Antifouling - have I got the wrong attitude

[tillergirl]

Last year I scrubbed three times. This year I scrubbed three weeks ago and today the weed just belwo the waterline is 4-5" long.

Now I believe I put it on right - and enough coats of it - and I'm on a swinging mooring in a creek so I don't benefit from a marina like concentration of toxins - and this sems to be happening to everyboady despite which brand is used.

Now if I bought anything else that performed that badly I would consider I had a justified cause for complaint. But with antifouling it seems that we are expected to scrub and bear it. Am I the only one who thinks this is just not good enough?

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[Trevor_swfyc]

Tillergirl,

The problem with being a scrubber is it may look better afterwards but the act of scrubbing tends to remove the antifoul. Within a week or two you are worse off unless you reapply more antifoul to the scrubbed area. I went back to applying a top range antifoul which is giving excellent weed and barnacle control and like you I am on a swinging tidal mooring.
One thing I cannot explain is the complete lack of barnacles on the prop, this was polished and has developed a Cu coat appearance, whatever it is it sure keeps the barnacles at bay.

Trevor


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[tillergirl]

I can accept that view in part but what you are saying is that I have to antifoul three times in the season - and I'm not using a budget brand!

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[Johnjo]

I use Micron and all i get is a lot of slime, go give the boat a sail in a chop and the slime comes away in sheets.
Great big patches of fresh anti-foul showing, so its doing its job okay the way it should.
Also on a swinging mooring with not a lot of tide flow.

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[Mirelle]

I had same problem last year. Blakes hard racing. Micron seems much better.

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[Mudplugger]

Tillergirl, that old east coast mud be full of luverly nutrients and other content that is not discussed in polite society, but they do spray it on the fields to help the crops grow, next time try VC teflon stuff had three very good years with it, and its very slippery.... regards Tony W.

<hr width=100% size=1>Tony W.

 

[tillergirl]

I'll certainly drop Blakes next year and try one of those suggestions.

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[ex-Gladys]

East coast appears to be a nightmare this year. We're at Mersea and lifted and power washed 2 weeks ago, no probs or evidence of regrowth yet. Don't forget that those few inches below the surface are ideal since the sunlight gets in very well and aids growth. I am pleased only to have spent £40 on XM PX4000 (that's what she already had on) as I seem to have had less of a problem than others with more expensive products. It does seem though that there is a huge variation in local microconditions, with boats less than 1/4 mile apart having different experiences.

<hr width=100% size=1>Larry Botheras

Anderson 26 "Amber"

 

[tillergirl]

Yes well I'm not that far from you in Salcott and the growth is quite dramatic. Evidence for a shift of brand.

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[extravert]

Strange how it changes round the place. I have heard lots of fouling reports this year, but I've never had it so good. Not a mark so far.

I expect it's because of all the rain this year in Wales that the salt water has become diluted meaning that the creatures and plants that live in salt can't survive. Or something.

<hr width=100% size=1>Summer is what you expect - rain is what you get.

 

[kireonriley]

go to google and type in troubleshooting antifouling paints you should get to pettit marine paint you like i will i am sure will be suprised at number of reasons for a/f not working i sugest everyone who reads this does the same thing and when we all have a better understanding of a/f we can find something else to ocupy our minds happy sailing(and scrubing) Kieron

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[numenius]

This seems to vary so much. For 4 years now I've bought the cheapest possible I could find. Result? No weed, just a little slime and 1 lot now on its second year without redoing - we are in the water about 9 months a year. Makes you think? The answer is not always to throw pound er, coins at a problem I think. If I can remember what I put on 2 years ago, (I should have the reciept somewhere) I'll post it here.

<hr width=100% size=1>http://members.lycos.co.uk/boaty1965/index.htm

 

[LittleShip]

I am told that chilli powder added to anti foul increases its potency, I have’t tried it but I’m willing to listen to anybody that has or will test it out????

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I wish I'd been born rich instead of good looking ?

 

[FullCircle]

I am trying Coopers in the Crouch on a swinging mooring (paid 25 quid for 2.5 litres)- seems to slime but not weed so far. Someone else in our yard has mixed Chilli powder into his fouling for half the boat, so we shall see in the lift out season.....



Jim

<hr width=100% size=1>Second Chance - First Love. Look for the Yellow Dinghy in Burnham.

 

[AOWYN]

Awful in the Orwell

I "upgraded" to a more expensive Japanese antifouling this year and after only 7 weeks on a swinging mooring in the Orwell the boat has developed a weed growth below the water line which doesn't scrub off, it needs scraping off! Whatever extra nutrients the farmers are pouring into the rivers must be particularly good this year, or maybe the a/f is not as good as promised.

I bought the better a/f because there was a hope (promise) of two year's life in it.

If I can find a good slurry blaster locally (any ideas?) I will have the boat stripped and go for Coppercoat next year. It has been on the rudder for four years now and certainly works as well as the antifoulings which I have used.



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[AuntyRinum]

Having owned boats for 17 years I've tried many different anti foul paints. About 5 years ago I came to the conclusion that none of them work properly and you might as well buy the cheapest. I now hose off and apply one coat of cheap anti foul once a year and the result is no worse than two or more coats of expensive anti foul.
Anti foul must be the only product on the market that consistently breaches the Trade Description Act and nobody asks for their money back.
Of course not anti fouling is a worse alternative, which is why we continue to use it.

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