Antifoul a folding prop - recommendations, please

[Skylark]

Here's a photograph of some boat porn:-

It's a flex-o-fold. I can't imagine that it'll look like this once immersed. What has been your experience of antifouling folding props? Any specific recommendations on preparation, base coats, make and type of antifoul?

I've never fitted a brand new prop before. On my last boat, I simply used to clean the prop with a wire brush at the start of the season followed by a mid season underwater scrub.

Many thanks.

 

[cliffdale]

Don't bother. 30 years of trying everything from the most expensive to highly polishing so that the blighters do not stick does not work. That stuff, lanolin, heated on fell off, as swmbo said, ' why is the water all pink?'
Last year Trilux, no sign of it after 3 months.

Best method I found so far, a snorkel and mask, a scourer pad once a month.

 

[wully1]

I had a look at my Kiwi prop with the GoPro mounted on a stick a few days ago. The prop looked clean but the shaft has some weed growing on it despite some anti fouling painted on.

 

[bobgarrett]

I for one simply scrape and polish my folding brass prop. Each year it has a thin layer of encrustation but I doubt it is enough to have much effect.

 

[Tranona]

I for one simply scrape and polish my folding brass prop. Each year it has a thin layer of encrustation but I doubt it is enough to have much effect.

Difficult to get anything to stick to bronze but Trilux lasts a season on my Flexofold. Might not be so good if you motor alot.

 

[alahol2]

Difficult to get anything to stick to bronze but Trilux lasts a season on my Flexofold. Might not be so good if you motor alot.

+1
Only got a couple of barnies but quite a lot of thin weed last year. The coating did stay mostly intact.
When the maximum engine revs started to fall, mid season, I found that getting the boat up to speed then going into hard astern and letting the prop cavitate for several seconds would clear enough of the gunge to restore max revs.

 

[srm]

Never antifouled a prop in over 35 years of boat owning - but then I use my boats.

 

[Taunto]

In the land of Aus our waters are a litter warmer and the growth is a pain , we have tried nearly all the cheap and expensive coatings but nothing really works except diving , a mate of mine and i have been contemplating copper plating the prop , has anyone ever done this and if so what was the results .
Cheers Taunto.

 

[robertj]

I've tried trilux, eroding and hard antifouling, I've tried polishing and nothing, I've even tried the stuff that you heat on and it protects, all without exception the prop will foul up.
Then some one recommended this grease stuff where first coat is heated gently then painted on followed by a thick layer of sponged on grease. So last year without much expectations I did in fact try it.
End of season haul out, guess what? Just as bad as all the rest!
As mentioned snorkel mask and scrubbing pad on unpainted prop throughout season.

 

[Skylark]

Many thanks for the replies. Like many of us, my boat gets far too little use so the critters have a good chance of setting up a new home. I carry diving gear so it's no hardship to scrub it once or twice during the season. Just that it looks so good, complete with Stripper, too, as I said, boat porn, it would be nice to try to protect it..

 

[grievesie]

On my last boat, I simply used to clean the prop with a wire brush at the start of the season followed by a mid season underwater scrub.

I've tried antifouling of various makes, ordinary lanolin, fancy lanolin (Propshield) and scrubbing a couple of times a season. Scrubbing seems to be the only method that works (also helps to use the boat regularly). So I would stick with your usual method. Maybe go easy on the wire brush and use a fine scouring pad followed by 600/1200 wet & dry instead - it would be a shame to seriously scratch such shiny new prop! Just as an aside - for the saildrive leg I find Hempel Mille Drive antifouling very effective.

 

[vyv_cox]

Velox is excellent. We have used it in Greece for the past two seasons, mixed use with some long cruises and quite a lot of lying afloat in the marina. A company in Chichester sells it in UK, about £35 from memory for the primer and top coat but that should last many years. Photo shows it after season 2, before pressure washing. P-bracket also done in it.

 

[alahol2]

Never antifouled a prop in over 35 years of boat owning - but then I use my boats.

You'll probably find that most of us use our boats too, it's just that we normally sail them.

 

[antaris]

+1 for Velox

works really well in the warm Greek waters. I guess it needs its base coat - in the case of a new (!) propeller

 

[vyv_cox]

+1 for Velox

works really well in the warm Greek waters. I guess it needs its base coat - in the case of a new (!) propeller

I used Hammerite Special Metals primer instead of theirs, because I already had a full tin of it. Good adhesion to brass/bronze.

 

[antaris]

I used Hammerite Special Metals primer instead of theirs, because I already had a full tin of it. Good adhesion to brass/bronze.

:encouragement: good tip!

 

[J Neeves]

Vyv and Antaris,

Can you be a bit more specific with regard to 'Velox' I checked and came up with a German surface coatings company that makes a host of products - none seemed to be prop specific and recall I'm in the nether regions of the world.

Jonathan

 

[antaris]

this is the juice, it's Italian:

http://www.marlinpaint.com/en/prodotti/anivegetative/velox-plus-antivegetiva-per-eliche-e-piedi

and here's a (random) UK link:

http://www.navigatorsmarine.co.uk/velox.php

PS> I am not associated with either!

 

[cmedsailor]

Here's a photograph of some boat porn:-

It's a flex-o-fold. I can't imagine that it'll look like this once immersed. What has been your experience of antifouling folding props? Any specific recommendations on preparation, base coats, make and type of antifoul?

I've never fitted a brand new prop before. On my last boat, I simply used to clean the prop with a wire brush at the start of the season followed by a mid season underwater scrub.

Many thanks.

New boat, folding prop.....Man, you left me in the previous century!

 

[J Neeves]

Thanks Antaris, they even appear to be able to sell in Australia, I'll give it a try.

Jonathan