Coppercoat anti-fouling

CliveG

CliveG

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 Oct 2001
Messages
2,542
Location
Cambridge UK
Visit site
Has anyone based on the Deben used Coppercoat anti-fouling?
How long have you had it on?
How well has it performed?

Thinking of using it on Sirenia - moored at Ramsholt in the summer and a half tide mooring in the winter.
 
Clive,
If you speak to George he will tell you of at least two boats based at Ramsholt that went the copper cost route and a few years later were putting A/f paint on top to gat a half decent result.
 
On the Blackwater, not the Deben, but on a drying mooring. I put coppercoat on in April 2009 and it is doing fine - I give it a scour before launching, and need 1-2 scrubs during the year to keep barnacles under control. We have several boats using coppercoat on the drying moorings and all seem to be ok. The boats using antifouling need a similar level of scrubbing during the year. For me, the gains using coppercoat are less work at fitting out, and less in the way of chemicals leaching into the river.
 
Hi All

I'm like you Clive..... just about to Coppercoat.
I've spent the last few weekends scraping off, and then sanding back (what a job!!!).
The reason is not for heavy fouling (as I also have ultrasonic antifouling) but that I "shouldn't" have to antifoul for another 10 years!! which to be honest, is rather appealing!
My plan is just to be lifted out in the summer for anodes and a check over... and then throw her back in!! oh well.... I'll let you know how it all works out in a year (or ten!!).

I will probably get a Fatwa issued against me for this.... please don't get too suckered in to thinking leaching antifouling is all bad!!
If you are weeded up (because you are using eco warrior, barnicles have feelings too antifoul) you are using extra fuel to push your boat along (esp if its a motor boat!!). Then if you have to have the hoist lift you out of the water for a wash off..... that runs on diesel (ok unless you use scrubbing posts!) - then how do you think the man who drives the hoist gets to work! and so on....... you get the picture....

5 coats of coppercoat for me - as I wish to flat it back to a v smooth finish once applied..... can't wait!!

Anyway, I'll get my coat before I'm asked to leave!! :ambivalence:


Ian
 
Last edited:
Wait for warmer weather to apply Coppercoat unless you are inside a shed with heating. Check the application instructions for the minimum recommended temperature.
 
Definitely needs planning, for suitable weather window and a team for effective application.

In my experience the 'abrading' after pressure washing seems to be important for ongoing success. 3m pot scourers, the green pads, do about the best job.
One year we had really bad infestation of barnacles, after washing and abrading nothing like as bad. This in a drying river mooring with sea and fresh water at various times of the tide.

Whole thing has to be better than the A/F route.
 
Gladys said:
It's epoxy based, so it's important that the substrate is 10 deg not just the air temperature....
Click to expand...
I couldn't agree more. I had Coppercoat some years ago, we applied it ourselves on a sunny day in March, but as it was sunny it had been cold overnight. The Coppercoat never worked and the boat was thick with fouling in June after being launched in April.

After negotiation with the company over a couple of seasons it was re-Coppercoated by a highly regarded (and highly charging!) local yard, but contrary to what I thought was going to happen, they did not take the boat into their shed, and instead did the job outside, in September. Cold at night again - and exactly the same problem. After 2 months afloat in Thornfleet at West Mersea, the fouling had to be scraped off with a spade. It clearly was almost totally ineffective. After much angst and negotiation I reached a financial settlement with the company and the boat was then completely rubbed down and painted with conventional A/F.

I am advised (by well meaning chemists, not by the company) that the Coppercoat epoxy relies on being slightly water soluble to work - in other words, the epoxy has to degrade a little to let the copper be exposed. Apparently if it is too cold when it is applied it sets off too hard and then never degrades therefore does not work as an A/F.

IMHO I would never have that job done unless it could be done in a heated shed and under controlled conditions and with satisfactory written assurances that the temperature in the shed would never drop below say 15 deg. I would get them to bring it in to the shed 24 hours before the job and keep in in there for as long as possible afterwards. If I couldn't do that I would not bother.
 
It is indeed important that the coating is applied in appropriate conditions, and waiting for a temperature of 10 degrees or more is sensible. While using a heated shed is great, I'd estimate that less than 20% of boats treated with Coppercoat are painted indoors, and certainly it is not necessary for good performance. Avoiding frost, snow and rain is crucial however!

The Deben (and indeed West Mersea) are known as being challenging in terms of fouling, and no coating performs to their best on drying or mud berths. All anti-foul coatings are primarily designed for use in deep water moorings, and performance can be compromised when used outside of these conditions. I'm happy to accept that this statement applies to Coppercoat just as much as it does to standard eroding anti-foul paints. The advantage reported by Coppercoat users is that although the coating may still become dirty when used in a mud berth, it is easy to clean and (being a hard epoxy) is not eroded and thinned by the cleaning process. Consequently it still lasts for far longer than a standard ablative paint, and still lowers the overall level of maintenance and cost associated with anti-fouling (much in line with the comments made by "rgarside" above).

Once the Coppercoat has cured, do remember to lightly burnish the surface with a fine grade of wet-and-dry paper (or a Scotchbrite pad). This will expose the copper particles at the surface and aid the oxidisation process necessary for best anti-fouling performance.
 
Thanks to all for their thoughts.

It seems that leaving the appication until some time in the summer would be the best way forward.
The boat is only in a half tide mooring over winter.
She is on a all tide swinging mooring during the summer.
I would get her lifted in the spring for a scrub to get any mud deposits off, so a light rub down would be easy to do then.
 
It's arrived!!!!! :cool:
Just got to wait for the weather!! :(

24e1f1w.jpg
 
Glad to see they include some rolls of sausage meat, keep body and soul together :)

This year I'm adding copper powder to the a/f on a trial basis on part of the hull. Not as good as Coppercoat but it that's 'all' it is then why not.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top