Hempel Silic One - anyone tried it?

[Hot Property]

I've just applied Silic One to my sports cruiser. Bit of a faff as 4 coatings were required for the initial application - 2 pack sealer, 1 x tie coat then 2 x top coat.

initial results seem good. I've just completed a 250 mile round trip to Brixham and I have noticed top speed is up from 34 to 36 knots and that was heavily laden.

The appeal to me is that subsequent coats should only be required 3 yearly and then the boat can be "lifted and held" for outboard maintenance etc. saving around £100 each year plus say £75 on antifoul. A saving over 3 years of around £500. Even if top speed/MPG are not improved the £500 will fill the tank a couple of times!

I'll report back on how its doing when I have something worthwhile to share...

 

[Hot Property]

I've just applied Silic One to my sports cruiser. Bit of a faff as 4 coatings were required for the initial application - 2 pack sealer, 1 x tie coat then 2 x top coat.

initial results seem good. I've just completed a 250 mile round trip to Brixham and I have noticed top speed is up from 34 to 36 knots and that was heavily laden.

The appeal to me is that subsequent coats should only be required 3 yearly and then the boat can be "lifted and held" for outboard maintenance etc. saving around £100 each year plus say £75 on antifoul. A saving over 3 years of around £500. Even if top speed/MPG are not improved the £500 will fill the tank a couple of times!

I'll report back on how its doing when I have something worthwhile to share...

Update on Silic One. I've had it for 3 seasons and it's worked really well for me.

I touched up areas where it had been abraded such as a log sitting alongside rubbing it off.

This was done annually on my lift and hold when I serviced the outboard. I saved a few quid compared to chocking off on the hardstsnding.

Zoom now sold but Silic One good for another season.

So impressed I'm doing my new rib as that will stay afloat all year round....

Superheat6k of this parish applied it to his last boat with good results too...

 

[AntarcticPilot]

There was mention of it on the HR forum yesterday as a coating for propellers. It looks seriously interesting for this and I have the intention of using it next season. Otherwise, it seems more of a motorboat thing for hulls.

Not merely a motor boat, but also one in regular use. It has to be in motion at 8+ knots frequently enough that organisms can't become attached. Once they've got attached, it is too late.

 

[johnalison]

Not merely a motor boat, but also one in regular use. It has to be in motion at 8+ knots frequently enough that organisms can't become attached. Once they've got attached, it is too late.

That would have been alright if it had attached itself to my prop but as there was nothing remaining when we lifted out I have no means of judging it. I had more luck with International Primer and Trilux spray as most of it stuck.

 

[Hot Property]

That would have been alright if it had attached itself to my prop but as there was nothing remaining when we lifted out I have no means of judging it. I had more luck with International Primer and Trilux spray as most of it stuck.

I don't know why Hempel advertise it for props, it's a soft coating for hulls and poor experiences detract from the good product.

Suitable really for 20 knots planing hulls and slower if you don't mind rubbing the slime off.....

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Thanks, so it sounds like it needs a regular trip at 8+ knots to knock the growth off. Maybe better for mobos, then, although the boat I saw being painted today was a Pogo 12.50!

A po

Thanks, so it sounds like it needs a regular trip at 8+ knots to knock the growth off. Maybe better for mobos, then, although the boat I saw being painted today was a Pogo 12.50!

The Pogo 12.50 has been known to achieve 24kt, according to www.fastsailing.gr ,so it's a perfect fit.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I had it professionally applied to my prop last year, using exactly the methods described in the manual. On the small areas where it stuck, there was no fouling. Most of it peeled off, so it was an expensive waste of time. I’ve never been able to get anything except Hammerite special metals primer to stick to the prop. Shame it’s not an Antifoul.

Perhaps you could mix in the old reliable chili powder

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I notice that Silic 1 came out top in an antifoul PBO test in the May issue.

Not the propeller, but bottom paint.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Jeez! I was the crash test dummy in the XOD fleet for it. Abject failure, even if its lifted and jetwashed regularly. Not only, but any growth you get leaves its roots or spores in the coating, so after a winter ashore and a recoat, it takes mere weeks to grow again and cannot be scrubbed off. Hempel paid for materials for ours to be stripped, cleaned, de siliconed, re epoxy primed and conventionally antifouled. And what an expensive pain in the ass that was. I coukd go on for pages describing the stripping and its consequences.

 

[Elessar]

I saw a boat being painted today with Hempel Silic One. This is an alternative to conventional antifouling. According to Hempel, it's "A high solid one component fouling release coating. it is based on silicone, is biocide free and cures by air humidity. Provides a smooth, low surface energy repellent surface with unique fouling release properties. A hydro gel micro layer prevents fouling organisms firmly adhering, while the silicone polymers facilitate self-cleaning."

It was apparently announced in 2013, but I've never seen it being used. It sounds quite clever. Has anyone here tried it, and how did you find its performance?

Supeeheat6k had it on his (slow) mobo.

He rated it. Find that thread or pm him.

Someone brought out a silicone coating a few years ago and there were a lost of boat handling and storage accidents where the boats fell. Warn your yard it is silicone if you use it.

I wouldn’t want to be an early adopter on this because of the impossibility of returning to a conventional coating.

 

[Hot Property]

Supeeheat6k had it on his (slow) mobo.

He rated it. Find that thread or pm him.

Someone brought out a silicone coating a few years ago and there were a lost of boat handling and storage accidents where the boats fell. Warn your yard it is silicone if you use it.

I wouldn’t want to be an early adopter on this because of the impossibility of returning to a conventional coating.

It works for me, so much so that I'm using on my new rib.

It's very slippery so I used to insist that the bow rope was attached when being g pulled out on the big tractor lift.

If the boat is not regularly used then some build up occurs.

The best bit is that a soft cloth wipes it off or a quick high speed blast.

My initial application lasted 3 seasons and had I not sold her would have lasted another.

At that point a single topcoat would be required which makes it good value to say the least!

Either way, in a few years traditional poisons used in antifoul ( including the copper type) will be banned leaving few alternatives......

 

[coopec]

Supeeheat6k had it on his (slow) mobo.

He rated it. Find that thread or pm him.

Someone brought out a silicone coating a few years ago and there were a lost of boat handling and storage accidents where the boats fell. Warn your yard it is silicone if you use it.

I wouldn’t want to be an early adopter on this because of the impossibility of returning to a conventional coating.

I don't think there's any point in PM ing PVB since he last posted 1 October 21. I wonder what happened?
(Prior to that he was a prolific poster)

 

[superheat6k]

Here is the thread where I reported on the process and then follow up after 18 months use.

Hempel Silic One - Feedback anyone ?

If / when I get my next boat I will definitely be using the stuff again, but not on the props, where it was rubbish.

 

[coopec]

Where's PVB?

Where’s PVB?

 

[Buck Turgidson]

I've got the prop kit but haven't used it. I forgot that I can't take it on a flight when I ordered it and had it shipped to my home address rather than the boat! Ironically I teach transport of dangerous goods along with other subjects

 

[Elessar]

It works for me, so much so that I'm using on my new rib.

It's very slippery so I used to insist that the bow rope was attached when being g pulled out on the big tractor lift.

If the boat is not regularly used then some build up occurs.

The best bit is that a soft cloth wipes it off or a quick high speed blast.

My initial application lasted 3 seasons and had I not sold her would have lasted another.

At that point a single topcoat would be required which makes it good value to say the least!

Either way, in a few years traditional poisons used in antifoul ( including the copper type) will be banned leaving few alternatives......

Coppercoat won’t be banned as it is essentially non leeching. A tiny bit yeah but not enough for it to be banned. It’s 10 times lower than any proposed legislation.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I notice that Silic 1 came out top in an antifoul PBO test in the May issue.

Not the propeller, but bottom paint.

Coppercoat won’t be banned as it is essentially non leeching. A tiny bit yeah but not enough for it to be banned. It’s 10 times lower than any proposed legislation.

Lets hope that is correct, because Silic one is not the answer for slower boats, and the pain incurred for getting it wrong is horiffic.