GFox
New member
Planning on giving my boat a spruce with some anti fouling/anti algae paint. Which is the best brand and how often do I need to top it up, not sure how long it takes to wear off?
Anti fouling paint
- Thread starter GFox
- Start date
stu9000
Active member
Answers may vary depending on the location. I'm using seajet shogun 033 eroding. I'm on a swing mooring in the Thames estuary .
Tranona
Well-known member
No simple answer. Depends on the boat, type of usage, location. Ask around where you are from people with similar boats to see what they use. Cheaper paints typically last a season, some more expensive paints can last 2 or even 3 seasons.
zoidberg
Well-known member
'Nuff said.
GFox
New member
I'm mooring in the Thames too, and was a bit concerned recently to hear about the presence of invasive mussels and algae. Been on high alert and cleaning and draining often as they're apparently really easily spread and harmful to waterways. Do most anti fouling products prevent against these sort of critters attaching, as well as weeds and algae?
GFox
New member
Was wondering if these paints were dangerous for marine life and found this. Might rethink this, I don't want to be leaching toxins into rivers:
New research shows stricter regulation is needed on the fate of legacy, toxic antifouling treatments.
New research shows stricter regulation is needed on the fate of legacy, toxic antifouling treatments.
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Taliesin
Member
Have a look at Coppercoat, I understand it’s friendlier to the environment than more traditional anti fouling
Chiara’s slave
Well-known member
You may reconsider your position when you’ve tried a non biocidal fouling reduction system. Come to that, my hard racing type antifoul seems quite limited too, I need to reapply after only 8 cool months in the water. However, it’s way better than Hempel Silic one, that was a disaster.
Tranona
Well-known member
This is a constant issue. anti foul coatings are mostly toxic to marine life - they have to be otherwise they would not work . There are alternatives that do not kill the fouling, but are both expensive and still new. Legislation has progressively reduced the environmental impact and most coatings have copper as the active ingredient. However coatings used on commercial ships do not meet such stringent standards, so the impact of you (and all other yachts) using antifoul is miniscule in the global sense, although obviously more in localised areas.
Your choice is limited. If you leave your boat in the water without a coating eventually it will look like post#4 and even in a few weeks the growth will be significant and seriously affect the performance of the boat. The alternative is to "dry sail" as many small power boats and some racing sailboats do. However that is expensive and for many impractical, so antifoul coatings become essential if you want to enjoy your boat.
Your choice is limited. If you leave your boat in the water without a coating eventually it will look like post#4 and even in a few weeks the growth will be significant and seriously affect the performance of the boat. The alternative is to "dry sail" as many small power boats and some racing sailboats do. However that is expensive and for many impractical, so antifoul coatings become essential if you want to enjoy your boat.
Tranona
Well-known member
It is, but it is a big investment in time effort and money to apply it to an existing boat. You need long time horizons to justify the investment.
Minchsailor
Well-known member
I use the af from Premier Paints. Reasonable price and 1 good coat (5l on a 36ft deep keel) lasts a season.
Taliesin
Member
No one said being environmentally friendly was cheap, just ask Torqeedo owners
sarabande
Well-known member
I think you need to start doing some research for yourself rather than asking the same question again and again here. You know what sort of boat you have got and where she is moored - we don't. Thus is it is really quite difficult to make a 'best' recommendation for you without those details.
Neeves
Well-known member
I wonder how long is your season.
Minchsailor
Well-known member
Up to 6 months between launching and slipping, and I do a fair mileage which helps; however the yard reports that it one if the lightest fouled boats the have when it is washed off.
As Premier Paints are based in Kent, and the OP indicates he/she is on the Thames they could be worth a try.
