We finished the antifouling this weekend and I have to say that with two of us on the job it was very quick. We spent a fair amount of time mixing, before and during the application to avoid uneven spread of antifouling compound. We used rollers over most of the hull and brushes to apply extra coats where increased wear such as the waterline need better protection. The product we used this year is a new one called Awlgrip Gold label. It went on well with a satisfyingly solid looking result.
The right stuff for you?
Choosing the right antifouling paint very much depends on the area you sail. Water conditions vary, strong tidal flows, temperature, salinity, local polllution factors can all affect the performance of the product. The best guide is to ask the locals, other boat owners, boatyards etc will have tested through a process of trial and error what works best in your sailing area.
Thick or thin?
With most antifouling paints its better to err towards a thick coating rather than thin, so don't try and make the paint go further and skimp on the coverage. When we have paint left over we go over the vulnerable bits with a brush to add protection.
Don't skimp on the anode
There are other associated jobs to be done while the boat is out of the water. Now is the time to change the sacrificial anode if yours has done its job. This year one of the bolts decided to twist and we had to get inside to fit a new bolt. Do not paint over the anode; it won't work if you do.
One coat or two?
To get the best results we usually allow time to apply two coats to avoid any uneven coating of the antifoul compound. This photograph shows the hull before the second coat was applied. The next step is to mask up the boottop, we always use a wide tape for this as it seems less likely to twist especially on the stronger curves.
A clean straight boottop is a pleasure to see
Take your time to mask up the boottop. A badly placed tape can ruin the job, particularly along the waterline where mistakes are going to be obvious. It can often help to have two people, one to apply the tape and the other to judge the accuracy of the line. The second most important job on the boottop is to remove the tape as soon as the paint has achieved some hardening, and well before it has dried completely. This will avoid pulling chips away with the tape.
When we had taped up the transom we decided that the rudder would have to be taken off to allow a proper job on the varnishing so off it came.
We are getting there
The materials we used this year seem to have worked well and were certainly a pleasure to apply. Time will tell how affective they are. We will let you know at the end of the season.
