changing from coppercoat to antifowling...

[melons]

After 5 very unsetting years having spent the money on .... coppercoat, we now have no choice but go to anifouling - current cleanup rate of hull is down to 2 weeks!!!
A few years ago when the coppercoat was only 2 yrs old, I asked International about what they would recommend us doing to change to anifouling. Of course they 'couldn't guarantee how their product would work', unless we took the hull back to gel coat, put a primer on and then antifouled. I'd like to know if anyone has had the same misfortune with coppercoat, and whether they have put on their antifouling straight over? Basically there is barely any real copper left as I can see the white expoxy primer that we put on the hull before the coppercoat. Thoughts???

 

[Elessar]

After 5 very unsetting years having spent the money on .... coppercoat, we now have no choice but go to anifouling - current cleanup rate of hull is down to 2 weeks!!!
A few years ago when the coppercoat was only 2 yrs old, I asked International about what they would recommend us doing to change to anifouling. Of course they 'couldn't guarantee how their product would work', unless we took the hull back to gel coat, put a primer on and then antifouled. I'd like to know if anyone has had the same misfortune with coppercoat, and whether they have put on their antifouling straight over? Basically there is barely any real copper left as I can see the white expoxy primer that we put on the hull before the coppercoat. Thoughts???

If you want to anti foul, sand with 120 grit, prime then anti foul. Simple.

But you shouldn't have to.

Was it genuine CopperCoat? Lots of pretenders out there that have fallen by the wayside, CopperCoat's success unfortunately means if its got Copper in it tends to get called CopperCoat. Only CopperCoat from AMC is genuine CopperCoat.

Was it correctly applied?

Was the recommended amount applied?

If all 3 are true you should be getting at least 8 more years. In the UK it is shown to last 18 years!

Give AMC a call. They are very helpful and with 30,000 CopperCoated boats out there they know what they're talking about.

 

[melons]

Thanks for info, but sadly yes to all your questions. It was bought direct from Aquarius Marine Coatings in Romsey, is that the same AMC you talk about?, it was applied by someone they recommended and others, yes the correct amount and more was applied to our hull, after it had been sandblasted.
And in response to help, forget it, as they said, quite similar to your response, that they guarantee the product, but if any of the 3 things you listed were at fault, their product is not too blame! And having had to redo a new rudder ourselves - for which of course we had to buy more product, it hasn't worked either.
And yes I am more than aware of how long the coppercoat SHOULD have lasted - that's why we went down this route.
We had barnacles 3 months after application in Europe. The only thing that I will say is that we have been and are still in the Caribbean, where it HAS NOT WORKED. Maybe our boat should have stayed in English waters!

 

[Etesian]

Has anyone else had problems with Coppercoat? We are getting ready to apply anti fouling on our boat. The boat has been scrapped down to the gelcoat and we are interested in applying an osmosis protection and antifouling paint. We have heard that coppercoat will serve both as an osmosis protection and antifouling. Is that everyone else's understanding? Should we apply a couple of layers of osmosis protection as well before doing the Coppercote? Is there any advantage to putting more than 4 layers of Coppercote on???

 

[youen]

copper coat

My boat was coppercoated relaunched on the 2 of april 2010 after 3,5 months she was put ashore and already had a lot of slime on her particulary around the waterline and the rudder.She was relaunched at the end of september and hauled out out last week the result was not perfect slime around the waterline and still the rudder.I phone the reseller in France and he told me to clean with a Scothbrite and said often the results are better the second year.So the boat was in the same state after 6 months as a boat with a good self eroding antifouling after 9 months in the water.I am quite sure i shall have to haul the boat out 2 or 3 time a year to keep it clean.The boat is in South Brittany.I shall be happy to hear other owners experiences.I am also minding to come back to conventional antifouling but dont know to get the coppercoat of the hull because its epoxy and very hard to sand and dont want to damage the hull

 

[youen]

Melons

How was the coppercoat efficient the first years and how long.Thanks

 

[macd]

The only instance I know of where Coppercoat just didn't work was on the boat of a couple I met in Greece. They'd had the stuff applied by a yard and strongly suspected that the mix had not been kept agitated. In this case the copper, being heavy, falls to the bottom so much of it never gets as far as the hull. They'd subsequently re-Coppercoated themselves and were very happy with the results in the years since.

That said, I have no knowledge of how well it works in the Caribbean.

By way of a P.S. AMC are limited by law as to how much copper they specify and supply. However, as a private individual there is nothing to stop you from buying an extra bag of copper "in case of spillage", and increasing the copper content by say, 15%. AMC did not tell me this because that would have been naughty, obviously

 

[rivonia]

This is an interesting thread! As we all want to know what is best for us.

Well we have COPPERCOAT which was aplied professionaly in LARGS Scotland over two years ago. We have been in the Med now for two winters and have not been lifted out. I dive(snorkel) down and with a soft brush remove the slime/weed off. It is doing what it should be doing. So from us a big thumbs up. We may have to be hauled out this year to change the annodes?

Peter

 

[RobbieW]

To the OP:
I had a Vancouver 28, built in '94, with copper impregnated in the gel, I dont know what that process was called. Bought the boat in '99 and by '03 had rubbed down and antifouled on top of the existing gelcoat. International advised that getting any paint preparation to adhere to a copper based surface might have difficulties. I sold the boat in '08, the only area that was showing any problems was around the anode where there appeared to be an interaction under the primer that looked a little like 'rust' bubbling. Rubbed down the area, c. 4 sq ft, and the underlying gelcoat was good, perhaps a little pitting around the anode studs where they went through the hull.

To others interested in CopperCoat:
I now have a Rival 41, built in '83, which had been ashore a good 12 months by the time I bought her so the hull was as dry as it was likely to get. I had the hull blasted (by WetBlast who provided a very sympathetic process) then applied 3 coats hi-build epoxy and 5 of coppercoat. Launched in October '09, so far she has been easy to clean every 3 months or so - yes you probably have to scrub more often with coppercoat, but you have a very resilient surface to scrub at. A handy set of scrubbing piles & a couple of hours with a pan scrubber (or if you're lucky about 45 mins with a jet wash) saves a lot on lifts & antifoul! No signs of bubbling anywhere on the hull at the moment.

Also helped a mate launch his boat yesterday which was CopperCoated in '03. That still looked in fair condition on the hull but the iron keel is now looking tatty (bubbling and pitting) and will need attention next winter (probably needed it this year but engine problems took budget priority!)

btw, (sorry for this one) but isnt antifowling what you install a plastic owl for

 

[snowleopard]

The only thing that I will say is that we have been and are still in the Caribbean, where it HAS NOT WORKED. Maybe our boat should have stayed in English waters!

I often advise people that Copper/epoxy antifouls won't work in the tropics. After a month in the lagoon at St Maarten we had an inch of calcareous growth on the hulls. Once back in British waters it continued to work fine.

I have successfully painted antifoul directly over the Coppercoat after pressure washing.

 

[temptress]

I had Coppercoat on my boat and eventually removed it (blasting) - applied GELSHIELD and now use International Micron Extra.

I was not happy with the performance - but I know others who swear by it. In the marina I was in last year in Bahrain (in the Persian Gulf) where the water temps are very warm most of the owners that used CopperCoat are very happy with is. So It depends.

I reckoned that as I needed to take the boat out every 2 years or so anyway to inspect things and do some maintenance - applying a cost or two of anti-fowling was not a great expense.

 

[Mudisox]

You asked for experience.

At Portland I am aware of two copper coated yachts who have given up after 1 and 2 seasons, and one applied new antifouling over it and the other blasted off. I'll stick to cheap a/f and scrub off 2 twice year.

 

[melons]

Thanks for all the responses, and surprised it took a while for my 'fowling' mistake to be picked up on! To all those people out there thinking about coppercoat - think seriously, as when we have hauled out every 9 months in the Caribbean, we did not have to put antifouling on, but we spent on average, 2 days removing barnacles - after being power hosed, and then another 2 days lightly sanding to expose the copper again. And this is with at least a monthly days diving to remove barnacles, sea life, marine forests etc. Can't take more than a day to antifoul a 43ft boat ?????

 

[Maurice55]

I agree with most posts wether for or against copper coat as I have experienced both the good and the bad side. I would like to point out that in my opinion it is a bad idea to use copper coat if you are going to leave your boat on a mud berth as the mud (at least the one from Newhaven,east sussex) reacts with the anti fouling and b.....s it, and you end up having to sand off a hard layer to get back to clean copper coat.
As to anti foul on top of it, the copper coat people told me to do it staight on after light sanding and it seems to work.

 

[charles_reed]

To the OP:
I had a Vancouver 28, built in '94, with copper impregnated in the gel, I dont know what that process was called. Bought the boat in '99 and by '03 had rubbed down and antifouled on top of the existing gelcoat. International advised that getting any paint preparation to adhere to a copper based surface might have difficulties. I sold the boat in '08, the only area that was showing any problems was around the anode where there appeared to be an interaction under the primer that looked a little like 'rust' bubbling. Rubbed down the area, c. 4 sq ft, and the underlying gelcoat was good, perhaps a little pitting around the anode studs where they went through the hull.

To others interested in CopperCoat:
I now have a Rival 41, built in '83, which had been ashore a good 12 months by the time I bought her so the hull was as dry as it was likely to get. I had the hull blasted (by WetBlast who provided a very sympathetic process) then applied 3 coats hi-build epoxy and 5 of coppercoat. Launched in October '09, so far she has been easy to clean every 3 months or so - yes you probably have to scrub more often with coppercoat, but you have a very resilient surface to scrub at. A handy set of scrubbing piles & a couple of hours with a pan scrubber (or if you're lucky about 45 mins with a jet wash) saves a lot on lifts & antifoul! No signs of bubbling anywhere on the hull at the moment.

Also helped a mate launch his boat yesterday which was CopperCoated in '03. That still looked in fair condition on the hull but the iron keel is now looking tatty (bubbling and pitting) and will need attention next winter (probably needed it this year but engine problems took budget priority!)

btw, (sorry for this one) but isnt antifowling what you install a plastic owl for

I too had the Scott Bader Copperclad on my boat - basically polyester gelcoat impregnated with copper powder.
It worked, after a fashion, but the uncomfortable task of rubbing it down every 3 months made me overcoat it with antifouling.
The advent of epoxy-copper, which Copperclad is, was hailed as a break-through as it was alleged to gradually erode, obviating the need to regularly refresh the surface.

Using Jotun FV antifouling, bought in 5 litre cans with a minimum purchase of 25 litres was vastly superior and most economic.

I personally found it impossible, based on their own apocryphal claims, to justify the economics of any of the later generation copper antifouling.

 

[CharlesSwallow]

Ah! At last the "King's New Clothes" have been recognised for what they really are...

...Of very little use for protection!

I was castigated, abused, insulted a couple of years back when I ventured to suggest that this coppercoating mularchy was both expensive and useless.

The bloke's run off over the hill with your money, hasn't he? Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

The apologies from those concerned are awaited.

Chas

 

[steveallan]

We had coppercoat, after 3 years decided to antifou,l just pressure washed and applied local (French) stuff, have been antifouling everyear for the last 4 years with no problems with adhesion.

 

[ccscott49]

...Of very little use for protection!

I was castigated, abused, insulted a couple of years back when I ventured to suggest that this coppercoating mularchy was both expensive and useless.

The bloke's run off over the hill with your money, hasn't he? Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

The apologies from those concerned are awaited.

Chas

Oops! I've just ordered and paid for enough for my boat, arrives tuesday! I'm now having doubts! Maybe go with antifoul again. (which I already have)

 

[vyv_cox]

I've had Coppercoat for the past 12 or 13 years or so. It works exactly as it's supposed to, rarely have any fouling at all. I know a good number of people in Greece who swear by Coppercoat and I've never heard of a problem with it. My son's boss had it on his boat in Mallorca, it wasn't even lifted for five years and was virtually fouling free even then.

 

[CharlesSwallow]

Oops! I've just ordered and paid for enough for my boat, arrives tuesday! I'm now having doubts! Maybe go with antifoul again. (which I already have)

Talk sunday. I'm near the exit to Sue & Alexi's. Martin will be working. Is he using Owatrol C.I.P. on yours?

Chas