jfm
Well-Known Member
The u-a website says 20watts per vibrator, so 1 amp per vibrator at 24v and 1/10th amp off the dock mains. And you only need 2 vibrators for a 10-20m boat
Ultrasonic Antifouling - Part II
- Thread starter DougH
- Start date
The u-a website says 20watts per vibrator, so 1 amp per vibrator at 24v and 1/10th amp off the dock mains. And you only need 2 vibrators for a 10-20m boat
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
I tried Propspeed on my boat in Majorca. I had it applied by their local agent so there was no doubt it was applied properly. Within weeks it was flaking off the props and allowing the usual colony of barnacles to take up residence. Complete waste of money and very disappointing. IMHO it may work with slower moving props on displacement vessels but it just cannot adhere to fast moving props on planing boats.
I have also tried this stuff http://www.marlinpaint.com/EN_MARLINPAINT_HOME.html as has Hurricane of this parish. I found and I think Hurricane found the same that the treatment just cannot adhere to fast moving props so this was another failure.
I have also talked to this Ultrasonic crowd and I was distinctly underwhelmed by their knowledge. They didn't seem to understand the difference between the relatively benign fouling conditions in the UK and the aggressive fouling conditions in the Med nor understand the type of sterngear fouling possible in the Med. They certainly couldn't give me any examples of any successful installations in the Med. IMHO the jury is very much out on this product. It may well have improved fouling on Motala but Motala is a working boat which operates far more hours than a typical leisure boat so it shouldn't foul as much. Also, as I say, UK conditions are far easier than the Med. I'm waiting to see whether jfm's installation works so keep the info coming, John
jfm
Well-Known Member
I tried Propspeed on my boat in Majorca. I had it applied by their local agent so there was no doubt it was applied properly. Within weeks it was flaking off the props and allowing the usual colony of barnacles to take up residence. Complete waste of money and very disappointing. IMHO it may work with slower moving props on displacement vessels but it just cannot adhere to fast moving props on planing boats.
...
I'm waiting to see whether jfm's installation works so keep the info coming, John
Deleted User, I wonder if they bodged your propspeed? Mine definitely adhered, becuase could see the sheen after it was lifted out. But barnacles grew on it. I'll try to find the pics and make a post now. Will take me 30mins+ so don't wait up!
I'm kinda mind made up to put this ultrasonic vibrator stuff in, ore out of curiosity than anything else. I've already run the 220v and 24v cables from breaker panel to the rudder compartment to power it, so the remaining install is only a few hours work max. I'm hoping to get a discount at LIBS otherwise it's £1745, sheesh. Spose I could eBay if it doesn't work
lenseman
Well-Known Member
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- 3 Jun 2006
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- South East Coast - United Kingdom
Thanks for that, I misread the specification and read the Ultra Solar which has a very similar name:
http://www.ultrasonic-antifouling.com/ultra_solar.html
The actual Ultrasonic unit (Ultra 20) draws 1.7 Amps (nearly 2 Amps) for up to 20 metre yachts:
http://www.ultrasonic-antifouling.com/ultrasonic_antifouling_system_ultra_20.html
and if you haven't got access to shore power, this is rather a large continuous demand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week . . . . need to be thought about?
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
Deleted User, I wonder if they bodged your propspeed? Mine definitely adhered, becuase could see the sheen after it was lifted out. But barnacles grew on it. I'll try to find the pics and make a post now. Will take me 30mins+ so don't wait up!
I'm kinda mind made up to put this ultrasonic vibrator stuff in, ore out of curiosity than anything else. I've already run the 220v and 24v cables from breaker panel to the rudder compartment to power it, so the remaining install is only a few hours work max. I'm hoping to get a discount at LIBS otherwise it's £1745, sheesh. Spose I could eBay if it doesn't work
Actually what happened was that smaller baby barnacles started to appear on the props about 4-6 weeks after the treatment after which the coating started to peel away from the edges of the props. Finally, after about 3 months or so the props got as fouled as usual and I had a diver scrape it all off. A poor result for a treatment which cost €1000+
I'm confused. If it worked for you, why are you bothering with ultrasonic?
jfm
Well-Known Member
It worked but not perfectly. I've found the pics and will have a post up in 20mins or so, so you can see. Also it didn't help the rudders and tabs becuase the boatyard didnt put it there, and if they had it might have been more expensive. I think mine was €500 but I have the bill on this laptop so I'll find it and confirm. Anyway, I'll just finish the post with pics...
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
Just to rub this in
These are pics from a previous post - a Sunseeker treated with both Ultrasonics and Propslip (which I believe to be Propspeed)
I saw the results and the Propspeed (if that is what it is) was definately applied properly at Sunseekers Poole factory. Less than 2 months in the Med.
From what I've seen, neither of these treatments are any good.
These are pics from a previous post - a Sunseeker treated with both Ultrasonics and Propslip (which I believe to be Propspeed)
I saw the results and the Propspeed (if that is what it is) was definately applied properly at Sunseekers Poole factory. Less than 2 months in the Med.
From what I've seen, neither of these treatments are any good.
scubaman
Well-Known Member
Pardon me a slight drift here, but as I'm not familiar with barnacles I'll need to ask a silly question: how hard the barnacle attaches itself to the surface? How big a job would it be to dive down and manually scrub the props and rudders clean?
I realize that it's not very convenient but just to get a picture.
I realize that it's not very convenient but just to get a picture.
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
Not difficult but a bit unpleasant.
They come off quite easily but as you scrape, all the bits get in your hair and BC etc.
Lots of people in the Med pay for commercial divers to clean the props and rudders etc regularly.
scubaman
Well-Known Member
Ok. Thank you.
Nick_H
Well-Known Member
I find it quite therapeutic scraping the barnacles off, they come off fairly easily so long as the scraper is man enough for the job, but Mike is right, the bits get everywhere. You need a very calm anchorage though, it's hard work, bordering on dangerous, if the boat is bouncing around. You also need to be using tanks, it would take forever without.
jfm
Well-Known Member
Wow, that's terrible after 2 months. But I gotta say Hurric, you have some unusual fouling there in SC. I've never seen fouling as bad as some of the pics you have posted. It's like you have some mutant super-race of critters there, or some fantastic nutrients in the water, that can defeat any treatment. The intrinsic level of fouling in SoF is loads less, so the Propspeed/paint/u'sonics have got quite a bit less work to do
DougH
Well-Known Member
Blue and green marine
I have just been speaking to the other ultrasonic supplier Blue and Green Marine who said that they are not launching the product for general use as their current experience shows that the equipment needs 'tweaking' not only for each boat but also for each geographical area.
They are carrying out tests in Greece, Barcelona, South of France etc and will not sell units for use in the area until their findings are completed at the end of the 2nd quarter this year.
This gentleman would not comment on Ultrasonic Antifouling Ltd system other than to say that in his experience 1 size does not fit all.
Jfm, I suggest you speak to him though his office number before proceeding.
I have just been speaking to the other ultrasonic supplier Blue and Green Marine who said that they are not launching the product for general use as their current experience shows that the equipment needs 'tweaking' not only for each boat but also for each geographical area.
They are carrying out tests in Greece, Barcelona, South of France etc and will not sell units for use in the area until their findings are completed at the end of the 2nd quarter this year.
This gentleman would not comment on Ultrasonic Antifouling Ltd system other than to say that in his experience 1 size does not fit all.
Jfm, I suggest you speak to him though his office number before proceeding.
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
They're pretty hard to shift and sharp enough to cut your hands. I use a pallet knife to scrape them off but I've learnt to wear thick gardening gloves whilst doing it. I use professional divers regularly and 2 of them take about 1 hour to do props, shafts, rudders, bow thruster, intakes and log wheel but they do a very good job
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
I use a paint scraper.
