Scrubbed for the third time today

[tillergirl]

Is it just me or is there masses of weed about this year.

Antifouled (two coats) in May, scrubbed at the end of June, scrubbed at the end of July and scrubbed today. Few barnacles (best year I've had) but s sludgy weed in June and July and today green grass type weed where the sunlight gets (about 6 inches long) and those tuffty whitish/orange growths further down (about 3 inches long). I know that I probably took some of the strength out of the coatings with the scrubs but it's never been this bad. I had higher hopes than having to scrub in June. Am I the only one doing this?

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[philip_stevens]

Where are you based??

My boat has been in (moored off Mylor, River Fal/Falmouth harbour) since the last week of March, and has not had or needed a scrub off. I know she is clean as my son snorkel dived under and took photos of the hull.

She will be in until the end of October, and if it is the same as last year, will only need the muddy river slime to be brushed off.

The antifoul I used last year, and this, is black XM HS/HX3000 - and I will be using it again next year.

<hr width=100% size=1>regards,
Philip

 

[charles_reed]

It makes all the difference in the world being in fresh water (if only for part of the time).

My boat was antifouled and went back in last October and had one waterline scrape in April before setting off to the Baleares.
I expect to have to get her out and pressure washed when I go back to her next week.

Fouling in the Med is far lighter than in UK waters during a warm spring/summer - you've probably got agricultural nitrate run-off partly to blame.

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[tillergirl]

West Mersea. I suppose the same nutrients that grow oysters provide the right breeding ground for the weed. I had thought it would be the warm water (I was wading in shorts in it up to thighs today for a couple of hours without feeling cold) but if that's the case why isn't the med worse?

I used Blake's Tiger Extra which is a new formulation this years. Perhaps it no longer suits these waters?
<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by tillergirl on 05/09/2003 22:00 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[William_H]

Be gratefull Tiller Girl Here in sailing paradise ( antipodes) I wipe my hul at least every week through out the 8 month racing season . Fortunately the water is mostly warm and it is a pleasure to give her bottom a rub. Its only 6.5 metres so it is no great chore. I think youb are suffering the downside to your warm summer you have had. Best wishes will

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[Mirelle]

You are not alone.

Much the same story as you. Blakes Hard Racing. Methersgate in River Deben. Scrubbed at end of June, again in mid-August (and recoated one side) and need to do it one more time and re-coat the other side shortly.

The disgusting whitish-pinkish weed seems the worst culprit. Last time I scrubbed her she was hardly moving with a carpet of this stuff about four inches long hanging off everywhere in addition to the green weed round the waterline (which I usually have a go at from the dinghy).

Few barnacles.

Agricultural run off would be a possibility but we have had such a dry summer that I doubt if much water has run off from fields! Certainly the whitish-pinkish stuff is affected by water temperature; when I first scrubbed, there was little of it, and six weeks later it was everywhere! My echosounder for some reason known to its makers likes to tell me the sea temperature and in mid-August this was a staggering 26 deg C.

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[tillergirl]

Re: You are not alone.

I'm thinking that Hard Racing might be a better choice as (presumably) it stands up to a scrub a little better than Tiger/ Are you using Hard Racing because you dry out on your mooring?



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[Mirelle]

Re: You are not alone.

No, I don't dry, but I do put her in a mud berth in the winter. Blakes say you should use hard racing for that.

It is hideously expensive, at Pds 84 for 2.5 litres (pds 76 with a Foxes dicount card) but I reckon it may indeed be a saving in the long run, as I can get four scrubs off per two coats of paint.

Also, I find that stuff scrubs off it quite easily.

Blakes told me last Boat Show that the white (which I use) is less effective than the colours, and a very helpful chap at Foxes who used to be in the paint business added that the less pigment an a/f contains the better it will be, so probably the red might be best. Still, I like white, although maybe it is flashy on an old gaffer.

The horrid drawback is that you cannot apply it over a soft a/f and you have to go back to the primer - I dry scraped acres of old a/f off to start again, but interestingly I could do this with a Sandvik scraper (and face mask!!) without going through the primer coat.

I think I am pretty convinced about the stuff - my view is that we are now in a world where for whatever reason - weakness of poisons in paint or global warming - scrubbing off two or three times a season is inevitable so one may as well use scrubbable paint!

Hope this helps.

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[Ivy]

Re: You are not alone.

Different anti-foul's work in different water's, so you need to find which one is best for you. A few miles down the coast in the next port, they may use something different.find out what other people use in your area,or try something else next season, until you find what works for you.

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[Mudplugger]

Foul East Coasters.

us up at the top of that old colne river ave bin havin t' same problems, but the difference with a decent hard a/f is that its much easier to scrub/wipe off...Have used VC Teflon Offshore on Dancing Maid for last three seasons,( 'cos we dont have a lot of water and sit in the mud.) Ex Alan @ Heron Yacht services,Brightlingsea ( does a very,very good deal!!) Last 2 years only required a mid season scrub, This year have had to scrub twice.But it comes off very easily with a pressure washer.

<hr width=100% size=1>Tony W.

 

[tillergirl]

Re: You are not alone.

I think I am pursuaded to go to a hard a/f next time. I recoated yesterday as the two coats earlier this year had clearly got a bit thin in places. So in the end I've spent more than if I had gone to the hard stuff in the beginning. It'll have to wait for my next winter haul-out though.

As regards the comment to find the right one, it seems difficult to get any emerging view in this area on what's best.

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[charles_reed]

"but if that's the case why isn't the med worse?"

Lack of nutrients (that's why you can see so far thro' the water), probably higher levels of toxic heavy metals and definitely greater salinity.

The fouling is far lower than in Atlantic Spain, even though the surface water gets to over 28C.





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[paulstevens]

shaving brushes on the Deben

we launched our boat in April, spent 3 months on Crouch and Blackwater, then got a mooring at Ramsholt in July at which time she was quite clean. Between mid July and mid August she grew a huge crop of this whitish weed, (referred to by some as shaving brushes). Scrubbed off and the entire underbody was covered in this growth about 4" long, plus green weed around the watereline. In 30 years sailing on thr east coast I have never seen such rapid growth of any fouling. Also used tiger extra, obviously not effective against this weed.

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[Mirelle]

Re: shaving brushes on the Deben

That's a pretty good description of the symptoms! Have to agree - thirty years sailing on the East Coast and never seen anything like it - except that I did see it on the Deben last year - I don't recall it being quite as bad, but I did scrub twice.

It does not seem to grow before July and then - phew! It may be temperature dependent, perhaps?

We are told that the Deben is a very "healthy" river and certainly to judge by the numbers of birds fishing on it there seem to be plenty of fish in it, but one does wonder about whether there is a lot of fertiliser run off taking place?

Someone at Levington told me that someone had sent some to DEFRA for analysis and was told that it is "an algal bloom" and "harmless because the mullet eat it". I'm not so sure...

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[Robin]

Poole is normally bad having shallow water which heats up quickly plus a river feed and plenty of silt. We use Optima from International (2 pack water based) and it is excellent, done in March and still clean even of slime (Poole's normal problem). By comparison where the cradle supports were positioned was done with Micron (Optima cannot be done in the slings pre-launch, needing 24 hrs to dry first as it is water based) and these small squares are clearly slimy. Others in our club have had some success with a cheaper antifoul called Shogun I think too.

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[John7]

We are at Maylandsea, off Blackwater, and scrubbed early July. Used Flag this year and scrubbed early July when it was light to moderate but with a very bad prop which was covered in 2-3 deep barnacles (used lanolin). Last year it was very bad when Blakes Titan was used. Last weekend the speed engine speed was 1 knot down and though I haven’t been able to look it sounds like it might be this weed on us. The Flag was much better than Titan and easier to, which largely came off and its much cheaper.

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[Robin]

Interesting what you said about the prop, we bright polish ours only, one of the 3 blades, Brunton Autoprop, had a few barnacles near the root, maybe not polished enough, otherwise clean (End of August, launched March). The boat is used every weekend though which I imagine helps.

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[kingfisher]

Exceptional high temperatures of water+ antifouling which becomes less and less effective due to environmental restrictions= increased growth

<hr width=100% size=1>Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[Chris_Robb]

No scrubbing required

We have used Shogun for the last 2 years. Based in Plymouth - only slight brown powder which easily wipped off.. Went in the water mid March.

And its cheap(ish)

My brother - based in Chichester Harbour - has used Plastimo - again no fouling. recons its better than optima which he has used for the last 10 years!


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[KeithH]

Re: No scrubbing required

Chris

What colour was the Shogun antifoul you used? I used white Shogun this year in Chichester - and the fouling by weed is bad. I am wondering if the white (which I think contains a different copper compound to the coloured paint) is not as effective as other deep colours, as an earlier post suggests.



<hr width=100% size=1>KeithH