Antifouling - is it really necessary?

[bobg]

Those wanting maximum performance and neat hull appearance from a yacht will antifoul every year with expensive products. But for those of us who just pootle about for a day's sailing unconcerned with speed or the look of the keel after scraping off barnacles, is it really necessary to antifoul every year? Particularly when on a drying out mooring in an estuary.

 

[ccscott49]

Maybe not, if you can scrub it regular.
But for some of us in the water all year and no way of scrubbing apart from a boatlift/crane, then yes, antifoul.
Most real racing boats dont antifoul, they burnish or polish, the bottom paint.

 

[vyv_cox]

When I bought my first cruising boat she was 11 years old and had never been antifouled. She was kept in a drying berth alongside a jetty. The previous owner brushed the hull down every month or so to keed it fouling-free.

 

[richardabeattie]

Pressure wash when you haul out. Dry out and scrub once during each season.

 

[MarkJohnson12345]

Might depend a bit on local conditions.

Here in Swansea, after 12 months the hull is lightly covered in a slime that hoses off easily enough. A bit of worm needs a screwdriver to loosen it. That is an antifouled hull.

I understand on the east coast the marine growth is more vigourous.

But if you dry out then you can a least sort the problem when and if iy arises.

Mj

 

[oldharry]

It depends on local conditions as has has been said. If I were not to treat my boat I would get April and June trouble free, but by early July, the bottom would be a mass of barnacles, fuel consumption would be well up, and top speed down by up to 2 kts - rather a lot off a notional top speed of 5.5kts!

So an unhappy day barnacle bashing and within 3 weeks they are all back, and I am back down to 4kts again. Thats Chichester Harbour for you!

 

[Caer Urfa]

Interesting subject and I appreciate water conditions vary.
Here in the North East I only needed to Antifoul every two years with my last motorcruiser,But I always had a coat of Pri-Con below the top coat of anti-foul.
Mind if I sold anti-foul paints I would tell everyone you needed to do it every year!!

 

[Bodach na mara]

In the Clyde, even the antifouled mooring buoy has weed two feet long growing on it coupled with barnacles and mussels. The only thing that keeps the boat clearer is movement on a regular basis. One year I was in Canada for a month and the growth that started could not be removed while afloat. I recon that speen was down by 1.5 knots from normal maximum.