30boat
N/A
Is it good for warmish waters?I'll be doing an osmosis job on my boat next year and since Coppercoat is also a protective barrier I was thinking I might try it.
Coppercoat
- Thread starter 30boat
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oldsaltoz
Well-Known Member
Not many use it in the tropics, but some find it quite good in southern sections of Oz.
Good luck and fair winds.
Good luck and fair winds.
wotayottie
Well-Known Member
Coppercoat cannot be an effective barrier if it is to work by leaching out anti fouling. So apply some normal epoxy underneath.
Its not quite as good as normal anti foul but IMO thats more than made up for by the lack of annual application, removal etc.
Its not quite as good as normal anti foul but IMO thats more than made up for by the lack of annual application, removal etc.
Sans Bateau
Well-Known Member
IIRC Vyv Cox uses CopperCoat in the Med.
Neeves
Well-Known Member
If you are doing osmosis work I'd not be doing anything by halves. It does not matter how effective CopperCoat is - How much does an epoxy barrier coat cost?
Its easy to say - but if I were doing my own osmosis work - the easy part is a few coats of a decent epoxy barrier coat. If I were paying for osmosis work adding epoxy coats would not add so much.
From everything I have read: If I were buying from new I would want, extra, epoxy barrier coats (again in the grand scheme of things not very expensive) and I would have Copper Coat.
Its easy to say - but if I were doing my own osmosis work - the easy part is a few coats of a decent epoxy barrier coat. If I were paying for osmosis work adding epoxy coats would not add so much.
From everything I have read: If I were buying from new I would want, extra, epoxy barrier coats (again in the grand scheme of things not very expensive) and I would have Copper Coat.
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Yes I do, but for complex, historical reasons, only on my keel. It is extremely effective by comparison with conventional antifoulings on the hull.
My son's boss had Coppercoat on the hull of his 36 ft boat berthed in Mallorca. He saw it lifted after five years in the water and was amazed at the very low levels of fouling revealed.
30boat
N/A
That's what I wanted to hear.It makes sense to use coppercoat since I'm doing the osmosis work anyway.Since you mention the keel what kind of preparation work should be done? Grit blasting is not an option here.I suppose I can grind the keel back to the metal and apply loads of epoxy coatings.The weather can be very dry in the summer months in the Algarve so maybe rusting won't be much of a problem.
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Grinding is the next best option, I think. I have carried out a few repairs to mine, grinding back and applying West epoxy, then Coppercoat repair packs. They have been very successful, in fact rather better than the grit blasting that was done by a yard in my absence. I used four or five coats of West, then five of Coppercoat.
duncan99210
Well-Known Member
We have the reverse of Vyv - coppercoat on the hull and normal antifoul on the keel. The hull coating is now 12 years old and is still soing at least as good a job as conventional antifoul. SWMBO used wet and dry this winter on the coating to cut back to a new layer of copper, which has worked wonders on it. I reckon we'll probably get another year or two before cutting back again, after which we'll probably wait another couple of years before applying 4 new coats of the stuff to cover the next 15 years or so.
oldvarnish
Well-Known Member
Recently did a cross equatorial passage - Coppercoat, no complaints.
rivonia
Well-Known Member
Hi,
We had coppercoat put on our CAT when we bought her just over 4 years ago. First was a slurry blast to remove old ani-foul and then epoxy coated the 5 coats of Coppercoat. We are based in the Eastern Med and it is working a treat.
it only gets some slime on it which I snorkel down and remove with a sponge and a medium hand brush.
Peter
We had coppercoat put on our CAT when we bought her just over 4 years ago. First was a slurry blast to remove old ani-foul and then epoxy coated the 5 coats of Coppercoat. We are based in the Eastern Med and it is working a treat.
it only gets some slime on it which I snorkel down and remove with a sponge and a medium hand brush.
Peter
timchapman
N/A
No question properly applied coppercoat works. Now three years with CC and in the Canaries.
I had the opportunity to experiment recently. 2 weeks ago I was out the water in Lanzaorte. I painted a patch about 1 sqm with Trilux as the CC had become damaged there. Yesterday I dived down and the Trilux had a very thin layer of slime, like grease to the touch; the coppercoat had nothing.
As another experiment I coated half the bronze P bracket and half the shaft with Lanolin, applied with a blow torch. Yesterday the uncoated bronze was slimey as above but the coated half, although not slimey had no trace of Lanolin on it. The stainless shaft uncoated half had a very thin, very uniform 'corally' film on it. The coated half had a patchy 'corally' film and again no trace of Lanolin.
My conclusions;
- Lanolin is a waste of time on stern gear as it quickly comes off.
- CopperCoat is better than Trilux antifoul, (and probably other antifouls too). CC does need to be wiped with a sponge, preferably every two weeks but at least every 6 weeks so to be successful you are better off in warm waters where you're likely to do this. I would add that the same applies to anti foul.
My experience of CopperCoat in UK waters, without sponging was similar to a good antifoul but you didn't have to replace it.
I had the opportunity to experiment recently. 2 weeks ago I was out the water in Lanzaorte. I painted a patch about 1 sqm with Trilux as the CC had become damaged there. Yesterday I dived down and the Trilux had a very thin layer of slime, like grease to the touch; the coppercoat had nothing.
As another experiment I coated half the bronze P bracket and half the shaft with Lanolin, applied with a blow torch. Yesterday the uncoated bronze was slimey as above but the coated half, although not slimey had no trace of Lanolin on it. The stainless shaft uncoated half had a very thin, very uniform 'corally' film on it. The coated half had a patchy 'corally' film and again no trace of Lanolin.
My conclusions;
- Lanolin is a waste of time on stern gear as it quickly comes off.
- CopperCoat is better than Trilux antifoul, (and probably other antifouls too). CC does need to be wiped with a sponge, preferably every two weeks but at least every 6 weeks so to be successful you are better off in warm waters where you're likely to do this. I would add that the same applies to anti foul.
My experience of CopperCoat in UK waters, without sponging was similar to a good antifoul but you didn't have to replace it.
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rwoofer
Well-Known Member
Ummm, coppercoat is epoxy with copper mixed in. Not dependent on leaching at all.
Neeves
Well-Known Member
[QUOTE=timchapman;
- CopperCoat is better than Trilux antifoul, (and probably other antifouls too).
My understanding is that Trilux has been specifically designed for application where high copper content AF could be a problem (aluminium hulls and sail drives etc). Most glassfibre hulls can use more 'aggressive' AF (in International's case, Micron Extra and Micron 66), better than Trilux for the focussed application.
I think you will find that in a quiet moment of reflection International (without denegrating Trilux) will admit they have better AF.
Coppercoat might be better than other AF but to compare with Trilux is not quite fair.
Jonathan
- CopperCoat is better than Trilux antifoul, (and probably other antifouls too).
My understanding is that Trilux has been specifically designed for application where high copper content AF could be a problem (aluminium hulls and sail drives etc). Most glassfibre hulls can use more 'aggressive' AF (in International's case, Micron Extra and Micron 66), better than Trilux for the focussed application.
I think you will find that in a quiet moment of reflection International (without denegrating Trilux) will admit they have better AF.
Coppercoat might be better than other AF but to compare with Trilux is not quite fair.
Jonathan
EwanClark
Well-Known Member
Although a treatment of Coppercoat will provide a degree of protection against moisture ingress, it is important to remember that is primary job is that of a powerful and long term anti-foul, and that it is only applied to a dry film thickness of approximately a quarter of a millimetre.
For best protection against osmosis we would recommend that about half a millimetre of plain epoxy be applied before the Coppercoat.
Approximately a third of our clients apply epoxy before their Coppercoat. The other two thirds are not overly fussed about the risks of osmosis and simply want a good anti-foul.
If anybody wants to discuss this with me in person, please do call by the Coppercoat stand at the London Boat Show (Jan 12-20) - it is conveniently located opposite the "Black and White Bar" and Southerly Yachts.
For best protection against osmosis we would recommend that about half a millimetre of plain epoxy be applied before the Coppercoat.
Approximately a third of our clients apply epoxy before their Coppercoat. The other two thirds are not overly fussed about the risks of osmosis and simply want a good anti-foul.
If anybody wants to discuss this with me in person, please do call by the Coppercoat stand at the London Boat Show (Jan 12-20) - it is conveniently located opposite the "Black and White Bar" and Southerly Yachts.
bert49uk
Well-Known Member
Ewan,
I have recently bought a GRP boat that record show had Coppercoat applied 10 years ago, last year it would appear a coat of self eroding AF has been applied over the Coppercoat.
I have been rubbing down for AF and have found the Copper coating underneath is quite good and is coming up with a ‘rusty’ colour, but a sound surface and appears to be still quite thick. What would be your recommendations for this situation
I have recently bought a GRP boat that record show had Coppercoat applied 10 years ago, last year it would appear a coat of self eroding AF has been applied over the Coppercoat.
I have been rubbing down for AF and have found the Copper coating underneath is quite good and is coming up with a ‘rusty’ colour, but a sound surface and appears to be still quite thick. What would be your recommendations for this situation
30boat
N/A
Tim Fairhead was kind enought to give me a call and explained that very clearly.Unforyunately I won't be able to attend the boat show but I'll consult with you before I start the work.
EwanClark
Well-Known Member
Hi Bert,
I recommend that you continue to sand off the thin layer of conventional A-F, so that you have exposed the Coppercoat. Give this a final burnish with a fine grade of wet-and-dry paper (say 600 grit), to provide a smooth surface. Hopefully then you can simply relaunch.
If, over the coming season, the old Coppercoat proves to have lost it's effectiveness, you can then apply a new treatment directly over the old. And this should then give you another 10 or so years of anti-fouling protection.
(on a completely different topic, my 951 needs a new black side skirt on the drivers side as the current one has split, about a foot back from the front wheel - do you stock/sell these? Please email me at ewan@coppercoat.com)
I recommend that you continue to sand off the thin layer of conventional A-F, so that you have exposed the Coppercoat. Give this a final burnish with a fine grade of wet-and-dry paper (say 600 grit), to provide a smooth surface. Hopefully then you can simply relaunch.
If, over the coming season, the old Coppercoat proves to have lost it's effectiveness, you can then apply a new treatment directly over the old. And this should then give you another 10 or so years of anti-fouling protection.
(on a completely different topic, my 951 needs a new black side skirt on the drivers side as the current one has split, about a foot back from the front wheel - do you stock/sell these? Please email me at ewan@coppercoat.com)
timchapman
N/A
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macd
Well-Known Member
Coppercoat has worked for me in UK waters, the Med and Caribbean. It lends itself to warm waters, certainly for liveaboards, because what little marine growth it does allow is easily scrubbed off by snorkelling. As others have said it is not a barrier coat (but then nor does it leach to any significant degree, which I think is why the US Coastguard, amongst others, has endorsed it). As to its general effectiveness, I'd put it about level with a good conventional antifoul applied annually. Anyone expecting a quantum improvement is in for a disappointment. Burt, of course, its longevity is the main attraction.
The chemistry of Coppercoat can take a little while to get going, however, which is why Ewan and his gang recommend a light surface scrub after new applications in areas of high fouling. I'd suggest this is particularly necessary if the boat isn't likely to do much moving in the first few months after application.
For a boat that isn't routinely hauled out annually, particularly one someone has gone to the trouble of stripping and barrier-coating, I'd say Coppercoat is a no-brainer. Not least, I've met at least half a dozen owners who have gone to that trouble and not Coppercoated. Their view now is "If only..."
The chemistry of Coppercoat can take a little while to get going, however, which is why Ewan and his gang recommend a light surface scrub after new applications in areas of high fouling. I'd suggest this is particularly necessary if the boat isn't likely to do much moving in the first few months after application.
For a boat that isn't routinely hauled out annually, particularly one someone has gone to the trouble of stripping and barrier-coating, I'd say Coppercoat is a no-brainer. Not least, I've met at least half a dozen owners who have gone to that trouble and not Coppercoated. Their view now is "If only..."