Well its now pretty much halfway through the season and I was wondering what thoughts everyone has had regarding how effective their antifouling paint has been?

Also I did see that International have brought out a new silicone based paint, it only seems to be available in commercial quantities - I guessed they would have to do something as TBT has been now banned on all ships and quite frankly commercial ship owners wouldn't put up with the useless and largely ineffective stuff we yachtsmen get palmed off with.

Awful!

We re scrubbing the white line and top of the antifoul about once a fortnight as it os covered in weed despite laying afloat in a fast flowing river.

W.

I antifouled mine last December and so far so good.

I used International Cruser Uno for the second time and for "domestic" stuff it's not bad. Last season I used the off white but that was a mistake because it quickly turned green but this time I introduced a white boot line with Trilux and used black antifouling which looks better. I posted a picture of it in the gallery a while ago.

Interestingly, the Cruiser Uno always seems to do very well in the comparison tests and is also one of the cheapest. It is a self eroding type and is only suitable for upto 20 knots (which is fine for me) but it may not be suitable for racing yachts as I believe you need a hard polished antifouling.

Cheers

Chas

Interestingly a friend who has a Princess 38 has Uno on his (he can only do 18 kts) I was looking at it last weekend and he did seem to be cleaner than nearly everyone.

Last year I put Shogun Emporer on, it is supposed to last 2 years, so in a moment of meanness I decided to see if it really would! Ho Ho!

Its quite useless - I scrubbed it in May and its weeded like mad since then, I'm scrubbing next week and seroiously think about slapping a coat of Uno on to last out this season.

In Walton Backwaters, everyone is already badly fouled, we also seem to be groweing weed this year, which I've never seen before. I guess the weedkiller chemical has be banned in this years formulation - either that or we've got a new variety of weed that we've nevber had before!

I've always reckoned that Black looks to be more effective or is it that you can't see the slime on it?

It probably hides the slime better but I was told by International the reason for my old white antifouling going green was due to the copper content - copper oxide, green church roofs! 

'Orrible wasn't it?

Shows how busy I have been this year-I havnt done mine yet-may be a good scrub along side and just alot of extrawork next winter !-fingers crossed I moor in a layer of cold mountain water nr. where it enters the sea-groth is very slow.

Phil

Well, it didn't take long to get back to the thorny old question did it!

I am using True Blue Tiger again, although I was pondering Interlux until reminded it contains PTFE, and is not compatible with other paints.

 I've only been in the water 3 wks on the Deben, but after two there was a fairly thick layer of mud on the bottom and particularly the dinghy type rudder.

Spectacularly useless I would say--repeating my comments last time this topic was a thread.

we used Blakes Ocean Performer this year and it is no better than their cheaper one!

The stern hung rudder needs scrubbing nearly every week and we've scrubbed the rest of the boat 3 times already just to keep what I consider to be a cruising finish.

In spite of the pain of putting it on, we will probably go back to Optima next season. If nothing else, anything left on at the end of the season still seems to work and, apart from the wet/dry area above the waterline where it sets like rock, you don't get the buid up that you get with other antifouls, saving having to strip it right off so often.

My antifoul is dark blue as everyone said dark colours are best, I put Ocean performer white on parts of my son's boat as an experiment and the rudder is so weedy I'm considering putting the rest of the tin on the garden to help the plants grow!

Ho hum!

I started using Cruiser Uno a few years ago because of the fast application and drying times. It also does erode a little which reduces build up of inert layers. My experience with other so called eroding types is that the only erosion is to one's wallet.

I lean my vessel against the scrubbing posts and have managed to scrub off and get a full coat of Uno on between tides. With a vast wetted surface area (Tradewind) the last bits are being painted as the tide comes up to the top of my wellies but the antifouling works reasonably well regardless. Gets a sponge wipe over at the waterline and down an arms' length every few months. No barnacles and no serious weed. This year I have not bothered to anti foul yet - and so far the paint I put on in early 2007 is still quite effective - they actually have improved the formula in recent years as that is better prerformance than with the first tins of Uno I used. But as with all antifouling, may work well in some seas areas and badly in others.

Only really effective antifouling is to keep sailing hard so the little critters can't get a grip.

I used white Tiger Xtra last year with very disappointing results. A film of slime appeared fairly quickly and this was followed by a fringe that grew round the waterline.

This year I switched to Ocean Performer and I have to say the result has been very encouraging. Much less slime and no fringe. I guess the fact that I used a darker colour (True Blue) helped nevertheless, I will definitely be using the same product again next year.

 What I cannot understand is how two boats in the same Marina, both using identical anti-fouling, experience totally different results? No doubt the amount and type of sailing has an effect nevertheless it is surprising.

Hi Graham ,

2 boats same marine same anti foul...different results? 

I'd be interested to know are they moored close to each other, is the antifoul the same colour even though the same make and type?

or if one is paler in colour,  is it worse effected/affected?

We often thought that quality control is the problem. Certainly with International and Blakes products the ingredients have never been mixed before you buy the paint, we all know how long it takes to stir it all together (45 minutes this year with Blakes!) but you can then leave it for 3 years and his not separated out anything like as much.

Are the right proportions of easch ingredient going in to every tin? This could explain why two boats in the same marina have totally different results.

Our local Sea School did two boats only a week apart with, I think, it was Uno and one was the cleanest he had ever known after a season and the other was the dirtiest.

Having said all this, I have given 'Monkey Business' a coat of Uno at her mid season scrub, nothing else is working so I thought I'd give it a try.

Teamac is the best that I have come accross.No fouling so far. My mooring is on the Exe.

I highly recomend it.

David

My Coppercoat last August 2007, at over £1000 inc sand blasting has grown a veritable beard and is not working very well IMHO.  I have just done 200 nm at 5 kts plus but not made much difference to the removal of the growth.  Company have a not very encouraging response to my enquiries.  Suggested I lift out and sand with fine grit!  each year too. Perhaps east coast has the wrong type of water or wrong type of weed!!!  It was applied by a professional marine eng/repair company on the advice of the Coppercoat company after several discussions and after viewing their video etc.

 I remain to be impressed but am also hopeful.  Will not be sanding down this year anyway.  Looks like it was a waste of time right now, watch this space....

When I said that I had given by son's boat 'Monkey Business a coat of Uno i was not teling the truth,(too much energy expended during a day on the posts to think straight) it was Sea Jet Shogun.

Only 4 weeks later she is due for her third scrob to keep a racing finish!!!

It's absolute rubbish! the only thing in it's favour is that the green muck comes off very easily but then I suppose it should when it has only been on there a week or two!!!

Sorry about all the exclamation marks but I'm a bit peed off.

Had Hullabaloo out at Levington (Suffolk Yacht Harbour - they are absoluetly the best & most helpful boatyard anywhere!) Weed blasted off, hull sanded and 2 1/2 coats of antifouling - all in one day - keeps you fit!

Used Blakes Tiger Extra - White, not for any real reasons other than its was going cheap.

Boat looks good and the finish is spot on - but how long will it last!

Well I can report that at 2 weeks it looks fine, if it makes 4 without mudding I'll be impressed - or am I a complete cynic?

Am told that there is a very nasty poison, Methyl-organo-tin, that is obtainable, am trying to locate a source for the 2009 season.

Have been told by an industrial chemist that any metal compound/type with an organo in it means that it is absorbed by living tissue (plant & animal) - and that's the result we want I believe, Never did any organic chemistry so am on a voyage of discovery here. TBT which stood for Tri-butyl -tin was an organo tin. Self build anti-fouling paint is I think the only way ahead - its only illegal to manufacture and sell paint with banned compounds, there is no legislation about DIY stuff.