What Antifoul

[Snowgoose-1]

It's soon that time again.
Any recommendations for the East Coast that might have worked last season ?.

 

[Daydream believer]

I have copper coat on my hull, but shogun 33 on the cast iron keel. I was looking at it yesterday & noted that not only would the shogun have lasted a full season- ( I have to have the boat lifted mid season to jet wash the coppercoat) but it also did an excellent job of holding back the numerous areas of rust on the keel
Sail east coast

 

[ex-Gladys]

Well, it's 3 years since I antifouled, but I was a big fan of Shogun 033 at West Mersea. Worked at least as well as anything else.

 

[Tradewinds]

Cu-Pro from SML.

 

[MattS]

I'm sticking with Shogun 033 again this year - has performed well on the Medway for the past few years.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

I've used Hempel Hard Racing for the last three seasons.

Two thick coats lasts two years.

I do scrub a fair bit though.

As above, a search does suggest that Shogun 33 and Cu-Pro do well.

 

[Sailing steve]

I've used both Cu Pro and Shogun 33 on my mooring in Walton Backwaters and used Hempel Tiger Extra before that when moored at Aldeburgh.

Problem seems me isn't so so much about which antifoul is better but rather more about how much silt accumulates on the hull, and once you've got even a thin layer of silt then weed and slime follows on pretty quickly, At Aldeburgh Tiger Extra worked a treat and kept the hull clean all summer but at Walton two or three firm scrub offs have been needed to clear the silt and subsequent fouling and that of course is the ruination of any eroding antifoul so by the end of the season you've no protection at all.

Cu Pro claim their antifoul is "semi hard" and good for up to 30kn but nonetheless either it wasn't anywhere near as physically robust as the makers say or didn't have the chemical strength to last the distance as toward the end of last year I had the worst fouling I'd ever seen.

Resigned to beaching and regular scrubb offs now as speaking to a number of mooring holders at Walton the slime issue around the Backwaters seems insurmountable despite whatever any manufacturer claims so have gone for a hard scrubbable product this year instead.

 

[johnalison]

I've used both Cu Pro and Shogun 33 on my mooring in Walton Backwaters and used Hempel Tiger Extra before that when moored at Aldeburgh.

Problem seems me isn't so so much about which antifoul is better but rather more about how much silt accumulates on the hull, and once you've got even a thin layer of silt then weed and slime follows on pretty quickly, At Aldeburgh Tiger Extra worked a treat and kept the hull clean all summer but at Walton two or three firm scrub offs have been needed to clear the silt and subsequent fouling and that of course is the ruination of any eroding antifoul so by the end of the season you've no protection at all.

Cu Pro claim their antifoul is "semi hard" and good for up to 30kn but nonetheless either it wasn't anywhere near as physically robust as the makers say or didn't have the chemical strength to last the distance as toward the end of last year I had the worst fouling I'd ever seen.

Resigned to beaching and regular scrubb offs now as speaking to a number of mooring holders at Walton the slime issue around the Backwaters seems insurmountable despite whatever any manufacturer claims so have gone for a hard scrubbable product this year instead.

I got the impression that silt was a problem when lying in a stream. We had a lot of trouble when we kept a boat in Maylandsea creek, as the silt would cover the AF in a few weeks, but now at Titchmarsh this seems less evident.

I really don't want to go to the trouble and expense of scrubbing my 34' boat during the season. I did do it once at Bedwells for about £40 drying out overnight, but generally my solution is just to launch a bit late, but things have improved a bit since using Trilux on the prop. Unfortunately the days of swanning around in the Baltic for three months and coming back with a clean bottom are past.

 

[oldgit]

Medway MoBo.
Shogun 37 "seems" to have done a half decent job this year.
Only "lost" about 3 knots at WOT after 12 months afloat.
It was also the cheapest suitable A/F on the shelf at the time.
On the blocks in a week or two, to discover just how bad the hull is.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

I've used both Cu Pro and Shogun 33 on my mooring in Walton Backwaters and used Hempel Tiger Extra before that when moored at Aldeburgh.

Problem seems me isn't so so much about which antifoul is better but rather more about how much silt accumulates on the hull, and once you've got even a thin layer of silt then weed and slime follows on pretty quickly, At Aldeburgh Tiger Extra worked a treat and kept the hull clean all summer but at Walton two or three firm scrub offs have been needed to clear the silt and subsequent fouling and that of course is the ruination of any eroding antifoul so by the end of the season you've no protection at all.

Cu Pro claim their antifoul is "semi hard" and good for up to 30kn but nonetheless either it wasn't anywhere near as physically robust as the makers say or didn't have the chemical strength to last the distance as toward the end of last year I had the worst fouling I'd ever seen.

Resigned to beaching and regular scrubb offs now as speaking to a number of mooring holders at Walton the slime issue around the Backwaters seems insurmountable despite whatever any manufacturer claims so have gone for a hard scrubbable product this year instead.

Have you tried a Scrubbis ?
More effective from a pontoon but can be used whilst aboard. Should be fine from a dinghy.

No good for vertical surfaces like keels and rudders as it has lots of buoncy. Probably requires hard antifoul if used regularly.

 

[Groucho]

I have just invested (and that IS the right word) in International Micron 350 as I was advised by the yard at Aldeburgh that it was the best for local conditions. Interested to know if there is a cheaper option. the yards seem to be able to buy this stuff very much more cheaply. Might be worth a few people getting together to buy a larger quantity?

 

[MikeBz]

Typical chandlery price for 2.5l Seajet 033 Shogun is £99.95, and for Intl. Micron 350 £109.95 so there isn’t a great deal of difference.

 

[rowlock]

A recent presentation by a manufacturer cast light on this situation. Aside changes in the environment which may encourage marine growth, the latest regulations governing antifoul content limited the number of biocides that can be included into DIY applied product to one. It seems manufacturers have chosen copper based biocide which is effective against creatures but not slime and plants. Professional applied product is permitted to contain two biocides and therefore can be constructed to protect against slime as well. However professional product is only available in 25 ltre packs which discourage small applicators from the market due to high stocking costs and no certainty of selling within useable dates. For example, my boat needs 2.5 litres per year and while a 25 liter pack is not outrageously priced at about £1200 it is unlikely to remain useable for 10 years. Manufacturers may have thought there is a market to sell in bulk and encouraged the regulation change seeing an easy market but the unintended consequence of little professional take up in the leisure marine trade may take some time for them to realise and address.

 

[RivalRedwing]

A recent presentation by a manufacturer cast light on this situation. Aside changes in the environment which may encourage marine growth, the latest regulations governing antifoul content limited the number of biocides that can be included into DIY applied product to one. It seems manufacturers have chosen copper based biocide which is effective against creatures but not slime and plants. Professional applied product is permitted to contain two biocides and therefore can be constructed to protect against slime as well. However professional product is only available in 25 ltre packs which discourage small applicators from the market due to high stocking costs and no certainty of selling within useable dates. For example, my boat needs 2.5 litres per year and while a 25 liter pack is not outrageously priced at about £1200 it is unlikely to remain useable for 10 years. Manufacturers may have thought there is a market to sell in bulk and encouraged the regulation change seeing an easy market but the unintended consequence of little professional take up in the leisure marine trade may take some time for them to realise and address.

No too surprising re the pros... I would liken it to an oil change by my local garage ... they typically use use multiple 1L bottles of oil rather than one or two 5L bottles.

 

[Biggles Wader]

A recent presentation by a manufacturer cast light on this situation. Aside changes in the environment which may encourage marine growth, the latest regulations governing antifoul content limited the number of biocides that can be included into DIY applied product to one. It seems manufacturers have chosen copper based biocide which is effective against creatures but not slime and plants. Professional applied product is permitted to contain two biocides and therefore can be constructed to protect against slime as well. However professional product is only available in 25 ltre packs which discourage small applicators from the market due to high stocking costs and no certainty of selling within useable dates. For example, my boat needs 2.5 litres per year and while a 25 liter pack is not outrageously priced at about £1200 it is unlikely to remain useable for 10 years. Manufacturers may have thought there is a market to sell in bulk and encouraged the regulation change seeing an easy market but the unintended consequence of little professional take up in the leisure marine trade may take some time for them to realise and address.

Indeed! 20 litre drums of Jotun or Hempel "professional" use only antifoul can be obtained on Ebay or Facebook if you look hard enough and for a lot less than £1200. More like £200! Three or four owners clubbing together makes it a no brainer if that sort of eroding paint is suitable for you. It lasts about three years. I have about five litres left in a drum if anyone wants any.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

I came across this PBO test on a motorboat which tested several antifouls over an 18 month period which may be of interest.

If you fast forward to around 7minutes, it shows how easy/difficult the slime was to remove .

Best antifouling paint: 8 leading options in head-to-head test

 

[oldgit]

Medway MoBo.
Shogun 37 "seems" to have done a half decent job this year.
Only "lost" about 3 knots at WOT after 12 months afloat.
It was also the cheapest suitable A/F on the shelf at the time.
On the blocks in a week or two, to discover just how bad the hull is.

Bottom very clean, little slime and few barnecules.
Previous A/F applied exactly 12 months ago, thin single coat of Seajet 37 applied with "gloss" roller.
About 3 hours drying before tide returns.
Saved about £20.00 on 5 L inc P&P by buying from a on line chandler in Scotland.

 

[GunfleetSand]

Resigned to beaching and regular scrubb offs now as speaking to a number of mooring holders at Walton the slime issue around the Backwaters seems insurmountable despite whatever any manufacturer claims so have gone for a hard scrubbable product this year instead.

Have had a small Orkney in Titchmarsh which I copper coated in 2022. Gets a bit of slime after a few months and a bit of weed following that but nothing major, mostly slime which a jet wash soon removes.