antifoul a brand new 130 saildrive

[Daydream believer]

I am about to install a new engine & saildrive. The drive has a lovely bright grey colour & I am disinclined to start abrading it. When I bought the boat new the broker had already antifouled the prop so each year I just lightly abraded that paint & applied Trilux 33. I still have enough to apply another coat.
But one assumes a primer coat of -What? & should one epoxy first or what
Should the first coat be anything different? Is the initial finish as good as a primer & i just need two coats of trilux
Any thoughts on the correct procedure please

 

[Laser310]

I think the most common practice is a two-part epoxy primer over bare aluminum, followed by non-copper antifouling paint like the Trilux.

some advocate for treating the bare aluminum with something to "etch" it, for better adhesion

I did not etch my saildrive, but just primed it with two-part epoxy, and it has been fine.

I used Interprotect.

The Interprotect primer is grey, and you say your saildrive is grey.., so perhaps that's primer?

one other thing; I have a pretty hard racing paint on my hull, but most of the aluminum-safe antifouling paints are pretty soft ablative paints.

For a while I was using a white paint on the saildrive, and because the primer is grey, I could see where the bottom paint had been worn away.

but then, I ran out and all i could find was grey aluminum-safe paint. I used it.., but wish I had bothered to look for a different color

 

[Tranona]

Hempel Prop primer followed by Ecopower. (just bought some!) That is what I used on my saildrive on the Bavaria from new. Light rub down each year and new cost of Ecopower. Apart from degreasing do not disturb the original coating.

This is it after 5 years. Fish don't care whether it is black or grey and barnacles don't like it much either.

 

[Laser310]

I don't paint my prop.

I have a diver clean the bottom every other week.., at least...

 

[Tranona]

Lucky you. The combination of Ecopower on the drive and prop hub and Velox on the blades keeps it free of everything but slime for a year at a time .