GGR - Barnacle Blues

[Slowboat35]

I note from reports from Golden Globe competitors that most boats are suffering huge speed penalties due to barnacle infestation, sadly much of it the very tasty and hugely expensive goose banacles.
While presumably this was a problem to the original racers back in the '60s why fo modern boats still succumb, surely modern anti-foul prevents this - or are modern treatments banned?
Doesn't coppercoat prevent barnies in tropical waters? What about copper sheathing? I thought that was all but infallible.

 

[Birdseye]

Never tasted a goose barnacle. What are they like?

My experience of coppercoat is that its quite good with moluscs etc but average with weed. Its great merits isnt that its better than conventional antifouls but that you dont have the mucky jobs of annual applications and scraping - at a cost. Just about to coat my latest boat after previous success with it.

And yes, the eco freaks have banned the really effective TBT coatings but only for leisure craft. Your supertanker or humungous cruise boat can still use it.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Never tasted a goose barnacle. What are they like?

My experience of coppercoat is that its quite good with moluscs etc but average with weed. Its great merits isnt that its better than conventional antifouls but that you dont have the mucky jobs of annual applications and scraping - at a cost. Just about to coat my latest boat after previous success with it.

And yes, the eco freaks have banned the really effective TBT coatings but only for leisure craft. Your supertanker or humungous cruise boat can still use it.

I think not. TBT has been banned everywhere including commercial shipping for many years surely?
Shouldnt this be in PBO?

 

[reallycoliholic]

Anyone would thin this is a boaty forum

 

[capnsensible]

Goose barnacles are tenacious, multiply rapidly and stick to anything.

I sailed a yacht across the Pacific a few years ago. They were everywhere including on the spinning blades of a watt@sea generator. They certainly slowed us down.

 

[Blueboatman]

Goose barnacles are tenacious, multiply rapidly and stick to anything.

I sailed a yacht across the Pacific a few years ago. They were everywhere including on the spinning blades of a watt@sea generator. They certainly slowed us down.

I have had them on the immersed topsides , of course
In fact didn’t someone market a clear topside ‘anti-foul’ just for extended trade wind passages ?

 

[shan]

Never tasted a goose barnacle. What are they like?

My experience of coppercoat is that its quite good with moluscs etc but average with weed. Its great merits isnt that its better than conventional antifouls but that you dont have the mucky jobs of annual applications and scraping - at a cost. Just about to coat my latest boat after previous success with it.

And yes, the eco freaks have banned the really effective TBT coatings but only for leisure craft. Your supertanker or humungous cruise boat can still use it.

Sort of hard to describe but I call them Sea Peanuts: salty, sweet and taste of the sea. The locals call them percebes and they are quite expensive.

 

[john_q]

I think not. TBT has been banned everywhere including commercial shipping for many years surely?
Shouldnt this be in PBO?

I have seen TBT for sale in Guatemala and I can buy TBT from Costa Rica but only in 27 gallon lots form a commercial paint company TransOcean/Becc

 

[penfold]

Applying TBT AF to ships was banned in 2003 and it was required to be removed from all shipping in 2008.

 

[Neeves]

Many large commercial vessels, and military vessels, moved to silicones. They then discovered that silicones were not as robust and possibly not as effective and many have moved back to 'conventional' AF (like ours only better). Most of the paint companies have a range of AF, which are available to us, cost determines how good they are, but at the top of the range they all carry AF NOT available to us but used by larger leisure yachts (superyachts) and commercial vessels. Hempel have their Globic, Jotun their Sea Quantum and International have their as well (but I forget the name).

These (call them quality commercial AF) are only available to professional applicators and for use on vessels of a certain large size, or larger. Often the range is broken down into actual application - high speed ferries use one quality, container ships another, tug boats a third and laid up ships something else - so varying the tenacity of the paint to itself and the hull.

Why - they are not available to us is a bit of a mystery - but they are expensive, top of the price range and commonly sold in large containers - far too much for any of us to use (or even pick up) but could be sensibly used by a yacht club - if they could buy the product.

I was given access to Sea Quantum (used by Maersk) and Globic - for a trial. They are excellent - 2 years life is comfortably possible - if you follow the instructions and apply the correct coating thickness. But the packaging is a nightmare - I could not lift the drum, mixing is a second nightmare (one's drill and stirrer are toys in big drums). They are expensive - and anyone with a conscience will not sell to you.

The story in America is slightly different.

Directors from Sea Hawk, US AF company, spent time in prison in America when it was shown they were adding TBT to their formulations (just google Sea Hawke and TBT).

Jonathan

 

[William_H]

Barnacles yuck!!! I went for a swim yesterday under the little boat. It has been back in the water for 8 weeks after new a/f application. I was shocked at barnacle build up. They seemtio have gone mad at the end of last season also. Is this a global onslaught? And of course every one smashed off takes paint with it. Yeah a bit of slime and stuff also. Anyway clearly it will be back to weekly scrubs from here on. Lucky I enjoy the water. ol'will