Antifouling a boat used very regularly?

[SnaxMuppet]

Here's one for you... I have no idea at all!

Should I antifoul my boat for the Round Britain trip?

I have a boat that is dry berthed ao theoretically it doesn't need antifouling as it is out of the water when it isn't being used.

But what about for the Round Britain trip where it is in the water continuously for 2-3 months and is being used at planing speed for 3-6 hrs every other day or so? Would it still need antifouling or would that much use keep it clean enough?

 

[hlb]

Duno. Mine dont keep clean with AF on. Think maybe a haul out and clean, about half way round would make sence.

But then, knowing your feelings about advice. And you being a bit of an expert, I'll just shut up. and leave it to you. The tow is purely optional. Either way.

 

[Kawasaki]

Yes, Antifoul it.
There could be times on the Trip were the boat is sat in the Briney, doing nowt longer than You think.
Slime , weed and stuff in some parts of the UK arrives and attaches ter yer bum quicker than You think.
Half way round fer instance and 'stuff' appears on the Hull.
It's not an Item that You want bugging Your head.
It may not be an Issue.
Then again if the Boat is antifould that issue won,t arrive.
The perfomance won't suffer if She is painted below, not for the Excersize You are carrying out.
Taint like yer wanna break any Speed Records!
Do it and that's one more jobbie done for piece of mind.

 

[BrendanS]

I'd take the risk that regular use will keep the hull cleaner than antifoul.

 

[Kawasaki]

I don't think antifoul slows up a planing hull much.
Weed and garbage does though.
Arny's boat aint a 'Perfomance Machine' as it were but it depends how it goes and how long the Trip takes.
When I have kept a Boat on the Menai Straits on a deep water mooring, for instance.
During the the Months of June and July so much 'beard' was attached to the hull about the waterline, performance suffered incredibly.
Yep, if He is Zooming everyday, not a Prob.
It soon grabs yer bum if yer don't.
IMHO it's best to do, then that's that.
Eliminate the 'Maybe Factor' is My way of thinking.
Over! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bajansailor]

I vaguely remember (from college notes a long time ago) that for ships (ie displacement craft), just a layer of slime on the bottom will affect the boundary layer and increase the resistance significantly - perhaps 10% or more.
It would be different for a planing hull, although it doesnt take long for slime to become moss, and that will probably then easily knock a knot or two (or more?) off the boat speed.

 

[BrendanS]

It grows on boats that are not in use. A boat that is being used almost daily will probably be better off without antifoul, and as hlb says, maybe a scrub or two enroute, which can be done in the water.

Most antifoul will cause more effect than a mild level of slime, unless a very smooth hard antifoul

 

[Bandit]

You will get a very slimy bottom and a speed loss in only a month, vessel use and speed does not stop weed growth I have seen weed growth in a very short time on prop shafts turning at 800rpm for 8 hours a day.

Either lift and scrub every 3 weeks or so or antifoul.

 

[sarabande]

She's going to pick up fouling when not moving (>75% of the time of your proposed trip).

An ablative antifoul sounds best. Ideal for some keen sponsor /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[BrendanS]

Disagree strongly. Depends on conditions. I've had a boat in Thames for 2 years that needed mild scrubbing to remove everything, and when dry berthed on south coast, could go in the sea water for weeks mid summer with a jet spray when it came out and no real growth. I'd suspect with his planned use he will be fine with a well cleaned and waxed hull, and if he does any trips into brackish or fresh water on route, it will help.

 

[sarabande]

I'm willing to sponsor the port side of the hull with a decent AF, if you care to do the same for wax on the starboard side.

Empiricism rules OK ? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[BrendanS]

Sometimes you have to rate experience over empirical.

 

[sarabande]

We are into angels dancing on pinheads, here.

Wiki:
"Empiricism is a theory of knowledge which emphasizes those aspects of scientific knowledge that are closely related to evidence, especially as formed through deliberate experimental arrangements. It is a fundamental requirement of scientific method that all hypotheses and theories must be tested against observations of the natural world, rather than resting solely on a priori reasoning, intuition, or revelation. Hence, science is considered to be methodologically empirical in nature."

Worth a £25 bet (proceeds to RNLI) to see which side gets most fouling ?

 

[Kawasaki]

I detect a Half Hearted element of Foul Play hereabouts.

 

[Bandit]

Thames and brackish water may be different but here a new clean hull will be brown and weedy with 15mm fronds within a month, after two months it will have a consistent coverage chocolate brown and the boat will be well down on speed.

I assume if Arny is going round britain that most of his time will be in salt water?

Fresh water will kill off salt water weed growth and vice versa but the mix of fresh and salt wtaer episodes will be critical to the ammount of growth.

Here if you get a new boat and you want to establish the waterline to antifoul it , put it in the water with full fuel, water and gear in a marina and then take it out a week later you can clearly see the hull stained with brown weed.

If you leave a rubber dinghy in the water for a week it will have noticeable growth and be stained.

 

[powerskipper]

Re: Anti fouling a boat used very regularly?

as has been said , if you anti foul her you do not have to worry, but to get a scrub or lift out in some places may be difficult.

 

[Ballistix]

Re: Anti fouling a boat used very regularly?

I'm with BrendanS. As soon as you antifoul it you are buggered. You'll never make it properly clean again. Don't do it. Even after your time (isn't it 12 weeks max?) you'll be able to get the rubbish off. If you anti-foul it'll be real pain getting it off, and in my opinion, you'll be kicking yourself when you keep looking at it when it's on the stack.

T

 

[sarabande]

Re: Anti fouling a boat used very regularly?

I really don't understand the expressed concern for "What it looks like" . It's not a question of vain cosmetics, but of pragmatic functionality, as the primer to the decision to AF or not.

If Arny does get fouling, then the performance of the boat will suffer, fuel consumption will be unnecessarily increased. If he AFs it, then it won't.

I've challenged BrendanS that we should AF just one side, and wax the other, in the spirit of scientific research; then see what happens when Arny does hios lap (he might end up turning round in ever decreasing circles though !).

Anyone else like to put £25 up to see if we can run the trail (Arny to agree, and the RNLI to benefit)

 

[Kipper]

Hi Paul

How is the trip planning coming along. I would suggest using something like cruiser uno I had mine done and I couldnt tell if it did slow it a bit or not. Yhe out board will be fine coz you can lift that when you stop over. If you did get any bould up, that would be easy to clean anyway.

Cheers

Gary

 

[fireball]

Re: Anti fouling a boat used very regularly?

[ QUOTE ]
I really don't understand the expressed concern for "What it looks like" . It's not a question of vain cosmetics, but of pragmatic functionality, as the primer to the decision to AF or not

[/ QUOTE ]

That's fine for 12 weeks around the UK ... but what about after ? As has been said - once you antifoul it is difficult to get back to a clean gelcoat that (I assume) he currently has ... if he is keeping the boat then it matters .... if not then antifoul away!