Behome
Well-Known Member
I've done various forum searches on this, but does anyone have first hand experience with any of the copper coatings in place of anti-fouling? Looking at Coppercoat, Vero Metal Marine and others.
Copper bottom
- Thread starter Behome
- Start date
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
Coppercoated in 2009. Not looked back since.
VERY impressed with it.
Annual lift - hold - drop for a quick hose down and to change the anodes. That's it.
Thoroughly recommend it.
Vara
Well-Known Member
Echo OR4751s comments, after a dodgy application which was remedied by supplier haven't looked back, Coppercoat was applied.
wingdiver
Well-Known Member
Approx how much does it cost to do a 44 footer?
Champagne Murphy
Well-Known Member
Tradewinds
Well-Known Member
I asked someone who had it done by the yard at SYH on a 36 footer - about 3k IIRC inc preparation, haul/relaunch etc etc.
It represented a hell of a lot of antifoul - especially if you can use a drying grid over a couple of tides.
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
Economically speaking the case for Coppercoat isn't all that compelling.
In our case, Coppercoat will take about 9 years to pay for itself. (Compared to what we would spend on conventional anti-foul and lift outs).
And it's supposed to last for 10 years... Though there are reports of boats where it's still going strong after 12+ years.
Our main motivating factor was not financial: I'm just glad not to have to worry about anti-foul for the next XX years.
A horrible, disgusting job - and you need the time (which we never have enough of) and the weather (which is never guaranteed).
When I do have the time and the weather is OK, I'd rather go sailing than spend it anti-fouling.
Behome
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the comments from users.
I've decided to go with Coppercoat for two reasons: firstly, there must be more than 10 years build up of paint on the bottom so that it looks like some of the roads round here with their potholes and must take a knot off our speed; secondly, precisely as above, I hate the annual ritual of slapping the stuff on, breathing in the fumes, crawling around on hands and knees etc.
I've decided to go with Coppercoat for two reasons: firstly, there must be more than 10 years build up of paint on the bottom so that it looks like some of the roads round here with their potholes and must take a knot off our speed; secondly, precisely as above, I hate the annual ritual of slapping the stuff on, breathing in the fumes, crawling around on hands and knees etc.
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
Gargleblaster
Well-Known Member
I've heard good reports on Coppercoat when professionally applied.
However to warn you not all copper applications are the same. In 2007 I did some research and came up with the fact that the most cost effective of applying a copper coat to my bottom was to use Flag Copperquick which also had the advantage of using a Teflon base which supposedly would also stop the weed and barnacle sticking. Part of the cost advantage was of course doing it myself. Stripped off all the old antifouling down to the gelcoat, applied 3 coats of epoxy as per instructions. And then applied 7 coats of Flag Copperquick or supposedly 5 years worth. All by the book.
Launched in 2008 and did a trip to the Azores and back with the Jester Challenge. I have never seen so many barnacles and in particular gooseneck barnacles in my life until after that trip. I usually find that when ocean sailing little attaches to the hull because you are moving all the time, although if you are on a constant heel you will get quite a few gooseneck barnacles above the waterline.
When I returned the the Roach the weed then started attaching to my new Copperquick as though there was no tomorrow. It acted as though I had no antifouling protection at all.
I spoke to Flag about this and they said 'yes that they had had some problems with it as they couldn't get the right type of copper into the formula'. But they added that it was good for racers who dry stored their boats. Not a lot of use to me. I have avoided Flag products since then and found I have a lot less problems with barnacles and weed.
I found the solution to the Copperquick problem was to prime and use normal antifoul over the top of the Copperquick which has worked very well.
Not all Copper Bottoms are the same.
However to warn you not all copper applications are the same. In 2007 I did some research and came up with the fact that the most cost effective of applying a copper coat to my bottom was to use Flag Copperquick which also had the advantage of using a Teflon base which supposedly would also stop the weed and barnacle sticking. Part of the cost advantage was of course doing it myself. Stripped off all the old antifouling down to the gelcoat, applied 3 coats of epoxy as per instructions. And then applied 7 coats of Flag Copperquick or supposedly 5 years worth. All by the book.
Launched in 2008 and did a trip to the Azores and back with the Jester Challenge. I have never seen so many barnacles and in particular gooseneck barnacles in my life until after that trip. I usually find that when ocean sailing little attaches to the hull because you are moving all the time, although if you are on a constant heel you will get quite a few gooseneck barnacles above the waterline.
When I returned the the Roach the weed then started attaching to my new Copperquick as though there was no tomorrow. It acted as though I had no antifouling protection at all.
I spoke to Flag about this and they said 'yes that they had had some problems with it as they couldn't get the right type of copper into the formula'. But they added that it was good for racers who dry stored their boats. Not a lot of use to me. I have avoided Flag products since then and found I have a lot less problems with barnacles and weed.
I found the solution to the Copperquick problem was to prime and use normal antifoul over the top of the Copperquick which has worked very well.
Not all Copper Bottoms are the same.
Behome
Well-Known Member
"Not all Copper Bottoms are the same."
That's why I've settled on Coppercoat, most of the competitors seem to have faded away over time. I see that the parent company for Vero Metal Marine went into liquidation recently.
That's why I've settled on Coppercoat, most of the competitors seem to have faded away over time. I see that the parent company for Vero Metal Marine went into liquidation recently.