DIY anti-fouling and biocides

[sarabande]

While ferreting around for advice on agricultural biocides (poisons) I came across this link to the Health and Safety Executive.

They are a body who occasionally come across to people as being a bit tedious and pedantic, but they do not make decisions without good scientific and/or social research.

In the case of a subject dear to many impoverished yotties' hearts, the HSE view is that adding biocides to approved anti-fouling is definitely not a Good Idea, and may well have human and environmental impacts far beyond the immediate and desired impact of reducing weed and slime on the hull of your own boat.

Pages here :-
http://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/index.htm


I know the webpages are rather pedestrian, but HSE does cover the unacceptable risks from unregulated use of biocides by private individuals. In the farming world, the improper use of weedkiller or insecticides will result quite rightly in serious regulatory displeasure and even fines and imprisonment. That may sound draconian, but I deliver a quite small part of the food chain to discerning customers, and the analogy between farming and boating holds good. The use of poisons without intensive scientic controls is a serious breach of both the statutory and ethical position.

If you are tempted, by stories of people adding glyphosate in Sydney harbour or chlorine in the Hamble river, to add that little extra "something " to your Jotun, Hempels, or Blakes, please take the longer-term view and consider the unknown impacts on your own local environment and its fish and plant life.

 

[greenalien]

A few years ago, I saw a tin of American-made antifouling booster on the shelves of a certain chandlery in Portsmouth. I looked at the ingredients list, and was surprised to see that it contained Tetracyclin. If that wasn't illegal already, it certainly should be - resistance to common antibiotics is one of the fastest-growing medical problems, so adding it randomly into the environment isn't a good idea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetracycline
At the time, I asked the chandlery to remove it from their shelves, and haven't seen it on sale since, but I hope nobody is still selling or using the stuff.

 

[oceanpilgrim]

IF THAY SOLD A ANTIFOULING THAT WORKED WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO DABBLE
fed up with paying £150 for a paint that lasts less than three months

 

[pvb]

IF THAY SOLD A ANTIFOULING THAT WORKED WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO DABBLE
fed up with paying £150 for a paint that lasts less than three months

Decent antifouling does work, if you apply enough. Follow the maker's instructions and it should be OK. If you have a 42ft boat and you only spend £150 on antifouling, it would suggest you're not applying enough. I use 2 or 3 generous brushed coats of Micron and get 2 full years in the water before re-antifouling.

 

[Pasarell]

+ 1 to both Sarabande and pvb!