Volvo Sail-drive anti fouling paint

[ramstad]

I have a 2000 Bavaria 37 with Volvo sail-drive and would appreciate feed back on which anti-fouling paints are recommended and practical for salt water use on my Volvo Sail-drive.
I have tried several "environmentally friendly" paints available here in Canada but so far they are not serving me well at all, lots of barnacles on annual haul-out. For fiberglass bottom I am using Petit/Woolsey Premium which does "slime-up" a bit but does not grow barnacles. Your replies & experiences are appreciated!

 

[ashanta]

I use the paint designed for the boot topping. I can't think of the name but it's an International Paints product. It specifically says it's for saildrives and out drives etc. it seems to do the job ok for me but I haveto clear the water intake holes on the sail drive when I scrub down during mid season.

Regards.

Peter.

 

[AIDY]

International Trilux... used to be called MPX few seasons ago. With a coat of lanalin on top. works well /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[tom52]

Blakes do a spray can antifoul specifically for aluminium saildrives/outdrives.
Sorry cannot recall the name but worked for me last year.

 

[ramstad]

delf, thanks for the tip on Trilux, do you mean to say you actually apply a coat on LANOLIN over top of the Trilux finish or am I misunderstanding? Please clarify when convenient. thanks Ramstad, Bavaria 37 "ALIBI"

 

[boatmike]

Agree Trilux is the one to use. A coating of lanolin is not strictly necessary. I use 2 coats of Trilux. It does not wear away like cruiser antifoul though so every year I sand it down to an even coat and apply one new coat on top to replace what I have sanded.. The advantage of Trilux is that it is copper free and therefore OK on aluminium. You can antifoul the prop with it too if you choose to.

 

[AIDY]

Been using Tilux for about 7 years now on a 120s saildrive works well in the solent. as stated apply anumber of coats sanding inbetween both on the saildrive and prop. There is no need to apply lanolin but it's meant to stop the bugs becoming attached and make it super slippy.

 

[ramstad]

Thanks to all and especially delf & boatmike for the Trilux recommendation. Here is something for me to contribute back as I noticed that my water flow was weak thru the sea water intake of the Volvo leg when changing my raw water pump impellor. After trying with no success to get a small wire thru the system from the inside out with the boat in the water by disconnecting the sea water intake hose from my sea strainer above water level to clear any blockage, I rigged up a short section of hose with a hose nipple and hose clamps on one end to attach to the intake hose on the saildrive and a nippled shut-off valve with connecter to a garden hose to the dock water supply. Then I turned on the dock water supply and in turn the shut-off control valve on the short hose which I had left closed and repeatedly blew this fresh water thru the saildrive from the inside-out. When I looked over the sides of the boat immediately following (fortunately it was a calm day with flat & clean water) I was able to see and recover the obvious culprit that was restricting my intake flow. I found about a 1 inch long and 3/8 inch soft, whitish, living gowth of some form I have not yet been able to identify but which had obviously taken up lodging in the resticted leg intake portion between the leg intake shut off valve and the external portion of the leg. When I removed the kit and carefully redirected the intake hose below the water line into a bucket the water flow was GREATLY increased and I have much improved cooling again now that all is reconnected, back to normal in fact. I now plan to "purge" thru out the season between haulouts. So, sorry to be longwinded but this worked so well for me that I would like to pass it allong to other saildrive owners.

 

[boatmike]

Yep! works OK. If this does not shift the blockage try connecting up your dinghy pump to the water hose and blast it out! Make sure the hose end is above waterline tho or you will get wet!