Antifouling recommendation for Shotley

[Max Campbell]

My plywood boat is copper-coated. That worked fine at Brightlingsea - a light covering of barnacles each year. At Shotley I'm getting some sort of tube worm and 2 to 3" of kelp looking weed. The lift operator says that's what he sees on copper coat, and that ordinary antifouling works well.

It looks like my below-waterline paintwork needs attention anyway - there are a few blisters forming in the primer - so if I'm going to have to patch below w/l, I may as well do the whole thing with "conventional" AF. I've no experience of AF, and am looking for recommendations relevant to Shotley.

 

[Paulfireblade]

Hi,

I am based at Shotley and use a self eroding antifoul. Last year I used International Cruiser 250 which was okay and yard guy commented it was pretty clear for 12 months but last lift out in July I applied Hempel cruising performer which so far seems to be working quite well. Only 4 months but looking better than last time to me.

It does vary area to area and I should mention the Hempel seems to fling off the roller like candy floss if you are not careful (not just me, yard guy confirmed it and it was him that made the candy floss reference.)

My car was downwind unfortunately and had a few streaks of antifoul.

Good luck

 

[PaulRainbow]

When i was at Shotley i used Hempel Tiger Extra.

 

[rowlock]

These pictures are of fouling after 5 weeks afloat from first week August. 10 days at Mersea used every day then on a mooring at Wrabness and used 2 or more times a week. As an experiment the rudder is Copper Coat and the hull Micron350 applied in two coats, each the correct volume for area . Interestingly following this scrub early September both hull and rudder remained reasonably clean up to haul out this past week. Judging by the size of the enormous seal hauled out in a dory a week ago the rivers are teaming with life.

 

[shortjohnsilver]

Yes, Hemples Cruising Performer is a a very soft self eroding anti foul, but worked pretty well East Coast tidal Medway waters. Just take it easy when power washing off, otherwise you will lose the antifoul too! And yes, in application strands filaments of antifoul do tend to come off the roller as you roll. Slows you down though. Tiger extra these days and better.

 

[Bigplumbs]

In my view the save the planet brigade have taken all the useful stuff out of most antifoul. I paint mine each year and each year I am disapointed

 

[Koeketiene]

When we were at Shotley (must be over 15 years ago), I used Hempel Racing Hard.
Good results.
Only had to apply antifoul every other year.

 

[Daydream believer]

These pictures are of fouling after 5 weeks afloat from first week August. 10 days at Mersea used every day then on a mooring at Wrabness and used 2 or more times a week. As an experiment the rudder is Copper Coat and the hull Micron350 applied in two coats, each the correct volume for area . Interestingly following this scrub early September both hull and rudder remained reasonably clean up to haul out this past week.

Looking at the images you posted. 5 weeks for the coppercoat is pretty dismal. Not that the Micron 350 has faired any better, I applied shogun 33 to my keel & the hull is coppercoated. I had the boat washed at shotley 01 August this year & the growth was hanging off the underside of the hull 3 inches long. The keel was fairly clean, but still needed washing. I launched in 19 April

 

[Daydream believer]

Judging by the size of the enormous seal hauled out in a dory a week ago the rivers are teaming with life.

But was it not dead?

 

[DJA]

On a swinging morning in Walton Backwaters. Used to use Cruiser Uno which worked well. I brought a few years stock when it was discontinued a few years back and used the last of it last year. Tried Seajet Shogun 033 this season and quite impressed with results. Better than Uno and holds up to a scrub better. Just a lot more expensive!

 

[Daydream believer]

On a swinging morning in Walton Backwaters. Used to use Cruiser Uno which worked well. I brought a few years stock when it was discontinued a few years back and used the last of it last year. Tried Seajet Shogun 033 this season and quite impressed with results. Better than Uno and holds up to a scrub better. Just a lot more expensive!

But surely something that works is better value than something that doesn't & quite a few types certainly do not, from what I have seen at our club this year.

 

[DJA]

Agree, just pointing out that the Shogun is a lot more expensive, before that was pointed out to me as well. Both work, Shogun better in my opinion.

 

[Sailing steve]

I'm on a mooring in the Backwaters too, and I used Shogun 033 this season as well.

Didn't work so well for me though. Had to dry out at Stone point and scrub off slime and weed three times through the season and 033 has been the worst antifoul performance I've ever experienced.

 

[DJA]

I'm on a mooring in the Backwaters too, and I used Shogun 033 this season as well.

Didn't work so well for me though. Had to dry out at Stone point and scrub off slime and weed three times through the season and 033 has been the worst antifoul performance I've ever experienced.

 

[DJA]

Steve, that's interesting how there's such a difference. I did a mid season scrub on Stone Point and probably similiar fouling, maybe a bit less, to previous years despite the hotter weather. What have you used in previous years, be interested to know as I might have got used to a level of fouling when there's something better on the market

 

[Sailing steve]

I was on a swinging mooring at Aldeburgh for two seasons before I came to the Backwaters and used Hempel Tiger Xtra which did a reasonable but not great job and a long time prior to that had another boat in the creek outside Bradwell marina and I used a two pack discontinued paint from International which gave me two seasons.

Part of the problem could be the amount of silt in Twizzle creek sticking to the antifoul coat and inhibiting it's performance.

Interesting for me as well to find out how other local boats have got on this season.

 

[johnalison]

I was on a swinging mooring at Aldeburgh for two seasons before I came to the Backwaters and used Hempel Tiger Xtra which did a reasonable but not great job and a long time prior to that had another boat in the creek outside Bradwell marina and I used a two pack discontinued paint from International which gave me two seasons.

Part of the problem could be the amount of silt in Twizzle creek sticking to the antifoul coat and inhibiting it's performance.

Interesting for me as well to find out how other local boats have got on this season.

Silt was the trouble when we had a boat in Maylandsea creek. Even without fouling, the bottom was coated within a very few weeks and the fouling soon followed.

 

[DJA]

Could be I've just got used to the level of fouling. Develop slime on the bottom with little shrimp like things in it( that nip) within a month or so then towards the end of the season (late August onwards) have a bit of a beard around the water line where I assume the sun encourages weed growth, easy to scrape from the tender. I am at the top end of the Twizzle near the marina so guessing a fair bit of suspended silt

 

[barberose]

You put hard matrice and then copper it's truly the best, last long and you don't need to put it all back aech time

 

[ex-Gladys]

You put hard matrice and then copper it's truly the best, last long and you don't need to put it all back aech time

I'm afraid that's not accurate. I have seen two examples at Mersea of boats having invested lots in copper coat, and then taking it off a few seasons later and replaced with eroding AF...