First lift out and antifoul

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Neil

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It's time for a first lift out and renewal of the anti foul on my new-to-me Sadler 25. It did always easily get growth on the rudder, but I managed to scrape the thick of it off with the marina's long handled scraper. However, yesterday, I had a trip out out and barely managed 4kts under full engine; lots of turbulence at the blunt end, but little forward progress. It didn't look too bad under the water though?

So, it's booked to come out on Monday -I've bought some Int. Uno Cruiser and a cheap roller and brush set: power wash off, let it dry and on with the paint. Any little tips, like not painting over the sacrificial anodes........ :-)
 
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The blue will get everywhere!
Disposable overalls or painting clothes are a must. A small roller on a stick saves time and your back. Eye protection. You don't want that stuff in your eyes.
Extra coat near the waterline and rudder.
 
The best scraper is a garden hoe. Saves the back!

For bilge keelers, a garage crawler is a godsend, provided the surface is reasonably flat and not too sloping - far better than that walking on shoulderblades to get around underneath.

Just be sure to wash the wheel bearings out with fresh waster
 
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Check the prop...a few barnies on there can make one hell of a difference, even if the hull itself isn't too bad.
 
Some excellent tips here, chaps! Protective glasses and shower cap, definitely (didn't think of that). I want to put an extra coat on the rudder, but it'll only be out for the day and the recoat/drying times would suggest a difficulty here? Given that the underside doesn't seem gross (unlike some unused boats in the marina!), the possibility of barnacles on the prop is not something I'd considered, but it makes perfect sense. I don't know if the prop's bronze but will barnacles grow on that? Do you anti foul the prop - I can't imagine an ablative anti foul lasting long on the prop......

Why start painting from the bottom up and not from the waterline down?
 
Why start painting from the bottom up and not from the waterline down?
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If it a bilge keeler start with the insides of the keels and the bottom between them.

Avoid having to crawl/reach under the bits with wet paint on them.

If its a good drying day you'll be able to get two coats on the rudder even if International indicate a longer overcoating time.

See the Product datasheet and the Safety datasheet on International's website http://www.yachtpaint.com/gbr/diy/default.aspx
 
I don't pay that much heed to the recoating times as I am only out for the time it takes for the flood tide to come. It is anti foul, it is supposed to fall off, what is the worst that can happen if you are a few hours early doing a recoat?
 
pmagowan said:
I don't pay that much heed to the recoating times as I am only out for the time it takes for the flood tide to come. It is anti foul, it is supposed to fall off, what is the worst that can happen if you are a few hours early doing a recoat?
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Agreed - whilst the tin may say something like 6 hours recoat time, on a half-warm and breezy day a thin coat will easily be overcoatable in 10-15 minutes. On a hot breezy day if you slow down too much the roller almost gets stuck to the hull it dries so fast.
 
Neil said:
I don't know if the prop's bronze but will barnacles grow on that? Do you anti foul the prop - I can't imagine an ablative anti foul lasting long on the prop......
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Bronze - they love it. You can scrape'em off, but there'll be bits that remain as well as stuff like tube worms (if that's the actual name for those tunnelly things). Buy some brick cleaner from B&Q or similar. It's hydrochloric acid. Lime-based shells dissolve satisfyingly in it. Props don't. Hang a bucket with a bit of brick cleaner it it over the prop, and 'paint' it onto the prop with a brush. Wear latex gloves and your second best trousers. Takes about 30 mins to completely clean a prop off. You can antifoul props (Trilux), or you can't, doesn't make much difference - might delay fouling for a week or two.
 
I just give the prop a scrape. It never looks that bad and I am not interested in the last 0.1kn. If I have it out over the winter I would polish it up while I am doing everything else for no other reason than it looks better. My little barnicles can cling on and get dizzy if they like.
 
I antifouled a prop with trilux. Paint, with a sprayed primer. Worked quite well. Make sure you use the primer. 6 months later most of it was still there after medium use.
 
Twister_Ken said:
Bronze - they love it. You can scrape'em off, but there'll be bits that remain as well as stuff like tube worms (if that's the actual name for those tunnelly things). Buy some brick cleaner from B&Q or similar. It's hydrochloric acid. Lime-based shells dissolve satisfyingly in it. Props don't. Hang a bucket with a bit of brick cleaner it it over the prop, and 'paint' it onto the prop with a brush. Wear latex gloves and your second best trousers. Takes about 30 mins to completely clean a prop off. You can antifoul props (Trilux), or you can't, doesn't make much difference - might delay fouling for a week or two.
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I'd just wondered whether the copper content of the bronze would limit growth. Would a smooth polish delay the little rotters? What about applying a patina of copper? Copper sulphate just painted on would deposit a micron or two of copper on the metal, but for a proper job, I would take the prop off and apply by electrolysis. Although, if it was so easy, why are not all props copper plated....... After this lift out, towards the end of the season I'll dry the boat out against the wall and have another look.
 
Neil said:
I'd just wondered whether the copper content of the bronze would limit growth. Doesn't for me! Would a smooth polish delay the little rotters? Yes, for a week or two. What about applying a patina of copper? No idea Copper sulphate just painted Isn't copper sulphate water soluble? on would deposit a micron or two of copper on the metal, but for a proper job, I would take the prop off and apply by electrolysis. Although, if it was so easy, why are not all props copper plated....... After this lift out, towards the end of the season I'll dry the boat out against the wall and have another look.
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above
 
Yes, copper sulphate is water soluble, but applied to metal, there is enough potential difference to deposit copper metal on the surface. At least it works with the solder beading of Tiffany leaded light shades........But applying a current would be much more useful. As a lad, I used to copper plate a lot of things; a bit of old copper pipe as one electrode, copper sulphate electrolyte, the other wire on the recipient.

It strikes me that if Coppercoat works because there is powdered copper in the mix, then plating the prop with copper should do the same thing? But then, why are not all props copper plated?
 
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