Bear with me...Its not as mad as it sounds!

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Matata

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You've probably worked out I'm new to this game but there seems to be a lot of discussion about anti fouling, what works ,what doesn't. I'm considering painting the starboard side of the hull with one brand and the port side with another. Put the boat in the water for a season and see what I get. It's up in N.Wales. Any suggestions of anyones favorites to use. I'm not telling you the name of the yacht 'cos you'll only laugh and point at me when you see me! I promise to tell you the results at the end of the year. NIK
 
Only one problem with your plan: if one brand is better than the other the difference in drag will make you constantly sail round in circles.
Far better to use stripes across the boat.
 
That will be an interesting experiment, but I find that one side of my boat fouls more than the other anyway, even using the same paint.
Probably something to do with having the tiller to port on the moorings.
To be truly comparable try two types of paint each side. Or why not muticolour stripes? At least that would confuse the barnacles.
 
You might start by asking others in the same area what they use. Also consider how you can ensure both sides get the same amount of light, can you tie her up in the opposite direction on regular basis, if not your test will be biased.

Avagoodweekend......
 
We only have to look at both sides to find out!

I have used International Micron with good results. International Cruiser with reasonable results. Seago Hard with fair results, and the rest of last year's Seago with mediocre results, all in the Bristol Channel on a mooring that dries to mud for 3 hours of every 12 hours of tide. The costs seem to follow the performance which is reassuring
 
Whatever type of antifoul you use don't forget to berth the boat sometimes bow to and other times stern to, otherwise the side always against the pontoon which gets less sunlight will grow less and you'll get a duff impression of the effectiveness of that particular paint. The weed grows under my stern and down her starboard side much more than on the port side, 'cos I like privacy and always berth bow into the berth and the port side (waterline down)is always in the shade. Just a thought.. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Ha! I type too slowly... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
It's on a swinging mooring, but I like the stripes idea!!!! If you see a yacht going around in circles particularly at the end of the season it may be me! Nik
 
End of the season!! bugger that Nik I'll be somewhere warm by then, but good luck with your experiment. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
It's on a swinging mooring, but I like the stripes idea!!!! If you see a yacht going around in circles particularly at the end of the season it may be me! Nik

[/ QUOTE ]

Dont know why, but even on a swinging mooring, my boat (and others in the same area foul more one side than the other.
 
One boat in our club has the entire topsides white on one side and dark blue on the other side. As boats inevitably tack down the river to the finish line it can be really confusing watching it approach unless you are aware of the paint scheme. But no it doesn't seem to sail around in circles. olewill
 
Painting the A/F in stripes will cause a problem is the jollop at the back is more effective than the stuff at the front. The stern will then try to overtake the bow, and if the worst comes to the worst, the boat might turn itself inside out. If things don't get that bad, she'll still do some impressive handbrake turns.
 
What he doesn't know is that you can buy left hand or right hand paint and if you buy the wrong one stirring it the other way will not help. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Good idea, but, it will be more effective experiment if you paint the boat from the Bow to mid ship with one brand and from stern to mid ship with another brand. This will overcome the problem with some boat, that foul one side more than the other.
 
I think to do this test properly you need to buy two identical boats, paint one boat with anti-fouling A and one with anti-fouling B and moor them close to one another for the season. You will also need to ensure they are both sailed over the same courses for the same length of time on the same day when away from their mooring. Of course to obtain a definitive answer you may wish to do the above but with X boats where X is the number of brands of anti-foul on the market. Good luck!
 
Please follow the example of my avatar and put the red stuff on port side..

I always wanted to try different numbers of coats on each side for the same brand , since some sailors claim that that expensive third or fourth coat makes all the difference. I would balance that against the coast of a haul out if you intend to leave the boat in the water all year.
 
I think James Jermain did a "group test" of antifoul on his boat for YM about three years ago in which the bottom was painted in patches of different product. Can't remember what came out top, but as has been said it all depends on the location. In some places a one coat antifoul like Uno will work well and leave with just a slime coating at the end of the season. The same stuff somewhere else will produce barnacle city. As has been said, ask around.
 
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