Antifouling logs and transducers

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portvasgo

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My boat is going in the water next week and I have just finished the antifouling...except for the log impeller and transducer. Having looked at the manufacturer details, it looks like I am ok painting the log impeller with a hard antifouling, something like Trilux. However, the transducer has to be painted with a water-based product. I have the help line number for International Paints and have contacted them, they advised that the transducer manufactures will not change the spec of the plastic they use, and therefore a mineral based antifoul could damage the transducer (by making the plastic brittle and leading to failure).
The bloke at International Paints recommended Micron Optima which is water based but only comes in 2 litre tins - brilliant when you want to paint something with a 4cm diameter! Without saying as much, and very unofficially, the bloke went on to say that he has just antifouled his own boat using a mineral based antifoul and used it on the transducer, his reasoning being that the transducer manufacturers were being over cautious.
Bar trying to cadge a teaspoon of a water based antifoul from someone, or having to buy the massive 2 litre tin, what does everyone else do? I certainly don’t want the boat to sink for the proverbial "penny's worth of tar", but 2 litres of micron plus!? I would rather leave it unpainted.

Thanks as usual for any replies, I really value the expert advice and experience out there.
 
"I would rather leave it unpainted."

. . . which is what most people recommend: never coat the transducer, and give the log impellor a scape occasionally.
 
I have always used Trilux as a hard base coat (on the whole boat actually) and simply used Cruiser Uno on top each season. I don't paint the paddlewheel log however, I simply retract it and use the dummy when ashore. It won't foul unless left in.
 
I'm with Malaprop here. Never antifouled my through hull depth transducer and it has never fouled and also once or twice a year clean of log transducer seems to do the job. I would be concerned that build up of antifoul on the paddlewheel might affect the calibration
 
I too put the same antifouling on the transducer that I put on the hull.

I do the same with the log impeller, but I do make sure that I carefully remove all the coating before putting a thin layer on. That increases the period between needing to remove it and give it a clean - it doesn't keep it weed free for the summer.
 
Have always used the normal antifouling (Jotun Seaguardian) on the log and the transducer and had no problems - apart from tiny shrimps which seem to like living behind the paddle wheel.
 
I bought a 750ml tin of the Blakes waterbased antifouling about 10 years ago whatever it was called and am still using it. Mind you the Blakes tin rusted away (!) and the resideue is kept in a large glass jar. I reckon I have enought for another 10 years.
 
I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the impulses that are emitted by the depth sounder tended to deter most types of fouling, I've got a NASA Clipper set up with the transducer running through the hull, I'm not sure whether I should AF or not. At least mine is not enclosed in the 'plastic tube', as there is a designated moulded in space for it in the hull. Mike.
 
I had the Nasa Clipper instruments on my last boat. The depth transducer was fixed inside the hull. In other words the pulses were shot through the grp hull. I applied antifouling over where the transducer was fitted and it still worked normally.

I did find that the log worked best when antifouling was not applied over the magnets in the paddle wheel. I did paint the rest of the paddle wheel though with no problems.

Hope this helps.
 
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