New antifouling – too good to be true?

[MapisM]

Shame. The prop is the part of the u/w gear where a test really makes sense.
Trim tabs, or even rudders, are much less critical.

 

[Hurricane]

Shame. The prop is the part of the u/w gear where a test really makes sense.
Trim tabs, or even rudders, are much less critical.

Agreed

After all, we don't have a problem with antifoul paints - most antifouls work and if you want longer life then Coppercoat is available.

Now - IF YOU COULD PROTECT THE PROPS - that really would be an achievment.

And reading the link in Hugo's report, it seems that the product might be tougher and sliperyer than ordinary A/F and JUST MAYBE..... it would stay on the props.

MapisM - Go for it - and let us know the outcome - ther would definately be a beer in it for you!!

 

[Hugo_Andreae]

Shame. The prop is the part of the u/w gear where a test really makes sense.
Trim tabs, or even rudders, are much less critical.

They claim it's enough for 1sq metre so it depends on the size of your prop. What I don't know is whether it will cling to a prop given the extreme water pressure the blades experience. They aren't marketing it as a prop antifouling but it might be worth calling them and seeing what they think. Their tel number is : 01258 863499

 

[Hugo_Andreae]

No, Hugo, it's potentially a disaster. So I slap on a square metre or so, and the product turns out to be a pile of pooh. I then have to find some way to remove it and re-antifoul the whole boat.

At least the German lot (I think they were German, anyway) a few years back did a limited number of heavily discounted 'whole boat' applications to prove the product. If these people wanted test patches, there are plenty of ways to do that. To me, this says that a) they don't know if their own product works, b) they don't have the backing to do a proper marketing launch.

Even if it doesn't work I wouldn't call having to sand off 1 square metre a disaster nor would you have to re-antifoul the whole boat, although you'll probably be doing that anyway at the end of the season.

Anyway it's your call . Nobody's forcing you to have a free sample!

 

[mjf]

I agree hugo - its enough for 1sq m so might just do a prop

 

[MapisM]

MapisM - Go for it - and let us know the outcome - ther would definately be a beer in it for you!!

Heck, a free sample - albeit small - was already tempting.
But now that you threw in also a beer, I can't resist!

Ok, here's the deal.
First of all, I'll check if these Clearcoat guys can supply the sample within a couple of weeks at the very latest, because the boat will hit the water afterward.
If that is feasible, I'll ask my yard put the a/f on either one whole prop, or just a couple of blades, depending on the quantity.
I'll take pics of the result on the hard first, and afterwards I'll take others underwater, at some different stages during the season.

One caveat of course is that my boat normally cruises between 8 and 9 knots, with just the occasional excitement of 10 to 11 , just to spin the engines a bit. Therefore, it won't be a test which will prove the resistance on P boats.
But still, the comparison with the other a/f I'm normally using should be meaningful.
And if it wouldn't stick on my props, there would be no chance on something faster, anyway.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Fair enough but at least they're not asking you to shell out several grand for a full treatment with no guarantee of how well it works. If your boat's already out of the water, it's no great hardship to slap on a small square and take before and after pics. And if it doesn't work at least you've only got a small square to scrape off rather than an entire hull!

Agree with NickH. They're effectively getting boat owners to do their R & D and getting some free publicity along the way as well. It would be a bit different if they paid boatowners to have a patch of their antifoul on their hulls and agreed to apply it and make good any damage if it needs to be removed. Either they've done the testing and proved it works in which case get it on the market or they pay for the testing to find out if its any good. All IMHO

 

[MapisM]

Agree with NickH. They're effectively getting boat owners to do their R & D and getting some free publicity along the way as well.

I see what you mean, but isn't the whole pleasure boating a sort of constant R&D activity, which normally not only doesn't get paid, but we also throw our hard earned savings at it, for some sort of masochism...?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I see what you mean, but isn't the whole pleasure boating a sort of constant R&D activity, which normally not only doesn't get paid, but we also throw our hard earned savings at it, for some sort of masochism...?

Yes very true. It seems like we spend our boating lives carrying out R&D testing on marine products

 

[Wiggo]

+1. I loved tcm's experimental copper sheathing project from a few years ago, but I'm always happier when it is someone else's money being spent on projects like that...

 

[Nick_H]

I see what you mean, but isn't the whole pleasure boating a sort of constant R&D activity, which normally not only doesn't get paid, but we also throw our hard earned savings at it, for some sort of masochism...?

Yeh, fair point, and between us we've tried lots of products on here without even receiving a thimble full for free. Maybe I was a bit harsh. Actually it was the 30% discount bit that made me laugh, as if it was some grand thankyou for all your hard work, when every antifoul at every chandler in Lymington is 30% off already!

 

[DAKA]

Does anyone know if any of the cross channel ferries have tested a patch yet.

As far as I am aware the seacats use jotun ( only deduced from noticing a 4ft x 3 ft photo of a seacat in their offices, so could be wrong) .

 

[MapisM]

Update - for the records

First of all, I'll check if these Clearcoat guys can supply the sample within a couple of weeks...

Sorry Hurricane (and anyone else possibly interested), but I won't be able to earn that beer.

I emailed Marine Testing Ltd. (which is the contact mailbox they give on the website), and they explained me that they are hoping to arrange trials also in Italy, but are not ready yet. At the moment, they are doing trials only within the UK.

I suppose this means that also those in SoF couldn't apply.
Btw, I did not understand exactly what it means not being able to arrange trials in Italy, when all they should do is send the sample.
I suppose they want to have someone from this "Marine Testing Ltd." following up on the result...

Oh, well, I surely won't loose my sleep on that!

 

[Elessar]

missed this thread for some reason.

I've been testing it and it has promise, I also had some in stock and will have more soon.

 

[Elessar]

Sounds remarkably like some German gunk that was around about 8 or 9 years ago. When it worked, it was fabulous, but it was so slippery that they had trouble getting it to adhere to the boats, and it fell off in huge swathes. The company eventually went bust due to the cost of lifting and reapplying to customers' boats (it wasn't a DIY job, for some reason). I remember SteveE of this parish had it applied and swore by it.

This product is DIY and can go over old antifoul. Looks a whole lot better on a clean hull though but I would say that wouldn't I

 

[Elessar]

To me, this says that a) they don't know if their own product works, b) they don't have the backing to do a proper marketing launch.

that's not a fair comment.

The permutations of boat and environment are almost infinite. Of course the product works. Where does it work and what are the possible problems is the question. Wider trials like this come after years of development, and if issue are found they can be cured (or not) before even more testing and eventual launch.

For the same effort they could have done a marketing campaign, sold it to a load of mugs and done a runner. The fact that it isn't being launched is a positive not a negative.

 

[epervier]

I just gave coppercoat lots of pennies so I hope it is at least as good as the new "miracle cure"

I had my last boat coppercoated and it does what it says on the tin, although never let the boat ground on mud, it kills the coating almost instantly, it's a great product , but the boat must stay afloat, I found that if moored in a tidal river with the ebb and flood flow helps keep the bottom slim free as well.

All this, as usual, is only IMHO.