Ultrasonic Antifouling

[Fr J Hackett]

To satisfy my curiosity anyone got any feedback on how the JayCar system has worked? There should be some that have been on for 10 to 12 months now. I sold my boat and was only able to see the results of 6 months which looked quiet promising.

 

[Norman_E]

I could not see very much when I visited the boat in late March/early April because it is in the marina, tight between other boats and swimming is not an option, but it looked good from what I could see. I am going sailing later this month, and should have a better idea then.

 

[wizard]

Mine has been on since last August on a swinging mooring. in January it looked as if there was some growth which promptly vanished afte a sail to Poole and back from Portsmouth. recently I visited the boat same look of growth. but a trip to the fuel pontoon and back and it cleared off. well iimpressed so far.

 

[Emjaytoo]

This is the ****** System after 12 months!

Boatcoming out of the water next week to have antifouling paint applied!

 

[dmmbruce]

EmmJayToo, what do your pictures show? All I can see is a small amount of waterline weed.

I have the Ultrasonic Antifouling kit from the Poole company of that name. They state that the hull should be antifouled. They state that there will be a small amount of weed at the waterline, true on mine. They do not claim that there will be no barnacles, true on mine, But they claim they will come off easily, true on mine. I give them a score of 7/10 or better. I'm pleased with the system.

What is your problem with it? Or were you misled into thinking that you would have a pristine hull ever after. I have never seen that claimed. Indeed the system is not recommended by the suppliers for racing, they say wax and polish it every week if that is what you want.

Mike

 

[affinite]

Look below the waterline

Is that the rudder in the kelp forest ?

 

[VicMallows]

They state that the hull should be antifouled.

So, given the significant variation in fouling from one year to another, let alone formulation differences in the antifouling paint, how will you ever know if it works or not?

Surely you need to devise a worthwhile controlled experiment. (Certainly not just 'one side antifouled.'.... as fouling often varies massively from one side to the other probably due to light conditions). Maybe a hull painted with, say, 50cmx50cm squares alternating antifouled/non-antifouled ? That might also indicate if the ultrasonic effect was particularly localised by transmitter location.

 

[Emjaytoo]

Is that the rudder in the kelp forest ?

Yes!

 

[Emjaytoo]

EmmJayToo, what do your pictures show? All I can see is a small amount of waterline weed.
Mike

The "small amount of waterline weed" is generally about a foot long with some strands well over two foot in length. It certainly extended at least a foot below the waterline.

 

[dmmbruce]

Sorry, slow replying, I've been out.

I hadn't seen long weed streamers in your pictures.

If your rudder is wood, then it will get no protection from Ultrasonic. Also if the rudder is separate from the hull so that the ultrasonic waves cannot transmit to it in the fabric of the hull. To some degree I have this too.

As regards doing controlled experiments and patch experiments, I agree it is not possible to get quantitative comparisons with just paint or paint and USAF. However, I have had my boat on the same swing mooring in a shallow area of Poole where the water temperature is fairly high and the nutrients in the water are obvious. When I just used antifouling paint, my little Heavenly Twin cat was VERY heavily fouled each year and I had to scrape it at least twice a year. The propeller was a major problem. This was similar year on year.
Since installing the USAF system 3 years ago, I have had much reduced fouling. I have not had to scrape her any year, though I chose to the year before last when I was beached anyway (read the tide tables) Also, I have been able to motor her up to Wareham to lay-up without a prop clean first.

So, I regard the USAF system together with paint, as a big help. The boat is far better though far from perfect. The barnacles come off very easily. Weed at the waterline is small, though on the wooden rudders it is much more - but comes off relatively easily.

All in all I'm sorry to hear you are not getting good results.

The Australian system you have got looks similar to the kit from the Poole company, but you might have to ask technical questions of the suppliers to find out what is wrong.

So, sorry but I don't have any simple suggestions.

Mike

 

[jtwebb]

I fitted my Jaycar in December and have just looked underneath with a camera. Previously there would have been nasties on the prop. This time all I can see are some very thin wavy weed fronds about 1cm long. Also the performance would have deteriorated but all is OK now. Wait and see what happens when the water warms up (if it does!).