Safest way to remove new Antifouling

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ezz
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Elessar said:
If they applied it properly they will have sanded the boat with coarse sandpaper.
If you polish that smooth again you will have made the gelcoat thinner.
So I’m afraid the answer is - you can’t if you want it “as new”.
Reject the boat.
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Not necessarily course, Beneteau recommend 200-400 grit but I agree with your point entirely!
 
dunedin said:
If you are going to keep the boat afloat, then what is the issue in having antifoul paint applied?
You have not stated if a sailing boat or high speed power boat, which would impact the choice of hard or soft/self abrading antifoul paint.
But generally there is no need for a “professional company to remove and reapply antifoul”. If the boat is otherwise protected from fouling, then the paint can remain fine for ages. And we have never “removed” any antifoul paint in over a decade, but a quick lift and hold allows to overpaint.
As others have said, your proposal is ambitious, but seems no harm in also having antifoul (particularly as already applied)
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It is a powerboat. I'd rather be safe than sorry especially with expensive boat. Thank for your suggestion.;)
 
Daydream believer said:
Soda blast, then treat as if it had osmosis, following the latest procedures, except one would still have most of the gel left & one would not have a drying period. Possibly a period should be allowed for resin gasses to be exhaled from the substrate
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That’s not good advice.
To treat osmosis you need to remove gelcoat.
The OP needs to leave as much on as possible.
To treat osmosis you peel first and blast after, and not soda blast either.
 
Elessar said:
Course enough. To remove the scratches you need to remove gelcoat. But I think you are agreeing with that anyway!
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Absolutely, you just conjured up images of 40 grit making deep scratches and I happened to read the Beneteau manual yesterday 😂
 
Ezz said:
It was an option, but no company would give me 10 years guarantee.
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It is unrealistic to expect such a guarantee when there are so many uncontrollable variables once the boat is in use. as with many things in life you have to go by what you see with others and if properly applied the results with that product are excellent. The real benefit is financial particularly if you are paying for annual antifouling. Payback is in the order of 3-4 years plus in many locations with powerboats it is suprior as an antifoul meaning less frequent hauling and washing.

No connection - just a satisfied user.
 
Ezz said:
Why you think keeping the hull isolated from the water using any any brands like Seapen, Dockydock or Fabdock is not going to work?🤔
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You are just transferring the fouling problem to the dock and paying a hefty premium for the privilege.

You don't say where you are keeping the boat but such things have made no impression in the UK (or Europe from what i can see) as they do not seem an affordable or effective altenative to the antifouling products already on the market
 
Doing the AF yourself is really not difficult. The only reason I pay someone to do it is that I don't want to take a day out of my limited leave. The one time I had no choice, myself and a tall friend (handy for the masking!) did two coats in half a day with no problem.
 
A single pack antifoul should be removable perhaps with repeat applications by chemical stripping without recourse to abrasion or blasting... Sounds like this may be a two pack system though... In which case removal may be harmful as others have noted...
 
A number of power boat owners have a floating boat lift that lifts the boat out of the water so there is no fouling without any antifouling paint

The lifting is done by pumping air into the floats thus displacing any water inside
 
Tranona said:
It is unrealistic to expect such a guarantee when there are so many uncontrollable variables once the boat is in use. as with many things in life you have to go by what you see with others and if properly applied the results with that product are excellent. The real benefit is financial particularly if you are paying for annual antifouling. Payback is in the order of 3-4 years plus in many locations with powerboats it is suprior as an antifoul meaning less frequent hauling and washing.

No connection - just a satisfied user.
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I was going to apply Coppercoat regardless of its high cost and the controversy of its effectiveness. But sometimes you do not have skilled people in your area to do this kind of job once needed and that is the case I have. It much easier to try a floating cover and go with antifouling if does not work, than dealing with antifouling for known hassle. Boat location and available services plays major roll in decisions and in my case maintaining antifouling would be a nightmare. Thank you...
 
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What sort of anti foul have they applied?

I would see this as an opportunity to negotiate a discount, to account for the boat not being to correct specification. Alternatively? Could you negotiate the builder paying to have the boat re-antifouled a couple of times?
 
rogerthebodger said:
A number of power boat owners have a floating boat lift that lifts the boat out of the water so there is no fouling without any antifouling paint

The lifting is done by pumping air into the floats thus displacing any water inside
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They are not uncommon and as the vessel is stored dry - there is no fouling. But they are extra work as you do need to dock the vessel with the device submerged and then pump the water out so that the dock and your boat float. They are available for large boats, though I have no idea how large. The floating docks do foul and some marinas will demand the floating dock has AF as fouling breeds more fouling.

But the idea of arriving at the boat for a days use, sinking device, motoring off and then reversing the procedure on return would soon discourage me from using the boat. If you think you will motor off and use the boat for a week, say - then fouling starts as soon as the boat hits the water. After a week you can feel hard growth as little pimples - and it does not matter how fast is your boat they do not come of and will accumulate.

There are other options - keeping the boat in a boat shaped bag which contains, some times, freshwater and often a charge of bleach (American bleach, ie powder). Some marinas don't allow such devices and they are both expensive (as is the pump up floating dock) and the boat sized bag does not last long. They are a bit fiddly to enter and 'seal'.

It depends how big your boat is but if it has a trailer and is not too big - I'd keep it on the trailer. We used to dry sail a 33' yacht (which I thought 'expensive, the boat that is - but expensive is relative. :)) and the yard lifted it every time we came home from a race and dropped it in when requested - it cost no more than a floating berth on a pontoon in a marina. One of the members here Grith? has a 28' trailer sailor that he tows round Australia.

There are thus options to AF but each involves time, when you could be on the water. They need you or your crew or the marina (for which you will pay) to do much of the work.

I'd use AF and find a yard to do the coating, or do it yourself (its easy). If you choose the AF with care you can achieve a 2 year life. Copper Coat will last longer. You will not get guarantees for the efficacy of any coating - too many variables.

In terms of AF or not:

If you define what your boat is, your rough geographic location and how you will use your boat you will get further advice.

Currently our advice is based on lots of guesses and we are not able to provide detailed recommendation and advice - because you have not supplied sufficient information.

But you are right - you do not need AF.


In terms of how to address the coating mistakenly applied - we would need to know other detail. If you specifically confirmed that you did not want the hull treated - you are on fairly firm ground

Jonathan
 
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The OP is seeking a specific answer. If you look around any marina, you can see what works:
  • Antifouling paint
  • Boat lifts
We all wish there were other answers. But often the standard answers have become so be cause ... they work. The other answers have proven less reliable or too much trouble. In the yacht world, it isn't the money. I've seen too many million dollar boats to believe that.

Good luck.
 
thinwater said:
The OP is seeking a specific answer. If you look around any marina, you can see what works:
  • Antifouling paint
  • Boat lifts
We all wish there were other answers. But often the standard answers have become so be cause ... they work. The other answers have proven less reliable or too much trouble. In the yacht world, it isn't the money. I've seen too many million dollar boats to believe that.

Good luck.
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Too simplistic.

Copper Coat works if you use you vessel, many large commercial vessel sit idle for months and don't foul, so much (because of the chemistry of the AF). Dry sailing, or putting your vessel on a trailer - works - if you are prepared fr the hassle. What is accepted practice for MoBos, say boat lifts, simply is too difficult for yachts (with keels). What works in Australia may not work in the UK

We don't know your details - so accept the usefulness, or lack of, of the replies.

But we have answered your question of 'how to remove the AF' but it was not, is not, that simple.

Jonathan
 
bignick said:
What sort of anti foul have they applied?

I would see this as an opportunity to negotiate a discount, to account for the boat not being to correct specification. Alternatively? Could you negotiate the builder paying to have the boat re-antifouled a couple of times?
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Not sure what brand of antifouling. In regards to negotiating for a discount , that option crossed my mind but at the end long term hassle in my case will not be compensated by any discount. Thanks for the idea .
 
Another thought. Given that removing the antifouling may well leave the gel coat compromised, maybe coating the underwater area in epoxy would be a reasonable compromise. Not only will it strengthen the surface but provide a good base if in the future you or a subsequent owner decides to Coppercoat or use conventional antfouling.
 
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