Painted props on big F/B boats

[mjf]

This year I have noticed several quite big twin screw shaft jobs being lifted in with painted propellors......

Now, I have never seen this before so why are people doing it?

I know that Fairline paint their rudders whilst Princess do not and there are variations on the painting of the alli trim tabs - but all my stern gear is always left unpainted and burnished up prior to launch.

Any views to make me change my habit?

 

[stelican]

I spoke to one of the contracters doing this work. Apparently the owners of a few of these boats hardly ever go out and and when they try to they have found the props severely fouled up with barnacles.
I did not realise that antifouling would stop barnacles attaching themselves.

 

[tcm]

well, i don't think painting props with antifoul does much if anything, looks as tho thiv done the whole lot but certainly does not stop barnacles with modern limpwristed paint formulas which as far as know is ok for babies to chew, whereas really i want some other stuff that kills sharks.

Ahem, anyway there is a newish product "propspeed" which ain't cheap but seemed tyo work until er i painted the props and whatever it was in the paint pulled it off, dang. But up until that point it was fab, no barncles, burnish props and then paint props with a roller, you mix things i think, anyway then the props went all dribbling shiny and stayed like that too.

If no propspeed, no need for paint imho

 

[steverow]

Yes I paint mine with Uno.
So do a lot of others round here in wales...because we have a problem with worm (tubifex)...which even if your boat is used every weekend will still attach itself.
Painted my props last two years and very little worm on them.
But I'm only a medium size flybridge boat..so does that let me off then??

Steve.

 

[mjf]

Re: Painted props on big F/B boats

In the old days I reckoned that you would get some electolytic action from the cu in the antifoul that would eat theexpensive bits but today not so sure as the fouling is too weak.

There is some super smooth stuff being tested on big commercial ships but no results to my knowledge yet.

The normal practice seems to be to leave unpainted, but i guess reading the reply above that in some cases there is a call to protect the stern gear from too much fouling.

 

[Kitaro]

I`m trialling the new stuff by Propspeed it is made from a silicone based material and should last a year or two. When we cleaned off the old anti-fouling to the rudders, tabs & props there was a noticable roughness. The new product is super smooth and should help with performance & economy etc. I`ll report later in the year as to outcome.

 

[Hurricane]

I was going to do this earlier this year.
When I contacted Propspeed they asked me who was going to do it.
I said me.
They said it had to be one of their agents so that ended the conversation - too expensive.