Lanolin vs lanolin and extra hot chilli powder - the results

[Dipper]

Last spring I decided to try out lanolin with and without extra hot chilli powder on my folding propeller.

I polished the propeller to a lovely shine and left the metal polish on the metal. I then coated one blade and the hub with lanolin only and the other blade with lanolin containing a sizeable dose of extra hot chilli powder. The results are in the photo.

I won't know which is which until I clean them up but there doesn't seem to be a significant diffence between the blades. Both are rubbish. I've only used the engine lightly this year and when I cast off my mooring prior to lifting out I could only manage about half a knot although this improved to about 2 knots after 5 minutes. Previous years I've used Trilux and only had a few barnacles on the propeller - none of those whirly worm things. Back to Trilux next year for me I think.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

The biochemical in chillis that causes the heat is called capsaicin. It's an ingenious bit of evolution by the chilli plant to ensure that the fruit and hence the seeds are eaten by birds and not mammals, because it's birds that distribute the seeds in their droppings. For this to work the pain sensation is felt only by mammals - it's a response peculiar to the mammalian pain system - and not by other classes of animals. Therefor chilli in antifoul will be good at keeping dolphins, porpoises, whales, marine baboons and small children from attaching themselves to your hull or prop, but not anything else.

 

[Dipper]

Therefor chilli in antifoul will be good at keeping dolphins, porpoises, whales and small children from attaching themselves to your hull, but not anything else.

In that case, it worked.

Personally I didn't believe it would have any beneficial effects as an antifoul for the reasons you stated but I wanted to prove it once and for all. I'm surprised the lanolin didn't attract any sheep though.

 

[Ian_Edwards]

just for fun

This is the prop on Eynhallow after 6 month.

The prop was just polished with Autosol, until it had a nice shine. I had the same result last year.

oops, I don't seem to be able to get "manage attachments" to work.

trying photobucket.

http://s296.photobucket.com/user/Eynhallow/media/prop_zpsbb86235c.jpg.html

 

[J Neeves]

The biochemical in chillis that causes the heat is called capsaicin. It's an ingenious bit of evolution by the chilli plant to ensure that the fruit and hence the seeds are eaten by birds and not mammals, because it's birds that distribute the seeds in their droppings. For this to work the pain sensation is felt only by mammals - it's a response peculiar to the mammalian pain system - and not by other classes of animals. Therefor chilli in antifoul will be good at keeping dolphins, porpoises, whales, marine baboons and small children from attaching themselves to your hull or prop, but not anything else.

Not entirely true as possums (as in marsupials) here love chilli, and strip our plants. So use of chilli on a prop could result in the prop being licked by a platypus - be warned.

Jonathan

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Not entirely true as possums (as in marsupials) here love chilli, and strip our plants.

Maybe, like humanoids, they detect the heat, but like it. Ask one next time one comes to visit and you catch it scoffing your garden.

 

[lpdsn]

I won't know which is which until I clean them up but there doesn't seem to be a significant diffence between the blades.

Does that mean you will be able to tell? Congratulations on your experimental method.

If Angus McDoon's theory is correct, maybe the more heavily fouled blade is the one populated by the molluscs that came around for a meal of something spicy.

 

[Dipper]

Does that mean you will be able to tell? Congratulations on your experimental method.

If Angus McDoon's theory is correct, maybe the more heavily fouled blade is the one populated by the molluscs that came around for a meal of something spicy.

I added the chilli powder to the blade that has the size stamped on it which I won't see until I scrape the fouling off.

Ian Edwards - I also used Autosol. I wonder if the degree of fouling relates to use? Have you done a lot of motoring this year?

 

[Ruffles]

Personally I sometimes use Lanolin if I think the boat will be unused for a month after it's launched. I don't expect the stuff to stay on for more than a nanosecond once the prop is turning.

 

[ronsurf]

In the name of research, can you try coating one blade with Trilux and one blade with surfwax? Try a tropical SexWax. Rub it on in small circles until you get an even coating of it.

 

[wully1]

In the name of research, can you try coating one blade with Trilux and one blade with surfwax? Try a tropical SexWax. Rub it on in small circles until you get an even coating of it.

It works on the deck of my surf board - never had any barnacles or weed on it.

 

[mobeydick]

Personally I didn't believe it would have any beneficial effects ....

Ah, there's your problem then..

MD

 

[J Neeves]

We tried wiping lanolin over the leaing edges and the prop. We had preferential growth on the lanolin rich areas, not illogical - something to feed on.

Jonathan

 

[William_H]

Last spring I decided to try out lanolin with and without extra hot chilli powder on my folding propeller.

I polished the propeller to a lovely shine and left the metal polish on the metal. I then coated one blade and the hub with lanolin only and the other blade with lanolin containing a sizeable dose of extra hot chilli powder. The results are in the photo.

I won't know which is which until I clean them up but there doesn't seem to be a significant diffence between the blades. Both are rubbish. I've only used the engine lightly this year and when I cast off my mooring prior to lifting out I could only manage about half a knot although this improved to about 2 knots after 5 minutes. Previous years I've used Trilux and only had a few barnacles on the propeller - none of those whirly worm things. Back to Trilux next year for me I think.

No comment about chilli powder but not surprised. Can anyone shed any light on the wormy looking things in the photo. I get them a bit on my boat hull. Are they actually worms or a kind of coral that just looks like a worm? They have to be smashed to get them off and seem to really grow into the hull. Usually when I have mostly scrubbed the a/f off during the summer. olewill

 

[ronsurf]

I was actually being serious about the surf wax. I've used it on my log paddle wheel after reading a thread about RIB owners using it successfully on their props. One guy reckoned it lasted 5 months, which is pretty much a season. Bit shocked at the price when I last bought some, it's now over £2 a bar.

 

[Dipper]

In the name of research, can you try coating one blade with Trilux and one blade with surfwax? Try a tropical SexWax. Rub it on in small circles until you get an even coating of it.

Thanks for the suggestion but I don't want to risk another year with virtually no drive at the end of the season. Maybe someone else could give it a trial.

I was actually being serious about the surf wax. I've used it on my log paddle wheel after reading a thread about RIB owners using it successfully on their props. One guy reckoned it lasted 5 months, which is pretty much a season. Bit shocked at the price when I last bought some, it's now over £2 a bar.

I might try it on the paddlewheel though and see how I get on. Thanks for that.

 

[Dipper]

Can anyone shed any light on the wormy looking things in the photo. I get them a bit on my boat hull. Are they actually worms or a kind of coral that just looks like a worm? They have to be smashed to get them off and seem to really grow into the hull. Usually when I have mostly scrubbed the a/f off during the summer. olewill

A couple of websites I found refer to these as keel worms.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

No comment about chilli powder but not surprised. Can anyone shed any light on the wormy looking things in the photo. I get them a bit on my boat hull. Are they actually worms or a kind of coral that just looks like a worm? They have to be smashed to get them off and seem to really grow into the hull. Usually when I have mostly scrubbed the a/f off during the summer. olewill

The generic term is "tube worm", but this refers to pretty much any kind of worm that secretes a mineral tube around its body. These are most likely Serpulid worms. They are worms (phylum Annelida), but the term "worm" itself isn't very taxonomically helpful, as the worm body shape isn't restricted to one Phylum; things called worms are found in several phyla. They aren't corals, though in the natural state they may well grow on coral.

 

[wully1]

I was actually being serious about the surf wax. I've used it on my log paddle wheel after reading a thread about RIB owners using it successfully on their props. One guy reckoned it lasted 5 months, which is pretty much a season. Bit shocked at the price when I last bought some, it's now over £2 a bar.

I bought some proper waxy yotty prop protector stuff. ( didn't smell anything like as good as Sex Wax) Heated it up and coated my Kiwi prop with it- didn't work at all well. This year due to operator error I got Kiwi grease all over the blades so thought I'd go with that and slapped on a load more..I'll find out soon how that works and report back.

 

[GrahamHR]

I tried an additive called TBT ( tributyl tin oxide) once; it worked really well, Not allowed to be used anymore in antifoul apparently, but still readily available for use in home chemistry experiments !