Coppercoat + E lectronic antifoul = snake oil*2?

SansSerif said:
Hauled out last week. We have coppercoat and electronic antifoul. The results can be seen here - http://skippersmate.co.uk/skippersmate/cb/fouliofoulio/index.html (not for the faint hearted).

The boat had little use last season due to my spending quality time with my cardiac surgeon but this degree of fouling is somewhat disappointing.
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Was the CC applied Spring 2014? That does look bad. How easily did it come off? If the pressure wash brought everything off it might be related to not being used.

Was the electronic antifoul definitely working on shore power as I can't imagine that it would be any worse without it.

Richard
 
SansSerif said:
Hauled out last week.
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I was there when you hauled out - recognise the pictures. As you say, not good.

I was hauled a few hours earlier not having scrubbed since this time last year. I also have Coppercoat (no electronic stuff), and we have been sitting in the same water.

Mine wasn't too bad - nothing like as bad as yours. A bit whiskery round the waterline, and on the rudder. Lots of mussels on the bottom of the keel (it's flat) but that's where they didn't put any CC on.

The CC was applied in 2011.

I noticed after pressure washing that slight traces of growth remained, so I went over it with a Scotchbrite and got rid of them. It's often said that abrading the CC brings fresh copper to the surface. I don't think that's the case. The abrading simply gets rid of minute traces of growth. Pressure washing doesn't do the full job.

CC does not a solve all the problems, but it deals with a lot of them. I consider it money well spent.
 
RichardS said:
Was the CC applied Spring 2014? That does look bad. How easily did it come off? If the pressure wash brought everything off it might be related to not being used.

Was the electronic antifoul definitely working on shore power as I can't imagine that it would be any worse without it.

Richard
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No, the CC has been on fort a few years now. Has never been spectacularly good, but never this bad.

The AF was not on mains power but was on permanently.
 
oldvarnish said:
I was there when you hauled out - recognise the pictures. As you say, not good.

I was hauled a few hours earlier not having scrubbed since this time last year. I also have Coppercoat (no electronic stuff), and we have been sitting in the same water.

Mine wasn't too bad - nothing like as bad as yours. A bit whiskery round the waterline, and on the rudder. Lots of mussels on the bottom of the keel (it's flat) but that's where they didn't put any CC on.

The CC was applied in 2011.

I noticed after pressure washing that slight traces of growth remained, so I went over it with a Scotchbrite and got rid of them. It's often said that abrading the CC brings fresh copper to the surface. I don't think that's the case. The abrading simply gets rid of minute traces of growth. Pressure washing doesn't do the full job.

CC does not a solve all the problems, but it deals with a lot of them. I consider it money well spent.
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Thanks for the reply - not sure if I feel better or worse if yours was much better.

How much use did you make of the boat last season?
 
oldvarnish said:
I was there when you hauled out - recognise the pictures. As you say, not good.

I was hauled a few hours earlier not having scrubbed since this time last year. I also have Coppercoat (no electronic stuff), and we have been sitting in the same water.

Mine wasn't too bad - nothing like as bad as yours. A bit whiskery round the waterline, and on the rudder. Lots of mussels on the bottom of the keel (it's flat) but that's where they didn't put any CC on.

The CC was applied in 2011.

I noticed after pressure washing that slight traces of growth remained, so I went over it with a Scotchbrite and got rid of them. It's often said that abrading the CC brings fresh copper to the surface. I don't think that's the case. The abrading simply gets rid of minute traces of growth. Pressure washing doesn't do the full job.

CC does not a solve all the problems, but it deals with a lot of them. I consider it money well spent.
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In complete agreement with the above - If nothing else, it's another barrier against osmoses, one hopes - :-)
 
oldvarnish said:
I noticed after pressure washing that slight traces of growth remained, so I went over it with a Scotchbrite and got rid of them. It's often said that abrading the CC brings fresh copper to the surface. I don't think that's the case. The abrading simply gets rid of minute traces of growth. Pressure washing doesn't do the full job.
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We had CC applied in 2009.
For the first 3 years if preformed beyond expectations. We haul out once a year to change the anodes and that's it. Nothing more than a hint of slime around the waterline.
Since then, however, things have gone downhill somewhat.
In 2013 we needed a pressurewash to clear growth along the waterline and some barnacles on the keel.
In 2014, we looked similar to OP (maybe not as bad but bad enough enough to lose nearly 2kts boat speed).

10583041_10154420636485114_4195428319037215053_o.jpg


We haven't sailed much this winter, but I fear another pressurewash will defo be required this year. Like you, I too have my doubts about abrading.

oldvarnish said:
CC does not a solve all the problems, but it deals with a lot of them. I consider it money well spent.
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I used to think so too, not so sure anymore. But asl long as it doesn't get any worse than pressurewashing once a year, I'll stick with it.
Pressurewashing beats antifouling - no contest.
 
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rivonia said:
Just my oppinion..Coppercoat and electronic antifoul do not work together. They are opposed.
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You cannot be serious, everything helps and having both is a bonus.

I think it is more down to no use, once the layer of sludge forms and become thicker it makes both methods ineffective. The secret to a clean hull is to use the boat often, at least every two weeks, to keep the sludge down and wash off initial growth. Once the organisms have set then they will continue to live happily.

"Life" is extremely resilient.
 
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haydude said:
The secret to a clean hull is to use the boat often, at least every two weeks
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I think that's right. I had two months coming through the tropics - notorious for growth - but came out clean in the Azores because I was on the move (most of the time).
 
rivonia said:
Just my oppinion..Coppercoat and electronic antifoul do not work together. They are opposed.
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They are not opposed and can happily be used together. For example, the owner of NRG Marine (who manufacture Sonihull ultrasonic antifoul) has Coppercoat and Sonihull on his yacht in Croatia and the combination works well. His view is that the hard epoxy surface of Coppercoat better transmits the ultrasonic waves than do softer conventional antifoul paints.

That said, forum regular Elesar tried an ultrasonic with his Coppercoat and (from memory) found it made only marginal difference at best. Though I'm sure he'll be along to correct me if necessary! In addition, it must be said that not all ultrasonic systems are the same and I can't recall which he trialled.
 
SansSerif said:
Hauled out last week.
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The level of anti-fouling is indeed disappointing. Would you please email us (info@coppercoat.com) with a few extra details (such as when/where the boat was treated, and where she is moored). I'd like to get to the bottom of the problem and see what I can do to help.
 
[QUOTE
Pressurewashing beats antifouling - no contest.[/QUOTE]

This nicely sums up what we think. For the vast majority, it is far quicker, cheaper and easier to clean a boat than it is to repaint it.

As we all know, fouling rates vary from location to location, season to season, and with boat use, so there is no set rule as to how often a boat should be cleaned. For most, once a year is sufficient. But for a boat left static in the Caribbean (for example) additional scrubs may be helpful (usually completed without lifting the boat).
 
EwanClark said:
The level of anti-fouling is indeed disappointing. Would you please email us (info@coppercoat.com) with a few extra details (such as when/where the boat was treated, and where she is moored). I'd like to get to the bottom of the problem and see what I can do to help.
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It is refreshing to see a supplier taking serious note of a negative comment of their product and all credit to Ewan. I hope if he obtains sufficient information to make an assessment that he is also able to post an update on this thread.

Jonathan
 
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