Not Antifoul AGAIN!!!

[DickB]

It is that time of year and the coveralls come out, and I go and purchase a couple ot tins of antifoul. Looking through the listings loads of folk recommend this or that brand. WHat would be interesting is to list out those brands that DID NOT work with a location and how much was used for a boat size. I have a suspicion that a lot of lower cost brands do a perfectly adequate job but I have always paid top dollar just because I am cautious....

In a nutshell, who has had a BAD experience with Antifoul..

Brand....... Amount used...... Boat length...... any thoughts on what went wrong....

<hr width=100% size=1>Dick

 

[andyball]

Prob. not one you'd consider....but I used Trilux in Chichester Harbour. say 2.25l on a 6.5 m power boat, & it didn't seem much better than no anti-fouling at all.

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[Joe_Cole]

The worst one I used was an antifoul that wasn't! It turned out that the can had been wrongly labelled and it was an entirely different product. When the boat was hauled out the fouling was inches thick....a bit like a shag pile carpet. The manufacturer admitted the error and we did a deal on the haul out, and re-antifoul (if there is such a word)

Since then I've used Teamac which is reasonably priced and seems to be effective.



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[gjeffery]

A useful question. I am about to buy Blakes Cruising Performer, to put over what is left of last yaers Titan. But, at £40 for 2.5 litres, I am sure that it is more expensive.

Any information about cheaper suppliers, or alternatives, would be appreciated.

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[mick]

You are right about some low-cost options being perfectly good. I moor the boat in Rothesay Bay and I always paid top dollar until trying XM two seasons ago. Every bit as good and half the price. Of course it all depends where you keep the boat. There are some parts of the Upper Clyde where fouling is more of a problem so perhaps more expensive stuff is needed.

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[Guest]

Problem in comparison

Many A/F's will deteriorate with age and especially if the can has a lot of air-space. EG - Jotun - a good grade a/f, but my large pot bought from market stall and at end of shelf life was fine first year ... next year was like oinion skin peeling on the boat .... had to scraped back and another a/f applied. I have seen this with other brands as well when kept.

The area used and number of coats ... is eroding, hard , racing etc. The factors are multiplied by the versions.

Now - I use the cheapest c--p I can get hold of and give one big thick coat ..... as it hasn't made a blind bit of difference to end results for me when done properly with various brands and types. In fact 2003 re-launch I didn't have time to do it so am relying on last years remains .... yep - you guessed it - about the same as last year !!!!

You may be excused for thinking that I am a cheapskate .... for I am !! and am fed up with the 'new' a/f's wasting my hard earned readies.


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
So WHAT does the EU really stand for ????/forums/images/icons/cool.gif

 

[andyball]

Re: Problem in comparison

We launched the boat (new) bare one december & lifted following june- some growth, as expected. Then 2 coats of trilux & I couldn't really tell any difference in growth from june-october, except it went a bit slower with trilux than bare factory paint.

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[chriscallender]

Re: Problem in comparison

Now - I use the cheapest c--p I can get hold of and give one big thick coat ..... as it hasn't made a blind bit of difference to end results for me when done properly with various brands and types. In fact 2003 re-launch I didn't have time to do it so am relying on last years remains .... yep - you guessed it - about the same as last year !!!!

Glad someone else has had the same experience as me with the stuff!

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[Rabbie]

I am seriously thinking .....

..... this year, instead of wasting another stack of cash on 'Anti-Foul' (what was that about the Sale of Goods Act??), I am going to do 2 - 3 monthly pressure-washes on the slip. Can't be any worse and look at the hassle/time/effort/dosh saved.
Rab. (Boating on a budget)

<hr width=100% size=1>A day not spent on my boat is a day in my life wasted.

 

[DickB]

Re: Problem in comparison

Well I think I am going to try some of the cheap c**p this year and see how we go. The difference in the money is substantial.

It is interesting that no-one appears to have used anything that really did not work, apart from the mis labelled can - Nice one !!!!

Is XM the cheapest? Looks like 34 pounds for 3 litres!!!



<hr width=100% size=1>Dick

 

[Shanty]

Don\'t bother with antifouling

I've given up using antifouling - its an expensive waste of time.

Removed all of it in 1999, and since then I just pressure wash when she comes out in the Autumn, and give her a quick polish before she goes back in the Spring - bottom stays as clean as a whistle.


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[poter]

Re: Problem in comparison

yup I used XM cx2000, nice & easy to aply & so far no problems.
Try Gimmy Green, they were doing a deal on XM, I think it was around
£70 for two 3ltrs.

poter

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[andyball]

Re: Problem in comparison

It is interesting that no-one appears to have used anything that really did not work

I should rephrase "I couldn't really tell any difference in growth from june-october" to :

The weed grew just as fast with trilux as with no antifouling at all, but when clean, the antifouled boat went slower. A royal waste of money.

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[longjohnsilver]

The best I used was Jotun Sea Guardian, paid about £25 for a gallon from a fishermans store in Brixham, last time I enquired it had gone up to £40!

I will never pay the ridiculous amounts wanted by the mainstream manufacturers.

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[richardabeattie]

I have not used any A/F for years. That saves me two days and £100 every year. The down side is I have to dry out once a summer and spend half an hour scubbing off with the back of a broom. Then at haul out another half hour with a pressure hose. A/F seems to act as a barnacle feed.

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[Cantata]

We're a bilge-keeler in a mud berth. A/foul keeps the areas above mud level clean, but below mud level the stuff is a waste of time and money, just looks nice when we crane in! It gets coated with a thin, very hard layer from some ingredient in the mud, especially between the keels, and although weed doesn't seem to like it, barnacles do.
So we always use cheaper varieties. Recently used Jotun Penguin (NLA I think), XM 2000, Flag, all much the same. Never bought an expensive one. Really annoys me to buy it at all, I think I should pluck up the courage to not bother with it. (Sorry about the tortured English but I hope you see what I mean!).

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[Guest]

Bilge keels in mud ...

Previous postee highlighted the BK in mud berth syndrome ..... exactly what I have. My boat sinks into her two slots up to her mid-draft mark. Anti-foul is bsically wasted below the mid point of draft as its worn off by the up and down in the mud. The upper 'water' part gets its Hula Skirt of grass every year with or without A/F .... the barnacles grab hold of the bits that they can and hang on munching through my A/F without a care in the world until they get hit by 100psi Fresh Water jet !! That usually does the trick !!

There may be the odd one out there that doesn't know this ..... barnacles HATE fresh water .... I know because I had a boat that useed to stand in a river that was near fresh as you could get ..... When I moved her in from the harbour mooring she had a good specimen bunch of barnies .... after a few days in the river they were dead and fell off at a light touch of the scraper ..... so much so that until I left that harbour I tried to repeat it as often as possible.


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
So WHAT does the EU really stand for ????/forums/images/icons/cool.gif