Marine testing of Clear coat

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pampas

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I applied for a sample, followed the instructions and applied 2 coats on selected areas to the Port side only after the new antifouling had been finished.

After 3 months the ole girl was getting slower, so dried out and inspected, botton covered with Barnicles as usual including some of the test areas, except where the waterflow was fastest (displacement hull max speed about 7.6 knots).

I was rather suprised . On the test area one could brush the critters off with one finger Fastest water flow was the prop, and rudder, not one present.

Would I do the whole boat, No, only those bits I could reach easily.

If you took part. did It impressed you or not?
 
All these antifowling arguments are pointless. It all depends where your boat lies and in which waters it is sailed in. I haven't tested it, no. On our river we have several International Paints testing rafts. It makes sense then, that International antifowling works well around here - although I've never used it yet! My father did for many years. I usually use the cheapest stuff I can lay my hands on, often from a navy surplus store, and it normally works fine for me! If you believe all the blurb, then any antifowling is good. However, paint any poison on the bottom of your hull and it will kill things. The best antifowling is still copper cladding that was used hundreds of years ago.
 
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I asked for those who took part , I was only interested in those that did so one could get a comparison from around the country. Not trying to offend .
 
pampas said:
I applied for a sample, followed the instructions and applied 2 coats on selected areas to the Port side only after the new antifouling had been finished.

After 3 months the ole girl was getting slower, so dried out and inspected, botton covered with Barnicles as usual including some of the test areas, except where the waterflow was fastest (displacement hull max speed about 7.6 knots).

I was rather suprised . On the test area one could brush the critters off with one finger Fastest water flow was the prop, and rudder, not one present.

Would I do the whole boat, No, only those bits I could reach easily.

If you took part. did It impressed you or not?
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Did you use the Clear Coat OVER antifouling, or on bare GRP?

Also, what AF are you using. It sounds as though it is ineffective.

For six years in Falmouth, I have used one single thinned coat of Seajet 033 antifouling each year, with a second thinned coat for a few inches around the waterline. This is on a boat with similar speed to yours. I give the bottom a light wet sand each winter to keep down the AF thickness.

Each year afloat April-end October without mid-season haulout, I have had no barnacles on the antifouled hull area. On haul-out each year, a trace of weed around the waterline, and some slime underwater. The only place that gets any barnacles is under the very bottom of the keel, where you are not able to get any antifouling, except for a very quick dab a few minutes before launch. I use one 2.5 litre can a year for a 35 ft hull.

If a non-toxic AF can work, I'd be very keen to use it, but you say you are getting barnacles in 3 months on the test areas with it.
 
Mud berth in Penryn River, tried from the cheapest to the dearest anti foul none seem to work, no weed or slime so I assume you are in the inner harbour on a swinging mooring. I did as required for the test and its not an anti foul paint, a completely different concept all together non toxic. Google for clear coat for further info.
 
pampas said:
Mud berth in Penryn River, tried from the cheapest to the dearest anti foul none seem to work, no weed or slime so I assume you are in the inner harbour on a swinging mooring. I did as required for the test and its not an anti foul paint, a completely different concept all together non toxic. Google for clear coat for further info.
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I understand it's meant to be a "nothing sticks" stuff rather than a poison. On a mud berth you will always have problems, the mud sticks to the hull and forms a barrier to normal poison type AF. Yes I am on a harbour deepwater mooring.
 
35mm said:
All these antifowling arguments are pointless. It all depends where your boat lies and in which waters it is sailed in. I haven't tested it, no. On our river we have several International Paints testing rafts. It makes sense then, that International antifowling works well around here - although I've never used it yet! My father did for many years. I usually use the cheapest stuff I can lay my hands on, often from a navy surplus store, and it normally works fine for me! If you believe all the blurb, then any antifowling is good. However, paint any poison on the bottom of your hull and it will kill things. The best antifowling is still copper cladding that was used hundreds of years ago.
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Agree with what you say, it all depends on local conditions. I think my old mooring was great because it was on an old American sub. base and someone told me they used to chuck all sorts of things overboard (spare plutonium, well probably not quite that bad). Then I ran into a guy who said he'd carried out a survey after they left and found high levels of heavy metals on the bottom.

However, in this case the guy is comparing it with other parts of the same boat exposed to the same environment. So it sounds reasonable to say that it is working better than uncoated areas. So it does seem to reduce build up and worth asking if others had the same result.

My antifowling has always worked well, never ever found any chickens stuck to the bottom.

;^))
 
It would appear that not many if any applied for the test, thanks for all of your comments. Interestingly the patches I did, the mud did not stick to but the critters did, but could be brushed off with one finger.

It is not Teflon based, rubbery when dry but slippery when wet easy to apply and I expect rather dear to buy.

Thanks again to all
Gordon
 
Like you, Pampas, I'm on a mud berth, so no antifoul I'm aware of does enough good to justify the price. However, lying in a muddy puddle between the keels with a scraper is an over-rated experience and I'd happily pay for something that would mean the barnacles would come off with a quick jetwash.

A quick Google gives several products, but none look like something I'd but on the bum of a boat. Who is the manufacturer, please?
 
Stemar said:
Like you, Pampas, I'm on a mud berth, so no antifoul I'm aware of does enough good to justify the price. However, lying in a muddy puddle between the keels with a scraper is an over-rated experience and I'd happily pay for something that would mean the barnacles would come off with a quick jetwash.

A quick Google gives several products, but none look like something I'd but on the bum of a boat. Who is the manufacturer, please?
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In answer to who makes it. I do notknow as it came from Marine Testing a org. who test products on behalve of a third party.
 
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