DIY Coppercoat: Scraping, Preparation, Application and Results after 28 months

[Yngmar]

Because INTERPROTECT contains aluminium

and will after a short while corrode and lift a y epoxy overcoat.

Our Interprotect (on the lead keel) is all still there, as is the Coppercoat on top of it. Perhaps the contents of Interprotect have changed since, which is why it's always a good idea to check with AMC what primer to use. In 2015 the recommendation was Interprotect and it was the right choice then. It may no longer be, so always ask first.

Ours (also DIY with good results) has been in the water for 8 months now, and hasn't gone green at all which surprised us.

I thought that at first too, but it probably has gone green - it's just a very dark shade when wet (and viewed underwater). When you next haul out and the coating dries, it'll probably look just as green as ours. Our above waterline section that we did in February this year in Portugal is green by now as well.

We'll see how it stands up to Licata fouling! The river here turns the whole marina muddy brown after it's been raining. How's Cagliari treating you?

 

[SV Kittiwake]

I thought that at first too, but it probably has gone green - it's just a very dark shade when wet (and viewed underwater). When you next haul out and the coating dries, it'll probably look just as green as ours. Our above waterline section that we did in February this year in Portugal is green by now as well.

We'll see how it stands up to Licata fouling! The river here turns the whole marina muddy brown after it's been raining. How's Cagliari treating you?

Cagliari is great, although the water in the harbour is so murky that I can't check what colour it is right now so maybe it's turned! Anyhoo we've just sold this boat so will have to do the coppercoating all over again at some point on the new boat with a much bigger underwater surface! We still think it's worth it thoug

 

[sailaboutvic]

We'll see how it stands up to Licata fouling! The river here turns the whole marina muddy brown after it's been raining. How's Cagliari treating you?

Our stood up very well in Licata , we spend five months , that year we was one of the few yacht that managed to leave without haven to be tow to the boat yard or losing knots of our speed because of fouling .
Hopefully you shouldn't have a problem .
Four of our friends who where there at that time also had CC and they too was fine . We all lifted out in Tunisia and found no fouling . Just a Little Rock white worm .

 

[pandos]

Excellent information... Question... my boat has gellshield under the existing layers of AF. any suggestions on removing this... will this come off with the same scraper..

 

[upcountry2]

Excellent information... Question... my boat has gellshield under the existing layers of AF. any suggestions on removing this... will this come off with the same scraper..

Yes, use tungsten carbide scraper, but why would you want to?

 

[pandos]

Yes, use tungsten carbide scraper, but why would you want to?

I figure the best adhesion will be on gelcoat.. subject to it being abraded... Gellshield, once denuded of the AF and smoothed may be too thin to maintain adhesion to gelcoat and also the new CC... so best to remove all traces and provide best possible adhesion....

The CC will itself, is a water-based epoxy so it will protect in the same manner as Gelshield so no issue with water ingress...

 

[upcountry2]

If it were me I would (and have done) add more coats of Gelshield or epoxy of choice, after removing all traces of the anti fouling far easier than taking of what is a sound substrate.
The thicker the epoxy build up 5 coats recommended and then 5 coats of Coppercoat is in my opinion best practise.

 

[p435]

Experience with Copppercoat after 5 month in the Mediterranean Sea

In spring I had my boat coppercoated with 4 layers in 3 different portions

1 - Port side hull
2 - Starboard side hull
3 - Both keels.

The air temperature was definitely higher when the keels were coated. However, I only know that the temperature was just high enough when the hulls were coated.

I forgot to polish the hulls and keel using a 400 grade sanding paper before launching the boat again. My mistake!

After a rather short time I found certain areas at the hulls, where algae was growing strongly. Nothing was growing at the keels. I don't know if this has to do with the different air-temperatures while coating the various parts.

I used 400grd sand paper and remove the algae on the hull under water. By doing so I activated the copper and the algae stopped growing.

5 month after the coppercoating I needed to haul out our boat out again and saw that the walls were very clean. I used this time on land to polish the hulls again, mainly in areas where the coppergreen color was not that intensive with a 400 grade sand paper and expect that I have very clean hulls for the years to come without any additional work.