Antifoul?

Clyde_Wanderer

Clyde_Wanderer

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Me again, Last year I antifouled using flag, which due to the short season I had has stayed quite intact, so I was just going to slap on a couple coats of cheap af this year, but have been offered some International commercial af free by a friend, am wondering would it be ok to slap it on directly over last years flag?
Not sure exactly which one it is except that it is INT commercial stuff and dark reddish, and I dont want to prime.
Any advive wba,
TIA, C_W
 
You don't say which International product you have been offered,infact you say you dont know. Helpful! However you might start by looking up as much info as you can on the antifoulings tab of the International Marine website http://www.international-marine.com/

It will I suspect depend upon the solvent systems used in the two paints.

However if there is no guidance there you will have to contact International Marine for advice, but they might smell a rat and it might even be that the stuff you have been offered is not approved for use on leisure craft.

It would be as well to remember that next year you may want to overcoat the stuff you have been offered this year with a popular yacht antifouling again. Then the compatibility issue will have to be looked at all over again. Will you be able to apply Flag on to International what-have-you.

If there are any uncertainties in changing in either direction you will probably be advised to use a barrier coat and/or other surface preparation.
 
There is a guy on ebay who sells international and describes it as "trade" I believe he puts it in plain tins and sends it out so you don't really know what you are getting. I think he is making a killing by buying in bulk at trade prices. Could it be the same stuff? He says it is compatible with most.
EBAY LISTING
 
[ QUOTE ]
There is a guy on ebay who sells international and describes it as "trade" I believe he puts it in plain tins and sends it out so you don't really know what you are getting. I think he is making a killing by buying in bulk at trade prices. Could it be the same stuff? He says it is compatible with most.
EBAY LISTING

[/ QUOTE ]

I dont reckon so as it is in an international tin and my friend was given it by someone in a commercial yard, as I say it is definatly International, but the label on the tin is covered by its contents and unreadable.
I think I will just stick with Flag, but can I apply it over last years flag without having to prime? as last years flag is still intact and in sound condition, ie, no flaking etc.
Thanks VicS for your reply and advice.
 
Some commercial A/F products work on a two coat system a top layer that is highly toxic and an underlying layer that is a lot harder and less toxic if the product you have is nearer to brown than red it could be the less toxic version and in a yachting enviroment could be guaranteed for at least a day!!!
 
I tend to slap it on regardless and have yet to come to grief. I must admit that I am usually using the cheapest, erodable, locally available product. I have also had acceptable results mixing any old stuff in the can (often scrounged at the yard)and applying that.
I only came to grief once. I was offered a 10 quid can of weak Intenational stuff and added it to a brew of about three other products. There appeared to be a thermo sub-particle reaction in the tin and it started to bubble. Working fast I slapped it on and eventually it set with a finish like the flock wallpaper down the local Indian. Still, it worked as well as anything and thinking about it I would probably go for it again.
 
Eammon,

If its of any comfort I have just launched with two coats of the Ebay stuff. The story I was told by seller is that he gets the stuff from a commercial yard... when enough AF (measured thickness) is applied to the vessel they have various amounts left over. He decants into smaller tins.
I bought ten litres in its original half full 20 litre International tin.
In the yard where I was working was one of the Clyde tugs, Biter, and the guys were using exactly the same AF... same tin, same colour. They were putting it onto grey primer.
At £6 a litre I don't think I can go far wrong.
 
I have "Flagged" onto Flag twice with no problem. Indeed for 2006/2007 the boat stayed in through the winter and I just scrubbed the bottom on the beach once in that time to get the slime off. The A/F seemed to adhere OK. This year I have scraped back fairly extensively but only to reduce build up not because of other problems.
Good luck.
Morgan
 
After four years of using two coats of what was, at the time, the most expensive on the market (Micron Optima), for the past eight years I have used three coats (plus an extra coat for the top foot of waterline, a foot either side of the bow, keel front edge and front half of rudder, of the cheapest available - and replaced it only every alternate season. When it comes to lift-out there is usually only slime and a few barnacles for the pressure wash to get rid of. Go for alternate colours of say, red-black-red, and you will ensure full coverage of each coat. Anything left over keep sticking on leading edges or waterline until it is all gone - antifoul in the tin doesn't work! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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