Running Gear Antifoul...?

Hi,

I am watching this thread with interest.

I would like to try it out on a new boats props, thrusters and shafts but am not willing to recommend something that seems to be a lot more hype than fact.

I do however rate a recommendation from Ken Bracewell as a pretty positive endorsement.

He wrote about it here: http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/73837-post37.html

Why did it fall off Ken?

I know my experience with it was not an apples to apples comparision. But, there was no reason for the owner to pay to have the yard launch the boat, then run it for a seatrial, then re-haul it and apply the seaslide. So it is what it is. It did rain after the seaslide was put on and you could run your hand over the bottom paint and it was super super slippery.

The owner is very knowledgable and claims that the speed stayed the same for the entire year and a half before he hauled the boat and repainted and put more seaslide. He has used it on several boats and told me that on a speedboat he gained 5 mph. But he did say that it stays on there for a long time, and it cuts down barnacle growth considerably and the few he has gotten fall right off when you touch them.......

Anyways, this is all I know and it would be interesting to see a better before and after test in the real world. I was hoping Bamboo was going to do a seatrial right after being launched to see how it performs.

It's all in the application and prep. The surfaces have to be very clean.

ALSO, electrolyses will make prop speed or any other product on the running gear peel right off. I have had good luck with prop speed, and use it on boats that cruise over 20 knots.

Under 20 knot cruise, I like the tri-lux white and have had good results with it.

I can't say for certain as I was out of the country when it was actually applied the first time by the shipyard. I had used it on smaller boats with great results so decided to try it on the Curt C (now RENA) back in 2005. When I realized the failure I contacted Prop Speed and they attributed the failure to the application process (could have been the sub-freezing temperatures where it was applied but I honestly can't recall now). Anyhow, they offered to replace the product for free and it has been trouble free for the past 4 cycles (we clean the gear and re-apply every 12-16 months when we do the bottom).

What is the problem with Prop Speed under 20?

There is no problem with prop speed under 20 knots that I know of. It's just that the Tri-Lux is cheaper then the prop speed, and I have had excellent results with it on boats that are under 20 knots. I had tri-lux on a 58' Hatteras YF and it stayed on the props and shafts totally for 14 months and never grew barnacles. After 14 months it started degrading. I also think it is (tri-lux) a more effective at preventing barnacles from growing on the running gear, even though with Prop Speed the barnacles fall off. The problem with Tri-Lux is that over 20 knot cruise , it doesn't stay on very well and starts to peel off and stuff.

K1W1
Your right but worth the risk to me. Its a real problem here. Yachts larger than 90' still have it legally put on in the states.

CSkipR,

Is that true on the InterCoastal too?

Absolutely thats where its the worst problem.

CSkipR, well of course its worth it to you, the problem wasn't that economically it didn't make sense to people, its that the costs of people doing it were too high for the community. Ever heard of the tradgedy of the commons or the prisoners dilemma?

Yep and your point is

My point is that people no longer using TBT isn't a matter of it not being worth it for them.

Hi,

I am afraid that this type of partial compliance with what the rest of the world accepts as being good for the environment is the type of thing that just re inforces peoples opinions about the USA.

The boats over 25m or in some cases 65 ft or made of Aluminium ( that's what I see exempted in most states in the attached article) that have this applied might have trouble when leaving the US to go somewhere else if asked for the Certificate of Coatings compliance on arrival somewhere.

http://www.olemiss.edu/orgs/SGLC/National/Antifouling.pdf

My boat's bottom is very slippery. The growth at the dock is not greater or lesser than my perceived view of that of the past without the sea slide. I changed my shaft packing in dry dock. I first put in 1/2 inch but that was very very tight- the 3/8 seemed small. I later found 7/16 and this was just right, so I changed all the packing out to 7/16. Lots of wax was extruded. The boat's top speed is no faster than before the sea slide was applied. It cruises about the same at the same rpm. The hull used just under two gallons and "painted" everything except the props by the bottom crew. Went on easily and according to instructions. I have set of 16-92's non DDEC. No load readings and fuel burn is noted at when I refuel. These are my observations on this one boat this one time.

You can still get the good stuff in the Bahamas. It is made in St. Pete, Fl. Yachts over 90' can still get the good stuff.

I've found that the new bottom paints work just as well, if not better, if you mix in a 8-16 ounce bottle of Cayenne pepper into each gallon of bottom paint.

Are bottom painters in Fl. required to get a pesticide license or is that just a NY thing. Reason I ask is who's going to risk a license and fines to put this stuff on?

The boat yards in Fl can put it on although they cannot sell the bottom paint with THT.

No license is needed. An owner can put his own bottom paint on. Once in a blue moon the EPA checks the local yards........It's just extremely hard to buy the bottom paint with TBT. You're not going to find it anywhere......

anti fouling paint

Thats why I have to purchase it in the Bahamas. The only place I know it is still available.