Antifouling additives suggestions??

[FullCircle]

It would appear that this years antifoulings have been as effective as not bothering at all, and that Growmore have entered the market.
We all hear the Chilli powder is/is not effective, and copper oxide into the mix may/may not work.
Now, without bulk purchase of TBT, or the chance of giving the seals a hacking cough and gumboils, I throw open the forum to other carefully or not so carefully thought out suggestions as to what to bung in the tin next season.

It seems that we have all been suffering the warm water and this new long sleek weed (with a latin name, c'mon smart alecs)so I am not sure location is the differentiator it was before.

Over to you good people.......

 

[TheBoatman]

Jim
Shame on you for asking such a question!

Personally I wouldn't bother with "additives" the solution is quite simple - take 1 pint of "domestos" and add 5 pints of water (sea or otherwise) and spray the hull of your boat - piddle off to the pub for an hour - when you come back there will be no weed on the bottom of your boat, but if there is it will be easily removed.

The down-side is that there will also be no weed on the hard or local rocks on the foreshore, all the mussels, crabs, small fish etc will be belly-up to boot - but hey at least you have a clean hull /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Peter.

 

[alienzdive]

IMHO if it is a manufactured mix and the manufacturer claims it works, dont destroy it and apply it to manufacturers specifications!!

 

[simonfraser]

it all seems to vary according to where you are moored etc.

can any one think of a neat way to put all our experience in a small database for future use

e.g. i was about to copper coat my boat, then spoke to an owner next to me who claimed it worked very well in a river 20miles north, but was of no use in the new location . . . . .

 

[Gargleblaster]

Last spring I put a big packet of chili powder in my tin of XM HX3000. I have not lifted the boat out since, although I have run over the antifoul once with a stiff broom. I do have green weed but only on the gelcoat above the antifouling. I have been getting a very thick brown slime on the antifouling that seems to grow the odd nodule, but this brushes off with my stiff broom.
If what everyone else is saying is correct I am very pleased. I returned to XM HX3000 and chili powder after two years on International Cruiser Uno which was expensive and useless.

 

[pvb]

Thickness...

I have a theory that many of the disappointing experiences with antifouling are down to inadequate thickness of application. Many people apply antifouling with a roller, which is quick and convenient, but it results in a very thin coating. For antifouling to work properly over a period, it needs to be applied in quite a thick layer. One solution is to apply many coats by roller. Another solution, which I favour, is to apply 3 generous coats by brush.

My boat's based on the East Coast, and I find that 3 good brush-applied coats of Micron keep the hull fairly clean for 2 years. It was lifted out yesterday after just over 2 years constant immersion and there was only light slime on the hull. I've been using this 2-year cycle for antifouling for 8 years now, and it seems to work OK for me.

Putting a thick layer on does of course use more antifouling (I use 7.5 litres of Micron for my 35 footer). But even though antifouling is ludicrously expensive, the cost of an extra tin is small compared with the costs of liftouts.

 

[BAtoo]

Re: Thickness...

We are East Coast marina based & I use International trilux for the waterline - one coat in a broad band 30cm wide - & Optima for the rest. I use very little - 2.5L Optima for a 38' fin keel which gives one coat overall & 2 on the leading edges. We dont have weed unless we dont use the boat for a few weeks (rare) & only a bit of slime which come off with a decent sail. Optima is no good at the waterline - it flakes off, especially on the sunny side - hence the trilux which we wipe twice a season.
On lift out we pressure wash the hull, quick wipe over with a green plastic "scouring cloth"; dry and repaint.
So all-in all I wouldnt add anything - if it were that easy then the manufacturers would have done so - just choose the right antifouling in the first place

 

[fibz99]

The warm to very warm waters in the Gulf makes hull growth a big issue, but at least its not too cold to swim in and scrape off.
There is no better working antifoul than TBT, side effects none withstanding.
The yacht I now own had copperbot applied 12 years or so ago, 3 years ago I sanded the surface down and added 3 more thin coats of coppercoat.
This summer the water in the Marina was at about 36 deg c, during this time (3 months) I never dived on the hull, the powerboat moored next to me was barncle encrusted and growing a long beard, even with constant use.
Yesterday I polished off a thin brown coating of slime and a handful of barnacles under the keel and around the waterline.
Coppercoat is so far the best antifoul product ive come across, but it must be reactivated every 2 or 3 years by lifting out and sanding back with 400 grit paper.