EU45 Antifoul

[gonetotheboat]

For what it's worth .......
Maybe 15-20 years ago me and a mate both tried 3 or 4 brands simultaneously, each applied in same number of coats in patches around the hull.
All were self ablating, primarily copper based, cruising antifouling. My boat on trot on Hamble, his on trot on river above Plymouth.
It was Blakes, International, EU45 and another [umm, clipper maybe? can't remember, but not seen it before or since]
Outcome was same for both of us ...
Blakes & International had similar light fouling, EU45 had the tiniest bit more [like less than 5% more] fouling, the clipper was much heavier fouling.
Given the price difference we switched to EU45.
We used to put on 2 1/2 coats each season, and that worked fine, just light fouling at end of season. Tried 1 1/2 coats but much heavier fouling.
Boat now in med, and only in water 2 months in spring and 2 months in autumn, so now we just put on 1 1/2 coat every year, or every other year.
Of course, in the med I can dive and wipe if needed!
But all in all, it's worked well for me in the UK, atlantic France, Spain, Portugal, and Med.
Happy enough to have just bought another load!

 

[Greemble]

We used to put on 2 1/2 coats each season, and that worked fine, just light fouling at end of season. Tried 1 1/2 coats but much heavier fouling.
Boat now in med, and only in water 2 months in spring and 2 months in autumn, so now we just put on 1 1/2 coat every year, or every other year.

How do you put on half a coat of antifoul?

 

[gonetotheboat]

Apologies, "2 1/2 coats of antifoul" is our shorthand way of saying 2 normal full coats over the entire area, plus 1 further coat on the critical areas - those where either the water action is greater, or more fouling occurs because there is more sunlight, or fouling has a greater effect, ie. the keel & rudder.

 

[LittleSister]

But maybe the way ahead is to go back to the days of having a professional hand to put the boat ashore and give it a scrub every Thursday.

I will if the price is still ten bob.

 

[Sailing steve]

I will if the price is still ten bob.

So would I.

I've long suspected that legislation reducing the performance of antifoul to it's virtually useless status has been passed with more than a passing consideration of the increase in profits boatyards earn and subsequent additional taxation they pay from creating a demand for two or three lifts and scrubs from many leisure boat owners each season.

That loss of antifoul performance is certainly not for environmental reasons as is always claimed because if it was then commercial users and ship owners would be obliged to use the same ineffectual products the leisure community has inflicted upon it rather than the far superior antifouls they have access to and they'd be obliged to fork out for maintenance and dry docking every few weeks as well.