Coppercoat v traditional antifouling

[longjohnsilver]

Thanks for all the very useful advice guys. Seems to be a real mixed bag but for me I think I am going to go down the route of traditional hard wearing anti-fouling. I've been recommended to not go for the self polishing as my boat is relatively quick at 37 knots so it would effectively wash away the layers over a quicker period of time. Boat is in the Swanwick area so I suspect that the salt content of the water could affect the effectiveness of the CC slightly as Paul alluded to. From the feedback it seems CC is a good product in the right environment and particularly when applied properly in the right conditions but is not without needing abraiding on an annual basis in order to expose fresh copper and get the most from the protection.

Thanks again!

How do you think the salt content of water could affect the CC? I had it applied last year, never heard of this before. My only regret is that I didn't do it from the day we bought our boat.

 

[rubberduck]

CC works for us both in sea salt & inland Thames.

 

[Hurricane]

It isn't a new concept - I've just Googled this

One of the differences that gave Nelson a distinct advantage at Trafalgar, was that half the British ships in the fleet had copper plated hulls. Copper plating helped slow the spread of marine growth such as barnacles, which slowed ships down, and prevented damage inflicted by tropical ship worms. This meant that British ships did not have to be careened for cleaning as often and were thus able to spend longer periods at sea, which was necessary for imposing and maintaining the blockades outside the major ports of France and Spain. Admiral Collingwood, second-in-command at Trafalgar, once ‘kept the sea’ in this fashion for 22 consecutive months without ever dropping anchor. Supplies were brought to blockading fleets by smaller ships and loaded inboard through the lower deck gun ports. Being at sea for extended periods also gave the opportunity for regular gunnery practice at sea. See later section.
At Trafalgar, the smooth copper bottoms helped afford maximum speed, allowing the first fourteen of Nelson’s and Collingwood’s ships to get into action quickly and closely.

See - we wouldn't have won the Battle of Trafalgar if it wasn't for Copper Bottomed boats!!!

 

[johng39]

It isn't a new concept - I've just Googled this

One of the differences that gave Nelson a distinct advantage at Trafalgar, was that half the British ships in the fleet had copper plated hulls. Copper plating helped slow the spread of marine growth such as barnacles, which slowed ships down, and prevented damage inflicted by tropical ship worms. This meant that British ships did not have to be careened for cleaning as often and were thus able to spend longer periods at sea, which was necessary for imposing and maintaining the blockades outside the major ports of France and Spain. Admiral Collingwood, second-in-command at Trafalgar, once ‘kept the sea’ in this fashion for 22 consecutive months without ever dropping anchor. Supplies were brought to blockading fleets by smaller ships and loaded inboard through the lower deck gun ports. Being at sea for extended periods also gave the opportunity for regular gunnery practice at sea. See later section.
At Trafalgar, the smooth copper bottoms helped afford maximum speed, allowing the first fourteen of Nelson’s and Collingwood’s ships to get into action quickly and closely.

See - we wouldn't have won the Battle of Trafalgar if it wasn't for Copper Bottomed boats!!!

Useful to know when I pull into St Malo next year

I had CC last year and all I had was a thin film of slime on the boat when pulled out after 8 months.

 

[powerskipper]

Hi guys

It would be great to get your views on this subject, I am contemplating copper coat but I would very much appreciate views from experience before I spend out on CC.

Thanks in advance

pop Jon Mendez at mendez marine a line and ask him, he has a school rib and school boat copper coated, does seem to work well.

 

[kashurst]

I had mine done and I am very pleased - Where I am the bottom gets gunged up really fast whatever I have used, so a wash off once or twice a year is inevitable. What I have found is that the boat is noticably faster onto the plane and is @ 4% more fuel efficient (boats got volvo fuel burn gauges). I can't claim all the efficiency improvement is CC, but the bottom when clean is as smooth as glass. Mine was sprayed with CC. Regarding the cost if you do your own antifouling and the boat is say less than 40" then the payback/reward is considerably longer. Last boat I DIY antifouled was 40" and I swore I'd never do it again (I looked like a Smurf for about a week - face mask, gloves etc all worn) At 50" and paying for antifouling CC is a no brainer - mine pays back in 3 years (not including fuel efficiency savings).

 

[EwanClark]

Nice to read some reviews of our product from genuine users who are saving money through reduced maintenance as well as increased fuel efficiency!

One thing I need to add though, is it NOT necessary to sand Coppercoat each year. Indeed this may reduced its performance and longevity. ALL that is advised is that the boat is pressure washed when necessary, for example at the end of each season.

If you have any questions regarding maintenance of Coppercoat, please contact us.

 

[KevB]

We did ours about 7 years ago and it still working very well. I don't miss having to antifoul. Our boat has just come out of the water for it's bi annual spruce up and it's one thing I don't have to think about.

 

[duncan99210]

14 years on and we've just got to the stage where the CC needs redoing. It's at least as effective as conventional af and we've just bought the new CC to apply when we return to the boat in Greece.

 

[anterak]

Do the CC dead when boat is been wintering out of the sea for 5 month (like classic antifouling) for example ?

 

[kashurst]

I dont think so - the active surface is copper oxide and or copper hydrochloride - oxygen in the air or rain will just create more of the same in or out of the water.

 

[Nick_H]

Do the CC dead when boat is been wintering out of the sea for 5 month (like classic antifouling) for example ?

I was also interested in the answer to that question, as I have CC on a trailer boat that is out of the water all winter, and had been told that it would need sanding or scrubbing with a nylon scourer before re-launching. However, I found the following on the Coppercoat website:

"Coppercoat™ is a permanent epoxy coating and therefore unlike traditional anti-fouls, is not affected by drying out. Coppercoat™ is the perfect choice for dry moorings and trailered boats as it is highly abrasion resistant."