Antifoul - Soft or Hard ?

[properjob]

I have kept my yacht in a mud berth for 12 years and have yet to find an Antifoul that actually works. I take her out every year for the normal annual tasks and
find that there are large numbers of barnacles on the hull, starting and going down from about 350mm down from where the level at which the mud starts when she is sitting in it.

I have tried most makes of antifoul. Usually I try soft self eroding types mainly because they are generally cheaper than the hard types and there is no point in spending money on something that experience tells won’t work. But this year I might try a hard type if anyone has had good results with one. The semi-hard or hard Seajet that I tried about 9 years ago didn’t work very well, I don’t think they do that one anymore.

Any recommendations ?

 

[Simondjuk]

We have International Interspeed Ultra on our boat. Been in since September on a drying mud berth and so far not a thing on the hull. Well see how it goes through the summer when the growth is more prolific. Picked up a dented can half price at the cost of not being able to choose the colour.

 

[VicS]

Any recommendations ?

Hard types are usually recommended for mud berths ... try one.

I used to suffer from the same barnacle problem on a mooring on deep soft mud regardless of the antifouling type.

I don't now .. I now use Cruiser UNO but I am not so sure that the disappearance of Barny Kell and his mates coincided with the change to UNO.

What I do remember is that they disappeared the year I decided to add some chilli powder ........ the snag is that in the event I forgot to add it!

 

[barnaclephill]

Hard types are usually recommended for mud berths ... try one.

My experience is that I can get 1 1/2 years out of an antifoul. Here in a mud berth that was with a hard a/f.
In a non-tidal area, that same period applied to soft a/f.
This year in the tidal berth with soft for some reason, I've gone 6 months and scraped off my first barnies last weekend, at about 5mm tall. But then I have a warm climate here.
I've always used International Bottomkote (soft) or Int. Coppercoat (hard).


Vic, do you think the hard is better because of the abrasion of mud in suspension, or the drying properties of the mooring?

 

[properjob]

Vic, I don’t understand your reference to Barny Kell and mates. Were they International Paints people ?

Is Cruiser Uno soft or hard, I’ve looked at the spec sheet and it doesn’t say which type it is. The spec sheet seems to advise 1 or 2 coats whereas the adverts say only one coat required. Is 1 coat enough in your experience ? I think I will try it this year as Cruiser Uno is one I haven't tried.

Thanks

 

[SAWDOC]

Vic, I don’t understand your reference to Barny Kell and mates. Were they International Paints people ?

Is Cruiser Uno soft or hard, I’ve looked at the spec sheet and it doesn’t say which type it is. The spec sheet seems to advise 1 or 2 coats whereas the adverts say only one coat required. Is 1 coat enough in your experience ? I think I will try it this year as Cruiser Uno is one I haven't tried.

Thanks

soft = self eroding = Cruiser uno . Uno = one coat but I generally finish off the tin targeting waterline areas.

 

[alahol2]

Vic, I don’t understand your reference to Barny Kell and mates. Were they International Paints people ?

Brilliant

Just in case it's genuine Barny Kell / Barnacle ? Gettit?

 

[Elessar]

I have kept my yacht in a mud berth for 12 years and have yet to find an Antifoul that actually works. I take her out every year for the normal annual tasks and
find that there are large numbers of barnacles on the hull, starting and going down from about 350mm down from where the level at which the mud starts when she is sitting in it.

I have tried most makes of antifoul. Usually I try soft self eroding types mainly because they are generally cheaper than the hard types and there is no point in spending money on something that experience tells won’t work. But this year I might try a hard type if anyone has had good results with one. The semi-hard or hard Seajet that I tried about 9 years ago didn’t work very well, I don’t think they do that one anymore.

Any recommendations ?

whatever you do, the antifoul gets mud on and fouling sticks to the mud. No antifoul is anti dirt I'm afraid.

 

[Swg]

Got a Cornish Shrimper. International ultra x 3 coats in 2009. Been in the sea on swing mooring for the season then ashore except last year when she went in a drying harbour Oct to March. Domestic jet wash cleaned off a little weed and couple of small barnacles. That's 3 years ! On that basis I've decided to re coat with same. Quick google revealed very good price from well known outlet. Ordered Sunday and applied with ease today.

 

[Seajet]

I use Cruiser soft eroding a/f on a drying mud mooring on the South Coast; it works reasonably well, certainly better than the el cheapo stuff - all the boats go in & out at spring & Autumn at the same weekends, so we get to compare.

I wouldn't touch hard a/f, if you ever get to strip several layers of old hard stuff off even a 22' boat's bottom you'll see why !