which Hempel primer to cover copper coat?

[ozzie]

We have just finished our season with a copper coated boat and I have not been impressed with it. We have suffered with weed build up which has seriously reduced performance, even a mid season scrub didnt last long before performance started dropping off again. The boat will be ten years old next year, so I am thinking its probably coming to the end of its useful life, so I have made the decision to go back to Hempels Tiger Xtra which I have used for ten years and has always performed well. The coppercoat is in sound condition, so the plan is to power wash, wet sand (80 or 120 grit?) then prime. Looking at the Hempel website they have two different primers listed - antifouling primer and underwater primer 26030. Both look as if they will do the same job so I tried to contact Hempel for some technical advice but they did not get back to me... Does anyone have any practical experience or advice on which one to use??

 

[Flyingspanner]

I found this article from PBO - they suggest Epoxy primer is required and good heavy sanding as no chemical adhesion only mechanical to the copper coat

Overcoating Coppercoat antifouling: ask the experts - Practical Boat Owner

 

[Momac]

Is it not possible to lightly wet sand the copper coat to revive its effectiveness?

 

[Canopy Locked]

If you have to use an epoxy primer to cover the CC before applying trad AF, why not just reapply CC? The prep is basically the same since it's an epoxy. I think that CC is generally effective up to around 10 years, so that might explain why it's not performing. I have done my last 3 boats with CC - it's a pain getting it on just right - but it's only once. I'd never go back to trad AF and the annual job of re-coating.

 

[ozzie]

Coppercoat just hasnt worked despite our boat having regular use, and in fact all the copper coated motorboats around us have suffered with weed growth including the boat next to me which is only two years old. I personally dont mind antifouling, it doesnt take long and in ten years of using Hempel TigerXtra I have never suffered from weed growth.