Polishing Antifoul

[LONG_KEELER]

I have used Hempel Hard Racing antifoul for a number of years and am quite happy with it.

Just wondering what grade of wet and dry paper to use to finish off after painting.

Thanks in advance.

 

[lw395]

Depends how good your painting is!
A scotchbright pan scourer used underwater after a few months and progressively coarser or more frequent as the season goes on,

 

[Clive]

Depends how good your painting is!
A scotchbright pan scourer used underwater after a few months and progressively coarser or more frequent as the season goes on,

I have been told that 400 wet and Dry is as smooth as you need for a smooth hydrodynamic surface, you will still have a barrier layer etc.
getting a smooth surface so weed / slime does not stick may require something smoother.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I have been told that 400 wet and Dry is as smooth as you need for a smooth hydrodynamic surface, you will still have a barrier layer etc.
getting a smooth surface so weed / slime does not stick may require something smoother.

Thanks for the replies.

I recently had a "feel" of a hull that had one of the silicon antifouls applied.

It was almost a tacky surface but when water was applied it was probably the smoothest hull I have ever felt. Pricey though.

 

[savageseadog]

I've come to the conclusion that if you want to be truly competitive, dry sailing is the only way. Antifoul is for losers.

I recognise that most sailors can't dry sail .

 

[flaming]

I've come to the conclusion that if you want to be truly competitive, dry sailing is the only way. Antifoul is for losers.

I recognise that most sailors can't dry sail .

Where a marina offers dry sailing it is interesting to look at where the crossover is between being more expensive to keep the boat afloat and to dry sail. For a lot of owners dry sailing works out cheaper, it just depends on how you use your boat, and how much racing you are doing.
If, for example, your annual race calendar is say 6 or 7 full weekends, plus a week long regatta (hardly unusual) then it's quite likely that dry sailing will work out cheaper as storage ashore is cheaper than a berth, and the number of lifts required is not high.
But if you are the sort of sailor who is lucky enough to live close to your boat and can wednesday night race all summer, then obviously dry sailing won't work as there are too many lifts.

 

[Birdseye]

chap at our club, guy who won a number of nationals with the Impala, used to spray on the antifoul to get a pretty smooth start and then wet sand with very fine wet and dry. Dont know the precise grit but it was above 1000. Whether he won because of this or because of the perfectionist mindset is another issue