Not anti fouling propeller

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eddystone

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My boat previously lived in the Itchen where prop and shaft fouling was appalling. Last year I tried Velox over Hammerite primer, which was some improvement but definitely not immune to barnacles/tube worm etc.
Problem is I will soon have a shiny new Featherstream prop and nothing will persuade me to attack it with sandpaper. Any suggestions for non invasive anti-foul preferably not involving heating lanolin and setting fire to the boatyard. On the positive side boat is now on the Tamar where fouling seems to come from above rather than below.
 
There's a suggestion that polishing a prop to really high gloss will prevent fouling sticking to it.

I tried that when we fitted a new prop to Ariam, because a new prop is about the only opportunity to try it. I got it shining like a military belt buckle, genuine see-your-face-in-it job using Brasso.

Didn't work at all, was a mass of barnacles when I dived on it a couple of months later :)

Pete
 
prv said:
There's a suggestion that polishing a prop to really high gloss will prevent fouling sticking to it.

I tried that when we fitted a new prop to Ariam, because a new prop is about the only opportunity to try it. I got it shining like a military belt buckle, genuine see-your-face-in-it job using Brasso.

Didn't work at all, was a mass of barnacles when I dived on it a couple of months later :)

Pete
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Hi prv,

We are moored in the far west of the solent and since fitting a new prop 5 years ago I have given the prop a very high polish each winter and then finished off with several applications of "stove black" (used to be called black lead and used on victorian cooking ranges) I understand that the stove black has "nano sized particles" that further improve the "smoothness" of the surface.

The result has been very good with no barnicles or weed only a little mud by the end of the season.

I used a polishing mop in a drill and solvoautosol to get the initial polish then elbow grease and a rag with the stove black.

Good luck
 
You can use Trilux or the Hempel equivalent without abrading before the primer. I did my FlexoFold like that and have only stripped it back once in 7 seasons by dropping the blades in brick cleaner and washing off with water before starting again with primer. Hub has never been stripped back. Reasonably effective at keeping the prop clean, just pressure wash once a year. and pick the odd barni off.
 
eddystone said:
.......I will soon have a shiny new Featherstream prop and nothing will persuade me to attack it with sandpaper.
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Within a day or so after immersion, a shiny new prop will no longer be a shiny new prop so, without hesitation, I'd lightly sand it, apply Primocon and then Trilux 33 or equivalents. At the end of the season, I remove my Flex-o-Fold, drop the pieces in 50% diluted Brick Cleaner for 20 minutes, wash it down, put it away for safe keeping for 6 months and repeat the process the following Spring.
 
I don't want to hijack the thread but I'm currently putting the last coat of the barrier coat on the fiberglass hull and then putting on the anti fouling

"Sep 3, 2015 - Altex Epoxy Primer or Altex Epoxy Barrier Undercoat. No.5 Antifouling must be applied over the epoxy bottom coatings before they have cured hard. Apply No.5 Antifouling when the epoxy is tack free but still soft to finger pressure. If the epoxy has cured too hard, apply another thin coat of epoxy before ..."

Now what about the prop? Do I put a barrier coat on that before I put antifouling on the prop? Is there a special antifouling for props/shafts? Advice appreciated!

Clive
 
coopec said:
Now what about the prop? Do I put a barrier coat on that before I put antifouling on the prop? Is there a special antifouling for props/shafts? Advice appreciated!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't put an epoxy onto the prop. The only paint I've ever found fully intact after a season's use is the Hammerite special metals primer already mentioned. (thanks to those who have posted about this in the past). There are special antifouls for propellers eg Velox which gets some good reports. I use Trilux 33 (a hard/boottop antifoul) which seems to stop shells but doesn't really help against weed.
 
Thanks Alahol2 and Vyv.
I've found where I can get Hammerite in Perth WA.
Where would we be without the internet!
 
We had two years with polished prop without any problems. Persuaded to try antifouling with International PropODrev last year and prob was very badly fouled and losing speed under engine long before we lifted out.
So trying nothing and shiny again this year. Seems to vary a lot
 
I clean my prop to a shiny finish then smother it with a thick layer of grease. I do not usually use the boat for the first 3 weeks it goes in the water just after easter, so i am sure nothing sticks to that. Thereafter i use the boat a lot until the mid season ( august) scrub (copper coat does not work) & generally the prop is clean up to then at least. At the end of the year ( October) on lift out it has a thin layer of hard slime but nothing that a few minutes with brick cleaner does not remove easily.
 
Daydream believer said:
I clean my prop to a shiny finish then smother it with a thick layer of grease. I do not usually use the boat for the first 3 weeks it goes in the water just after easter, so i am sure nothing sticks to that. Thereafter i use the boat a lot until the mid season ( august) scrub (copper coat does not work) & generally the prop is clean up to then at least. At the end of the year ( October) on lift out it has a thin layer of hard slime but nothing that a few minutes with brick cleaner does not remove easily.
Click to expand...

Any particular type of grease?
 
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