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Anti Fouling, Yes Or No?


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EEC regulations have now purged most of the nasties from any anti-fouling paints that us Broads boaters are likely to meet. Was a time when TBT was available, until the dire effects that it had on the environment were realised. Today's Broads anti-fouling paints tend to be sacrificial, meaning that there is not much for crud to stick to as the surface washes or scrubs easily. I find that one application lasts me for two seasons. By the way I use Whitham Paint's gloss & antifouling, great price and great quality, just avoid their varnishes though. http://www.withamgroup.co.uk/woco/marine-and-anti-fouling-paints/

I can understand hire yards leaving their boats un-coated. Lets be honest, their boats are often stored afloat and to slip, pressure clean, tape up and anti-foul a boat takes time and money. Not doing so releases staff for more profitable jobs, like building boats. Since their boats are in use all summer weed growth is unlikely, unlike private boats that lay at their moorings for weeks, even months on end. The worst that they'll suffer from is probably a build up of dirt & lime-scale. If a lack of anti-fouling should up the fuel consumption then so what, the yard sells more fuel, bonus. Is it really necessary? Probably not.

In the case of private boats weed growth can harbour living nasties and then transfer them to other waters, from North to South for example. I can feel by the way my boat handles as to whether I either need to scrub or repaint the bottom, it does make a difference. Modern Broads anti-foulings are pretty inert but cleaning is made far easier, I can easily scrub my boat's bottom even when she's afloat thus saving the cost of slipping.

Having a boat anti-fouled is expensive and whether it's worth it with a grp boat is open to debate. Is it really necessary, I don't know, but I choose to do it. I have tried gloss painting the boot-topping but that hasn't been a great success. New builds often have a boot-topping incorporated in the gel-coat, problem solved. A clean boat does look nice, does use less fuel, does sail better, my choice!

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Anti-foul.  Every two years anti-foul for 'B.A' first jet wash literally as she is coming out, then a by hand scrub with green nylon pads again before she has surface dried.  The evidence is that two years is about right and it has lasted well and not washed off through to the primer / undercoat.  The boot topping is also an antifoul but of the harder type enabling washing.  'B.A' as a result has no growth below the waterline bar a few 'Mucky' patches.  We will know again next month for sure and I will of course take some photo's

That 'Tar' stuff - Eughhh, there was a fair area of 'B.A' covered in the stuff not pleasant getting that stuff off, but we had to, no way was I putting that back on, besides the drag it creates once in the water

Griff

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Like Griff its every 2 seasons for me, luckily as a small craft I just wiz down to Wayford and let John and his crew acid wash and repaint, I noticed the last couple of times with the new soft anti fouling paints there were some very thin patches on her bottom!!!!!! so I wouldn't want to leave it much longer.

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I'm still in the don't know camp with anti foul! I use my boat most of the year so it dosn't sit around to get a build up apart from a couple of months in the winter, this time I'm going to leave mine four years and see what it looks like, and yes Withams all the way for me even the Varnish, I was going to ask Peter why he didn't like it but Poppy sort of answered, I actually don't like varnish too glossy so Withams works well for me, it's sort of between gloss and satin, I just varnished a couple of small panels using Wilko's gloss yacht varnish, and it's great stuff, did five coats and it's like a mirror,

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The problem I have with Whitham's varnish is that it appears to be porous. I'm an experienced boat painter so I'm confident that I apply varnish in a right and proper manner. A, Whithams doesn't seem to last as well as the Epiphanes that I have used in the past. B, timber that I have varnished with Whithams, eight coats, has within a season developed small black spots on the timber. Epiphanes, probably misspelled, far outlasts Whithams thus justifying the not inconsiderable price difference. I use Whithams for internal work and quite like the subdued gloss.

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Regarding Whitham's white marine gloss, have now used it for eight years and am hugely impressed with it. I apply with foam rollers which I can do quickly & efficiently on both a grp & a wood boat. It flows well, stays on and stays white, I always enjoy using it and inevitably am pleased with the results. From Whitham's trade counter at Lowestoft it costs about one third of what International costs and it does the job, in my experience, just as well.

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Have to agree about their paint Peter, used it a few times now topside and hull I can't fault it! Never tried their Varnish on Externals but love it in the cockpit and cabin and had no problems with it! what I like with Withams is if you have a paint sample they will colour match it, Jude insisted the go faster stripes matched the blue decks on the Hampton 25, went to Withams and they made up topcoat and deck paint to match, and as you say a lot cheaper than other Marine paints,,

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