Copper coat - yes or no ?

rafiki_ said:
Puts things into perspective. Very best wishes for a full recovery, and many happy trips on your new boat.
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+1, get well soon.

I'm a fan of coppercoat, applied it to my boat and it works just fine, I don't think it fouls any less, but fouling comes off easily & I do have to come out for a few days each year, maybe twice if I'm feeling flush, to clean and check on the sterngear, so it's not the lift out fees i'm avoiding either, but it is not having the bother, cost and inconvenience of applying antifoul paint every season that I enjoy. I think any maths applied to the decision can only really be to this part, and for me it still works.
Another plus is of course that it is another barrier of epoxy protecting the hull from any possible water ingress or absorbtion.
The proper application is very important, every last scrap of old antifoul was removed, then my hull was further cleaned and a few imperfections filled and faired, then cleaned again before multiple coats applied (subsequent coats have to be applied before previous coat cures), and having this done in a clean and not freezing environment is best too, mine was in a shed. I think this prep / application work and time (plus expense) puts plenty of people off.
 
jfm said:
i totally don't understand. I've never thought mine "unkind". When I say "soft", it doesn't rub off on people.
How can you save a lot? We both jet wash each year and I put a coat on every second year but didn't have the upfront cost of cc. Also mine keeps the bottom clean, unlike cc, so saves a bit of fuel.
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In the early days, I had a really bad experience with Micron 66.
It went all flakey but if you tried to scrape it off, the oils in the AF stuck the flakey bits back to the hull.
The result was that it couldn't be removed or recoated without sandblasting/soda blasting.
When I complained, the guy at International said, "is this the boat in Palma".
I said "no but it seems you have a problem other than mine".
The situation got worse when International took over the situation and applied Primacon over the top of the congealed mess left by the Micron 66.
During the season before this, the M66 had worked well but we were getting lots of AF being rubbed off on swimmers.
We ran with M77 over the Primacon mess for a season and, yes, it was a bit better on swimmers but not perfect.

So, with a complete mess on the bottom of a 2 year old boat, I decided to remove the lot.
It was then a "no brainer" to apply CC.
I don't regret my decision but I appreciate that I have had bad experiences with the Micron xx products.
 
Thanks to all, actually feels like the home stretch now, looking forward to getting new boat in the water, although use may be restricted to start while I adjust back to eating etc.
Just having it & getting it fitted out is keeping me going.
 
Hurricane said:
In the early days, I had a really bad experience with Micron 66.
It went all flakey but if you tried to scrape it off, the oils in the AF stuck the flakey bits back to the hull.
The result was that it couldn't be removed or recoated without sandblasting/soda blasting.
When I complained, the guy at International said, "is this the boat in Palma".
I said "no but it seems you have a problem other than mine".
The situation got worse when International took over the situation and applied Primacon over the top of the congealed mess left by the Micron 66.
During the season before this, the M66 had worked well but we were getting lots of AF being rubbed off on swimmers.
We ran with M77 over the Primacon mess for a season and, yes, it was a bit better on swimmers but not perfect.

So, with a complete mess on the bottom of a 2 year old boat, I decided to remove the lot.
It was then a "no brainer" to apply CC.
I don't regret my decision but I appreciate that I have had bad experiences with the Micron xx products.
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Ditto - hope you have a good recovery rubber duck.

@hurricane Ok but there are zillions of boats with zero Mxx problems over many years including mine and MYAG's so there was something else at play in your case. Incorrect primer or something. A large part of the super yacht fleet has used m66/77 for years because of its 2 year life. I've never had it rub off on swimmers and this thread is the first time I've heard of that. I find the stuff amazingly good and my hull is clean when I haul out, and it's black. I wouldn't dream of using CC and its (imho) ugliness and fussy application "rules", and high cost.
 
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I’m more concerned about the discontinuation of certain AF paints we’ve been using for years now due to the new biocide regulations, are we going to end up with a product which can’t do its job because because the ingredient that makes it work has now been removed ? I haven’t looked into this yet and only know because I recently seen certain products discontinued and an alternative provided, would be interested to hear from anyone who has used these new products, I guess it’s still early days.
 
Thanks to all for your clear and succinct views.

And let me add my own best wishes to rubberduck for full recovery and happy boating times ahead !

It is interesting to hear both Hurricane and JFM disagree. Both make very sound points and if it was entirely a no brainer then I guess I wouldn’t have to ask the question.

I keep my boat in Marines De Cogolin in SoF. I get charged extortionately for all maintenance but have not enough time to do a lot of the jobs myself. I have historically used anti foul on all my boats down there, and have traditionally just added 1 coat each Spring, until such time that a more thorough job was required. But I have also stuck boats in sheds for winter which kind of changes the argument a bit.

The Superhawk does indeed have 3 very sensitive fixed surface drives. They are not high maintenance as per an earlier post, as the only moving part is the bearing. This needs to be properly serviced about every 3 to 5 years, otherwise just a lubricant change. But there is an issue with fouling....... and almost every time I swim I go over each shaft, bracket and prop with a scouring pad which seems to keep the whole thing efficient if not perfect.

The outdrive situation means that whether AF or CC, some sort of regular clean up on the stengear is key to my maintaining performance.

Either I keep scrubbing or I lift out, for which I pay in the region of euro 1000. I scuba, so I can clean the bottom in the wate, and that’s not a big job. Plus the boat is fast so slime is dislodged through regular use relatively efficiently.

So man maths :

Annual antifoul is probably in the region of euro 2000. Original application of CC is twice that. Even if I have to lift her mid season every year, I will be 1000 Euro better off annually, ex the initial cost of application.

The boat is being repainted at Desty’s and they will put whichever I choose on, so the application will be professional.

JFM doesn’t like the colour and I can see his point. But once it’s oxidised and greens up a bit I don’t think it looks bad, and given the topsides are going to be deepest darkest blue (Princess Blue) then I think it will look ok, provided the waterline is perfect...... no pressure Desty’s !

I will post some pics if I can cope with the technological bit !
 
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Ha.....might have been better the right way up ! It’s a complicated set up, triple yanmar 420hp, 2 speed ZF gearbox and fixed trimax drives.

The key is to get the trim of the boat just right, and I have, as part of her rebuild, removed 200kg of weight from the very back of the boat where it has the most detrimental effect.

Won’t know if that has worked until she goes back in the water in the next few weeks but I will report back.
 
Re propspeed. I messed about with Several different brands on my Ferretti and all washed off in a matter of weeks. If anyone has a better suggestion i am all ears, but I think the aggressive nature of these props and the fact they are surface piercing, which I imagine increases the washing machine action, means I am not too hopeful ! Scouring pads are quite cheap at my local Geant/Casino !!!
 
MapisM said:
I for one would be interested in some pics of those fine bits of engineering in Boatbore boat.
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Thanks for fulfilling my desire!
You've got some impressive stuff there, including the s/s integrated trim tabs, which make Bennett best efforts look like toys in comparison.
And congratulations for your handling skills, which are bound to be excellent, because if there's something Trimax are notorious for, it's their poor maneuverability.
I hope you don't mind me reposting at least one of your pics directly, even if o/t in the context of this thread... :encouragement:
vB9M89zG_o.jpg

Btw, sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, but don't forget to check periodically that those internal flaps inside the ventilation exhausts don't get stuck due to marine growth.
They are important to avoid water reversion in some peculiar conditions, like reversing with the central engine turned off (something you might be tempted to do since it's useless upon maneuvering) or mooring the boat in some place where current can occasionally flow against the stern.
Besides, did someone clean the props with a wire brush? The scratches are noticeable also in another pic showing the port propeller.
In principle, it would be better to avoid that, on polished s/s props...
 
Thanks Mapis. Clearly greater technological competence than I can manage !

Good spot re the wire brush. I had the props rebalanced as part of the rebuild and they had to be heated which left some ugly marks. They have been crudely cleaned up which has left scratch marks, although I do still have the option to have them polished.

Is it really enough of a difference to matter ? 277E3CB0-CBB4-4388-B9A7-125B15DD452D.jpeg
 
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