Red Hot Bottoms

[Danthegorrila]

This is serious;

I've heard a rumour that adding hot chilli powder to anti foul particularly in the Med increases its efficency.

Anyone heard of this, anyone tried it? Does it work?

Love to hear.

 

[Becky]

Yes I have read this too. But seriously there is no reason why this shouldn't work. Rather unusually, the chilly pepper derives its hot taste by stimulating the PAIN nerve endings. On humans, certainly, so should be the same on other creatures. Try it out, it has worked for other boat owners.

 

[JAYEL]

I too read this article in the May 2004 edition, and much to the amusement to the old salts at my yacht club, I anti fouled my trapper 300 with a cheap XM ,liberally laced with three bottles of tobasco sauce. The previous season with the XM, the hull was covered heavily in barnicles, but this season with the tabasco mix, nothing on the hull at all. You should have seen their faces as my boat was lifted from the water. Have a go ,it worked for me.

 

[frilaens]

Well, not all creatures are affected by chilli as birds can eat them so they spread the seeds. If it's the hotness you are after, then find some habanero instead of chilli. I can vouch for how hot they are or check out the tabasco web page.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm of a mind to do just that since I can't see the harm in it. My only niggle is why haven't the antifoul manufatuers got around to putting it in themselves if it's so effective /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[alienzdive]

Paint manufacturers can very easily make antifoul perform better and last longer than the 2 years stated on the tin. However if antifoul lasted 10 years for instance, people would only haul there boats every 10 years. It is recomended that anodes are changed and a visual inspectoin of the hull be carried out every two years (rule of thumb) so they assist by making paint to perform as such.

There may be other reasons too that Chilli is not used commercially.

For instance chili oil is not compatable with the thinner base of antifoul and there may be imperfections and adhesion problems when spraying professionally.

As well as chilli being a plant product. Some countries have quarantine or strict controls on plant products crossing thier international boarders. This could lead to antifoul being checked by customs for plant extracts and denying permision to boats coated in chilli flavoured antifoul. This would also include antifoul layers from previous coatings. A good example is the spread of mad cow disease.

However, if it works as we all know that it does why not. There is no reason why chillis are not crushed into ordinary emulsion/ acrylic water based thinned out house paint and applied. Should work perfectly fine. As long as not being applied over an existing antifoul due to compatablility. Add weed killer to the mix too.

However the finish of todays vommercial antifouls when sprayed is un-beatable.