed attitudes that they were wrong. It was great to listen to their ageist opinions & then telling them what to do !!!
 
F
Another ageist !!!
I was always taught that if the chap could do the job it did not matter what age he was .

I used to love proving old craftsmen with fixed attitudes that they were wrong. It was great to listen to their ageist opinions & then telling them what to do !!!

Not ageist at all and no suggestion that they could not do the job properly. It doesn't take a great deal of skill to roll paint onto a boat's hull.
 
Here in Galicia, Spain the authorities have made it mandatory to have your boat lifted out and antifouled in a yard.A mate commented that the price he was quoted for the job was nigh on the same as if he had bought the antifouling so he was not too stressed.
 
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