Which antifoul ?

[BlueSkyNick]

Last year, having spent many hours cleaning up the keel, I put on a double coat of Cruising A/F. This year, had her lifted and pressure washed at the end of May (prior to RTIR) and the antifoul still looked OK.

Eight weeks later, seriously struggling to keep up with smaller boats, had her lifted again this afternoon. I wasn't present at the time, but was told that it looked like a layer of green suede. Obviously, 15 months was too long before a re-coat, especially with the hot weather in July causing a level of weed (in Lymington river anyway). Also, having had a pressure wash in May has caused the A/F to deteriorate quicker

I dont want to put on another coat now because my longer term plan has been to strip the whole lot back to bare GRP this winter anyway - which is another reason I didnt put on a coat earlier in the year.

Now I am thinking about what to put on next. Racing owners spend a lot of time and money keeping the boat's bottom clean and smooth, and it clearly makes a big difference to their performance. So why do cruisers buy cheaper antifoul ? It seems to be a false economy - surely it is better to spend £80 per tin instead of £40, and not lose a knot or more of sailing speed? Then there is the additional fuel cost to overcome the additional drag.

What to do ????

 

[Twister_Ken]

Coppercoat. Oh, sorry, I'm being boring.

 

[FullCircle]

Racers need 1/100th of a knot. Cruisers do not.

I found the ultimate cure: Park your salt water yacht in a fresh water river and leave it there mid week.
Come Sunday you will be quickest on the water, as all the critters jump off the hull in fresh.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I found the ultimate cure: Park your salt water yacht in a fresh water river and leave it there mid week.
Come Sunday you will be quickest on the water, as all the critters jump off the hull in fresh.

I kept my last boat afloat for six years on the trot without (a) antifouling or (b) fouling. She spent each summer in the harbour at Crinan and each winter in the canal. Later she spent five years in the river at Kirkcudbright with hardly any fouling. Folk wisdom there is that the constantly changing salinity confuses the heck out of the critters so they go elsewhere to do their devilish work.

 

[ninky]

A moving hull gathers no foul...Not entirely true, but certainly the more the boat moves the less dirty her bottom will be.

 

[chubby]

I went from cruiser uno to micron this year and so far less fouling, in the overall cost of ownership of thousands, a few tens of pounds on better AF cuts fuel costs if nothing else so false economy to go for the cheapest IMHO

 

[Twister_Ken]

Folk wisdom there is that the constantly changing salinity confuses the heck out of the critters so they go elsewhere to do their devilish work.

In Lymington, home port of Biggus Nickus, salinity is only ever likely to change much if the New Forest floods and drains off south.

 

[DJE]

I went from cruiser uno to micron this year and so far less fouling, in the overall cost of ownership of thousands, a few tens of pounds on better AF cuts fuel costs if nothing else so false economy to go for the cheapest IMHO

So you've seen the light. I have found Micron Extra to be pretty effective in Fareham creek over the years. But it is very soft so don't scrub it just wipe of any slime with a sponge. You also soon learn where it erodes most quickly and stick a coat or two on those areas before doing the whole hull.

 

[Sans Bateau]

In Lymington, home port of Biggus Nickus, salinity is only ever likely to change much if the New Forest floods and drains off south.

That is the cause (IMO) of BN's growth, if you know what I mean. Run off washing nitrogen and such like off the fields. If we have a wet spring and summer I get a lot of weed growth, a dry spring and sunny summer, the growth is far less. Last year with a very wet summer the boat was thick with weed when I scrubbed off.

 

[Pitterpatter]

After years of buying cheap, this year (after a bit of research on what works locally) I have gone for Jotun. Cheap it was not, and applying it in this years near zero March temperatures meant using more than probably needed. However, normally by this time I expect to see all manner of critters, hard and soft, but this year she is looking remarkably clean. Jotun also say that it should continue working for 2 years, however my diligence in removing the water from around her in the winter time I guess will kill off any hope that being tested.

I am now a convert to a more expensive paint.

PP

 

[ctva]

Like Jumbleduck above, we're in the Crinan Canal. So between keeping the boat ibn fresh water and venturing out in to salt water when we go sailing, we get no fouling. I take her out every three years as I feel that I should to check the anode (and to make sure the dangly bits are still there) but she never needs antifouling. I do use cheap XM Crusing which worked perfectly on our previous boat too, keet at Fairlie (salt water mooring).

It all depends on your area as some antifouls work better in one area but not in others. I was always told to see what the local chandlery supplies as a hint.

(What is it with Crinan canal users and rubber ducks???)

 

[JumbleDuck]

Like Jumbleduck above, we're in the Crinan Canal. ...

I'm not in the Crinan Canal any more, except passing through. I have a boat on a mooring in a freshwater loch, though. She got a couple of coats of Trilux four years ago, but more for the look of the thing than anything else. Her varnished rudder gets a bit of slime, which easily wipes off with a cloth.

Dunn

 

[Piddy]

After years of buying cheap, this year (after a bit of research on what works locally) I have gone for Jotun. Cheap it was not, and applying it in this years near zero March temperatures meant using more than probably needed. However, normally by this time I expect to see all manner of critters, hard and soft, but this year she is looking remarkably clean. Jotun also say that it should continue working for 2 years, however my diligence in removing the water from around her in the winter time I guess will kill off any hope that being tested.

I am now a convert to a more expensive paint.

PP

I used the cheapest this year after years of faithfully applying Micron. It's the best I can remember, with very little evidence of slime or growth (since March). It was a cheapo brand (Clipper?) and it went on between tides in Early April and still looks fine. I think the comments posted earlier about boat movement and possibly colder water for the early part of the season have had an effect this year.

Piddy

 

[nigelmercier]

Whatever they sell in your local chandler.

 

[pathfinderstu]

You guys are lucky, the bottom growth in Fethiye SW Turkey is a nightmare, combination of hot sea water, river water running off multiple trout farms hence high nitrates, questionable amounts of sewage. etc. have tried coppercoat-waste of time! ...ultrasound device again waste of time, even the most expensive antifouls will only last 6 months. I have considered adding antibiotics, chile powder and so on as getting desperate. I am beginning to think that plutonium might work...anybody got any spare?

 

[JumbleDuck]

I used the cheapest this year after years of faithfully applying Micron.

I use Nautical, which is made by International, and which I selected on the basis of being the cheapest I could find by a manufacturer I had heard of. It works very well in the Clyde; just a little light slime last autumn.

 

[SimonP85]

We applied Jotun in January 2012 and the boat hasn't been out of the water since so will be interesting to see how it's coped when she's lifted later in the year.

 

[Seven Spades]

You guys are lucky, the bottom growth in Fethiye SW Turkey is a nightmare, combination of hot sea water, river water running off multiple trout farms hence high nitrates, questionable amounts of sewage. etc. have tried coppercoat-waste of time! ...ultrasound device again waste of time, even the most expensive antifouls will only last 6 months. I have considered adding antibiotics, chile powder and so on as getting desperate. I am beginning to think that plutonium might work...anybody got any spare?

You need some dodgy TBT

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Whatever they sell in your local chandler.

We are blessed with three chandlers all within walking distance, and between them they sell whatever one wants to buy - or they can order it in.

 

[BruceDanforth]

I use cheap xm antifouling from ebay every 2 years. You probably lost a lot of yours when you had the boat jetwashed.

Last year, having spent many hours cleaning up the keel, I put on a double coat of Cruising A/F. This year, had her lifted and pressure washed at the end of May (prior to RTIR) and the antifoul still looked OK.

Eight weeks later, seriously struggling to keep up with smaller boats, had her lifted again this afternoon. I wasn't present at the time, but was told that it looked like a layer of green suede. Obviously, 15 months was too long before a re-coat, especially with the hot weather in July causing a level of weed (in Lymington river anyway). Also, having had a pressure wash in May has caused the A/F to deteriorate quicker

I dont want to put on another coat now because my longer term plan has been to strip the whole lot back to bare GRP this winter anyway - which is another reason I didnt put on a coat earlier in the year.

Now I am thinking about what to put on next. Racing owners spend a lot of time and money keeping the boat's bottom clean and smooth, and it clearly makes a big difference to their performance. So why do cruisers buy cheaper antifoul ? It seems to be a false economy - surely it is better to spend £80 per tin instead of £40, and not lose a knot or more of sailing speed? Then there is the additional fuel cost to overcome the additional drag.

What to do ????