Antifouling - whose buying what this season?

[Sailing steve]

Worst fouling I think I've ever seen last season in the Harwich area and that was with a PBO test winner on the hull.

So what for this season? Go expensive or not so expensive with a heavily advertised known brand or try something a bit less mainstream like CU PRO from SML for example that's an unknown because it's never to my knowledge been tested against its competitors.

And don't suggest bunging a local commercial user a handful of notes for some of the professional application only stuff he's got left in the tin because I'd never even contemplate doing such a thing...

 

[Corribee Boy]

Last season I used SML's Mare Nostrum at Wrabness, and had very little fouling.

But isn't a nostrum meant to be something ineffective?

 

[michael_w]

SML CU-Pro for the past 3 seasons. It's good stuff and the company are a pleasure to do business with.

 

[nigelm]

SML CU-Pro for the past 3 seasons. It's good stuff and the company are a pleasure to do business with.

Unless your boat is at fambridge where nothing works, I tried CU-Pro couple of years ago , nope it failed , even emailed sml with photos and got a reply saying I’d applied it wrong ! , like I’ve been doing for past 3 decades, so I’m now thinking o going down the silicon route , 3 boats at fambridge have last season and have reported good results.

 

[Jokani]

I used SML CU-Pro for my previous boat in Shotley, all most zero fouling after 2 .5 years in the water, just a bit of a beard around the boot top. I was impressed and will be using it on the new boat.

 

[jaminb]

Hempel Tiger twice the price of the Hempel classic used last season so let’s hope it is twice as effective on the Itchen

 

[Tradewinds]

SML CU-Pro for me - I've been very pleased with it - 2 different boats, Orwell & N. Holland.

 

[MikeBz]

I've used SML CU-Pro for some years now, but at the end of last season the fouling far and away the worst I've ever seen it despite a scrub in August (which I haven't always done in previous years).

 

[Cobra]

Fouling was dire last year in Brightlingsea Creek!
Not wasting money on the likes of CU-Pro or Tiger as I used last year...going back to the cheap and cheerful Flag self eroding and a couple of scrub offs during the season!

 

[adamstjohn]

After 19 years of trying to find something that worked, even just a bit last year we used seaforce 90, expensive it was.
we didnt lauch till june as had lots of work to do, but when we came out in nov, there was no significant fouling, virtually nothing. Ordinarily, by nov, we are heavily fouled on the hull and our keel, which sits in mud at low water, is covered in barnicles, dread looking at it normally.
Am using this again and will launch early april and hope for the same results . Prefer to sail than mid season scrub as am time poor. here's hoping........

 

[Sailing steve]

I've used SML CU-Pro for some years now, but at the end of last season the fouling far and away the worst I've ever seen it despite a scrub in August (which I haven't always done in previous years).

How did CU PRO stand up to a scrub?

I've used several different eroding antifouls over the years and some were robust enough to survive a mid season scrub whilst others lefts clouds of antifoul colored water all round the boat - which presumably meant most or all of it all come off.

 

[Biggles Wader]

After 19 years of trying to find something that worked, even just a bit last year we used seaforce 90, expensive it was.
we didnt lauch till june as had lots of work to do, but when we came out in nov, there was no significant fouling, virtually nothing. Ordinarily, by nov, we are heavily fouled on the hull and our keel, which sits in mud at low water, is covered in barnicles, dread looking at it normally.
Am using this again and will launch early april and hope for the same results . Prefer to sail than mid season scrub as am time poor. here's hoping........

Seaforce 90 is sold as lasting up to 60 months so it really should be spotless after only a few months. Are you going to apply more this year or are you just using it as is?

 

[Cobra]

After 19 years of trying to find something that worked, even just a bit last year we used seaforce 90, expensive it was.
we didnt lauch till june as had lots of work to do, but when we came out in nov, there was no significant fouling, virtually nothing. Ordinarily, by nov, we are heavily fouled on the hull and our keel, which sits in mud at low water, is covered in barnicles, dread looking at it normally.
Am using this again and will launch early april and hope for the same results . Prefer to sail than mid season scrub as am time poor. here's hoping........

Out of interest, where are you moored? We have a pontoon mooring at the upper end of Brightlingsea South Channel and the keels sit in the mud at low water...still hoping that one day the Harbour Commissioners might agree to dredging our part of the ditch!!!

 

[pyrojames]

I used CuPRO with good success, but was bolstered by a week in St Kaths with fresh/brackish water which the salt water sea life didn't like. Boat self cleaned quite effectively!

 

[michael_w]

Scrubbing eroding antifoul is a mistake. Go and spend a few days in the Haringvilet or the Volkerak to kill off all the saltwater flora and fauna.

 

[MikeBz]

How did CU PRO stand up to a scrub?

Better than eroding antifoulings that I’ve used previously - little or no blue clouds in the water. Many years ago I used Flag Performance which is stated as ‘semi hard’, they seem very similar.

 

[sailorman]

Worst fouling I think I've ever seen last season in the Harwich area and that was with a PBO test winner on the hull.

So what for this season? Go expensive or not so expensive with a heavily advertised known brand or try something a bit less mainstream like CU PRO from SML for example that's an unknown because it's never to my knowledge been tested against its competitors.

And don't suggest bunging a local commercial user a handful of notes for some of the professional application only stuff he's got left in the tin because I'd never even contemplate doing such a thing...

I can see your nose is getting longer?I bought stash of sea queen in the netherlands, and a sort of personal import am seriously disappointed with the performance, and its more akin to musselfood?
I have seen good results from the hempel silicone??

 

[sailorman]

SML CU-Pro for the past 3 seasons. It's good stuff and the company are a pleasure to do business with.

that's good to hear mike?

 

[adamstjohn]

Out of interest, where are you moored? We have a pontoon mooring at the upper end of Brightlingsea South Channel and the keels sit in the mud at low water...still hoping that one day the Harbour Commissioners might agree to dredging our part of the ditch!!!

We are very close to Orwell Bridge off Freston sailing club. It was a deep water mooring when we laid it 20 yrs ago

 

[Daydream believer]

I have coppercoat, which most know, performs badly. However, my iron fin keel suffers from rust, plus it settles in the mud in its berth at Bradwell marina which stops the coppercoat completely. In the past I have used cheap antifoul paint on the bottom 18 inches of the keel.
Even though the keel has had 4 coatings of coppercoat (plus rust ground out & primed) it is useless. So I have this problem with rust. So last year I primed & coated the entire fin in 2 full coats of seajet shogun 33.

The boat was lifted at shotley mid season ( I do lay up in the winter) for a jetwash to the coppercoat & I was pleasantly surprised to see how much better the Shogun was, compared to the coppercoat.
On top of that I was looking at it yesterday & it seems to have held back most of the rust spots.
Some of the boats at our club ( Stone SC) were beached at various times for mid season scrub & none ( Flag & other cheepos) performed as good as mine
I shall be repeating the exercise again this year