Antifoul settling out...

[pvb]

I've just had my boat out of the water for its routine 2-year polish and antifoul. I use Micron 350, which I find lasts a full 2 years in the water. I bought a couple of 2.5 litre cans from two local chandleries (it was difficult finding it in black). Usually, I just stir the stuff up with a stick, but this year the antifoul seemed to have settled out leaving an almost impenetrable lump of hard jelly on the bottom of the tin. I gave up trying to stir it, and ordered a paint stirrer tool from Screwfix to use with my cordless drill. Much stirring later, I thought I'd solved the problem, but on finishing the first tin I found about 2cm of hard jelly still in the bottom of the tin. I prised it off in lumps with a big screwdriver, added some thinners, and tried to stir it in, with limited success. I've never experienced this with Micron before, is it perhaps something to do with a new formulation? Or was the antifoul I bought old stock? Anyone else experienced this?

 

[laika]

I've never experienced this with Micron before, is it perhaps something to do with a new formulation? Or was the antifoul I bought old stock? Anyone else experienced this?

I’ve been painting micron 350 this week. My local chandlery at Brighton marina (Nicky’s) is small (but punches above its weight thanks to good management) so mine was ordered from the distributor for me and arrived a few days before I opened it. I was surprised that unlike past experiences it needed very little stirring, being a fairly thick and even consistency all the way through.
So with the disclaimer that I Am Not A Chemist nor a paint expert….I’d guess you had old stock?

 

[pvb]

….I’d guess you had old stock?

Could be! The penalty for my longterm routine of only lifting out every second summer, when liftouts are half the price, and the weather's more pleasant for painting and polishing.

The crazy thing is, I was convinced I already had 2 x 2.5 litre cans on board, bought last winter. When I looked for them, I couldn't find them, so maybe those were the ones I used 2 years ago. Time flies...

 

[[70521]]

Could be! The penalty for my longterm routine of only lifting out every second summer, when liftouts are half the price, and the weather's more pleasant for painting and polishing.

Why anybody wants to antifoul/polish on a cold windy March afternoon, after they have broken the ice is beyond me.

 

[pvb]

Why anybody wants to antifoul/polish on a cold windy March afternoon, after they have broken the ice is beyond me.

I agree entirely! I realise my routine is unconventional, but I've always been up for pushing boundaries and questioning traditions. The amount of money people pay for winter liftouts is eye-watering, especially if they do it every year (as most do).

 

[laika]

I realise my routine is unconventional

Sounds sensible to me: It’s what I’ve been doing since I bought the boat (right down to the choice of anti foul apparently! ). Unfortunately this time I was stuck in Brighton with post-lockdown fouling and a dripping drip less stern gland so got stung for premier’s eye watering charges (I’m 20cm too long for their about to launch “pit stop” deal). Moreover the weather hasn’t been very summery: today was not a day for being up a ladder with power tools

 

[Pete7]

I bought 2 tins of Micron 350 at the end of 2019 because it was cheap at the end of the season. The plan was to use it in the Spring of 2020, but that went pear shaped and we didn't bother at all last season, just scrubbing the previous Micron 77 instead. For the past year I have been turning the tins in my shed upside down and back again every couple of weeks. The Micron after a quick stir just seemed very thick like custard and painting it in the heat of early July difficult as it dried so quickly.

Swimming around the boat a week ago, I noticed that it's a very soft antifouling like previous versions of Micron, so pressure washing will need care.

 

[pvb]

I bought 2 tins of Micron 350 at the end of 2019 because it was cheap at the end of the season. The plan was to use it in the Spring of 2020, but that went pear shaped and we didn't bother at all last season, just scrubbing the previous Micron 77 instead. For the past year I have been turning the tins in my shed upside down and back again every couple of weeks. The Micron after a quick stir just seemed very thick like custard and painting it in the heat of early July difficult as it dried so quickly.

Swimming around the boat a week ago, I noticed that it's a very soft antifouling like previous versions of Micron, so pressure washing will need care.

I add quite a lot of thinners, as I brush paint the antifoul. It does dry quickly in summer.

The fact that it's quite soft is an advantage in my view. My boat is only pressure washed when it's lifted out, once every 2 years. I find there's very little build-up of old antifoul with Micron.

 

[Concerto]

pvb, you must be confused. You thought you had 2 tins and could not find them. Are you sure they weren't the ones you bought the last time you went to the boat show and bought ready for your new boat.

 

[Ian_Rob]

I add quite a lot of thinners, as I brush paint the antifoul. It does dry quickly in summer.

The fact that it's quite soft is an advantage in my view. My boat is only pressure washed when it's lifted out, once every 2 years. I find there's very little build-up of old antifoul with Micron.

I like the idea of your two yearly routine but I find that whilst my split anode is OK, the three-segment anodes on my folding prop are always shot after 12 months.

 

[pvb]

pvb, you must be confused. You thought you had 2 tins and could not find them. Are you sure they weren't the ones you bought the last time you went to the boat show and bought ready for your new boat.

It was indeed a surprise! I had a mental image of seeing them in the bottom of the port hanging locker. But that must have been more than 2 years ago...

I can't imagine people buying antifoul at a boat show, it's heavy stuff to carry around. I do know a guy who bought a sink unit for his boat at an Earls Court show and took it home on the tube.

 

[Concerto]

On a more serious note. I expect in the chandlers, a lazy staff member did not rotate the stock as more arrived. I would contact International to see if there is active chemicals left in the rubbery layer as this may make the antifouling less effective than it should be. Also have you complained to the chandlers?

 

[eddystone]

I would know if I had 2 x 2.5 litre cans of anything on my boat because I would be forever tripping over them

 

[thinwater]

Most pain stirs are lame at scraping the bottom. I use lab floculation paddles (from a lab we closed) but I don't know where you can buy them. Just a domino-sized paddle on a rod. They will re-suspend anything.

Mud mixers are also good.

 

[laika]

Fwiw if anyone wants the remains of a can of navy micron 350 (300 ml ish?)in Brighton pm me (no I won’t post it). I don’t have a garage and I’m not carting it round on the boat for 2 years