Best Antifoul 2025 for UK

[Halo]

I have been reading up on the forum and the general impression is that the warm weather and strong sun has made Antifoul ineffective this year. Has anyone been pleased with their results? If so what have you used??

My boat has 12 years old copper coat and it has been very poor so I am debating whether to sand it with 400 grit or overpaint.

Your thoughts and insights would be appreciated

 

[Kwik Decision]

Since tin compounds were banned quite a few years ago, no antifouling is particularly effective, especially if your boat doesn't move for a month or two. I used International Micron 350 this year, and needed a mid season scrub before setting of on the summer cruise. I was particularly disappointed that after a 3 week break in Dartmouth (late July - early Aug), there was a significant beard round the waterline. Last year with Hempel Tiger was just the same.

At 12 years old, your copper coat may be at the end of it's life, but it could well be worth burnishing it, to see if it improves.

 

[Channel Sailor]

Having used ablative antifouling for many years I have a gut feeling that using the yacht regularly helps a lot. Also sailing fast in choppy sea maybe helps. But just recently I now own a faster yacht which can pop up to 10kts when surfing, compared to 7.5kts max on previous boat in similar conditions. I have a feeling the fast water flow helps keep the bottom clean, but maybe it will need more coats to last my long season.

BTW,I am a contented Micron 350 user (UK south coast). Though I vaguely recall a few old antifouls (no longer available) from many years go that I think used to work better for me, though interestingly that was on relatively fast production catamarans,

 

[Daydream believer]

Shogun 033 on my keel seems good. Coppercoat on hull was a waste of time as an antifoul this year

 

[Egret]

Being realistic TBT only lasted about 6 weeks before weed and barnacle growth and needed at least one mid season scrub, so the modern antifoulings, aren't so much poorer. There are fish in the river now and lots of worms and little creatures in the mud for the bird life so things are getting better slowly,

Very low or non poisonous anti fouling and a few more scrubs must be the way ahead - Happy with Coppercoat - Silic One maybe next.

 

[fredrussell]

I’m in the process of applying Coppercoat. The way I understand it, it’s no better or worse than standard antifoul paints at keeping the critters off, but the fact you do it once every ten years or so is what sold it to me.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I’m in the process of applying Coppercoat. The way I understand it, it’s no better or worse than standard antifoul paints at keeping the critters off, but the fact you do it once every ten years or so is what sold it to me.

Exactly. Plus, it’s immune to elbow greae, which removes other antifouls, even hard racing.

 

[Daydream believer]

I’m in the process of applying Coppercoat. The way I understand it, it’s no better or worse than standard antifoul paints at keeping the critters off, but the fact you do it once every ten years or so is what sold it to me.

But you will need the boat lifted for a mid season jetwash as well as early season & late season wash

 

[Egret]

Just need somewhere to dry out on a tide. and a sponge or brush.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Very please with my choice of International Cruiser 250. This year growth has been minimal after 2 years in the water. Normally I would be experiencing a weed skirt.

Location: South of Oban, West Coast of Scotland waters.

Edit: location added for context.

 

[Tranona]

Just need somewhere to dry out on a tide. and a sponge or brush.

That assumes first that your boat is OK drying out, second that you sail in an area where there is sufficient tidal range and third there is a wall or piles that can be used.

Not everybody is in that situation.

 

[Fantasie 19]

I have been reading up on the forum and the general impression is that the warm weather and strong sun has made Antifoul ineffective this year. Has anyone been pleased with their results? If so what have you used??

My boat has 12 years old copper coat and it has been very poor so I am debating whether to sand it with 400 grit or overpaint.

Your thoughts and insights would be appreciated

It's as cr*p this year as it was last year - just pleased I decided to only go with one coat this year - it saved time on a truly horrible job, and I don't see any noticeable difference to last year...

Hempel Cruising Performer this year.. on a drying/mud berth on the south coast

 

[Tranona]

Cu-Pro from SML paints Light slime only after 10 months mostly stationary in the marina

 

[Malish]

Welcome feedback from owners with a boat based in southern Brittany, if that is the way our weather is heading

 

[Lightwave395]

Welcome feedback from owners with a boat based in southern Brittany, if that is the way our weather is heading

That'll be me, among other of course - Seajet 033 seems to work well

 

[Farmer Piles]

Seems to me the best bet is to have a chat with the people in local chandleries as they will be getting feedback from their customers. I was using Hemple Hard Racing on my Mobo but now I use the Seajet equivalent. No difference between them apart from the Seajet being around £20 cheaper per 2.5l.
There maybe be someone local to you that will dive and do a scrub for you. No lifting out or drying out to deal with and probably cheaper than the former.
I do a dive and scrub mid-late season and there is usually a film of growth on the hull. I use a horse body brush, the bristles are perfect for the job and there is a strap that goes around the back of your hand which is brilliant.
I have Propspeed on the prop and shaft and this is its third season. Fantastic stuff but I will redo it this winter.

 

[Roberto]

Welcome feedback from owners with a boat based in southern Brittany, if that is the way our weather is heading

Used Seajet Shogun for years (>10) with very good results, applied yearly; even during Covid, I could not lift the boat so same AF for two years the result was rather ok. Total difference these past few 3-4 years: each year, after a few months there are barbs, and worst of all they do not go away after having sailed the boat, a really significant decrease in efficiency; spoken to other people in this same area and opinions seem to converge, imho the formulation has been changed.
Next year I am really tempted to go the 50euro/tin path rather than 180e/tin.

 

[sawduster]

Used Seajet Shogun for years (>10) with very good results, applied yearly; even during Covid, I could not lift the boat so same AF for two years the result was rather ok. Total difference these past few 3-4 years: each year, after a few months there are barbs, and worst of all they do not go away after having sailed the boat, a really significant decrease in efficiency; spoken to other people in this same area and opinions seem to converge, imho the formulation has been changed.
Next year I am really tempted to go the 50euro/tin path rather than 180e/tin.

Also use Shogun and have been disappointed the last year or two. Now looking for an alternative.

 

[Sailing steve]

Over the last few seasons I've tried International 300, Shogun 033, Hempel Tiger Extra and SML Cu Pro, Despite putting three generous coat of each on none of them kept my hull clean for more than a couple of months after launch.

I gave up on ablative formulas and stripped back to gelcoat and tried Hempel Hard Racing. That didn't work for long either.

The only reasonable success I've had since all that malarkey is a cheap semi-hard antifoul and two gentle as possible pressure washes each year - that sort of works but it ain't great.

SML Cu Pro after a few weeks...

 

[Baddox]

In March last year I put single coasts of Seajet 33 on part of our yacht and Hemple Tiger Xtra on other areas - I ran out of the Seajet and the local chandlers only had Hemple hence mix and match.

The boat was on the east coast until we sailed north in Spring, we then spent the summer sailing Scotland’s west coast waters.

Both Seajet and Hemple kept weed and barnacles away but slime built up which easily brushed off during a swim. There was a waterline beard of weed on the one occasion we left the boat for a week. Overall there was possibly slightly less slime on the Hemple AF when lifted a couple of weeks ago.