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Anti Fowl

Andrewcook

By Andrewcook
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Andrewcook

Andrewcook

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Can any Norfolk Broads Net Forum tell how often do theses Boats have to be Anti Fowl and when it is best to be done? Does that including doing any work on the Outside including the Underneath of the Boat while it is out of the Water. How long does it takes to do? Is it done by Hand or by Spray it on and Who does it? Does it costs much to using the Anti Fowl on the Underneath of the Cruisers?

Andrew Cook  

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LondonRascal

LondonRascal

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How long is a piece of string? It really depends on the boat, the owner and what they wish to achieve. May hire boats do not have the usual anti-foul one may get for their own boat - I forget the name of it, but is a cheaper black paint (is it tar based) anyway, it does the job perfectly well.

If you own a boat you've got some choices on what to use - and they vary in cost (and colour). You could have a soft eroding anti-foul which as its name suggests rubs off and as it does so, anything trying to adhere to the hull and grow also has a hard time staying.  The other choice is a hard anti-foul that works more on a chemical scale; it too will erode but fundamentally is a horrible place of organism's to live so they stay away.

If we take B.A as an example then every two years she is taken out the water, pressure washed to get the worst off then gone at with a coarse 'green pad' to remove any build up and hit again with a pressure washer and left to dry.  Now once the coating gets too much and might be flaking in some areas and not in others, sanding may be required.  Then it is a case of laying down on your back with a roller and painting it on.

Anti-foul is a horrible chemical laden product, not something you want getting in your eyes and mouth so suitable protection should be worn - and if sanding (and especially dry sanding) a full face respiratory is needed to keep the harmful dust out of your lungs. It goes on easy enough but is the pain in any boat owners side, and why to many boatyards makes up their 'bread and butter' of work often offering a haul out, wash, application and haul back in for an all in figure priced per foot.

It is also a good time to check the underwater gear, such as prop, rudder and bearings of the rudder and cutlass bearings and change Anodes which wear away and help protect other metals and it is for this reason sacrificial anodes should never be coated with anti-foul.

Here is a basic run down:

 

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ChrisB

ChrisB

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If the substrate is in good condition you can recon on about £15 per foot. It is usually put on with a roller. Antifoul is toxic so to spray would require a spray booth and air fed and filtered respiratory equipment for the operator not the sort of expense a yard would be willing to fork out on. If on lifting the boat needs considerable preparatory work due to excessive build up of paint, mussels etc then that would be work in addition.

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ChrisB

ChrisB

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2 hours ago, Dilligaf said:

It all depends what sort of bird life you are having issues with, I find a good 12 bore take out most fowl pretty effectively.

 

 

Just now, johnb said:

It's what the fowls do to our cockpit canopy I most object to. 

See Dilligaf above.

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Timbo

Timbo

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Reading the signage in one Norfolk chandlery they give 'free' protective gloves, overalls and masks with antifoul.

Being an old wooden girl, RT's bottom is tarred, which is a preservative as well as antifoul. Oddly she has an area which is treated with antifoul as opposed to tar and that is the area where she has had new planking on two occasions. As tar is a pain to get off, and evidence seems to dictate it keeps the wooden bottom in better nick, and I'm plain lazy...Its staying tarred and preserved...as I will be once I start trying to redo it, and I bet some joker throws in some feathers.

Who'd have thought I'd bring a thread back on track...oops back off track again!

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Timbo

Timbo

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3 hours ago, Polly said:

You think so Tim? It makes me wonder why most of the woodies have gone over to antifoul.

I have a friend involved in the restoration of the Cutty Sark. Tar has been the preservative of choice for wooden boats and ships since...there were wooden boats and ships. Tar is applied to any organic material, be it wood or rope, on a wooden boat or ship. That's why sailors are called 'Jack Tar' because they were always applying the stuff and always covered in it. Don't forget the varnish we use is made from tar. Tar is made from distilling wood or coal. Coal tar was traditionally used on boat hulls because it is a preservative, aquatic life does not like it all that much and it's a natural disinfectant (Wright's Coal Tar Soap anyone?) but...when the hull needed cleaning the ship would be run onto a beach and they would set fire to the tar. I wouldn't recommend doing that now!

These days there are two types of tar used on wooden boats. The traditional coal tar and bitumen tar. Coal tar, as I say, is distilled from coal. Coal Tar is vile stuff and is best applied by a professional. You can apply a new layer of coal tar over existing coal tar but not over any other surface. Bitumen is refined from crude oil. It's not as thick as coal tar or as noxious and can be applied over any surface.

Once the hull is coated in tar it's a hell of a job scraping it all off, but the preservative nature of tar is such that 'historic' ships and boats still use it. Pretty much the same way you don't see many IT professionals using i-phones or Windows 10 for that matter. It's good stuff...but messy.

As I say, RT has her hull tarred but has an area in the bow that is anitouled. The antifouled area has had planks replaced on two occasions. The tarred area is still all original and sound. The antifoul was redone last year by me and needs doing again. The tar? Been there for years...needs redoing says Sensei. I think this is a job I get to do with only verbal guidance I'm guessing.

Of course, there is the price to consider. £63 for 3 litres of anitfoul. £30 for 5 litres of bitumen.

As to why folks go over to antifoul...tar is messy. Besides which, I've known folks still buy i-phones! :default_norty:

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Malanka

Malanka

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Boris is our Anti Fowl, and Mals bottom is coated with Tar. Thick gloopy stuff that I leave the professionals to deal with. Every two or three years we take her out and scrape it off and power wash then re-apply, when I say we I mean I pay a man to do it...LOL

 

I have seen the underside of the boat in a one time incident never to be repeated. Holding myself under the boat with my hand on Mals Tarry bottom and I can confirm that even two years old it's still horrible stuff.

To go from coal tar to coaL tar soap takes a few chemical reactions (saponification for the technical) and is itself an horrible process involving sodium hydroxide and many bad smells. Practiced many times during ones studies into sciencey stuff.

 

Coal tar soap (the pink smelly one) used to have sand or pummice added to it to make it abrasive too. My dad swore by it but it wrecks your hands. If I wreck my hands these days I just go rub the dog for five minutes and all is well again..no he doesnt smell like a dog, he's an Airedale. Gods own dog... 

Hi Timmy off piste ??

M

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Wildfuzz

Wildfuzz

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Trying to stay on Piste......... I need to have my anti fouling done this winter I used to use Jon at Wayford but he has moved on, I emailed Whispering reeds and got no reply, anyone recommend anyone near to Hickling for a lift, wash, scrub and re apply?

 

S.

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Malanka

Malanka

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He he Timmy,

Just to take us completely off bottom coverings. I personally am off to San Diego (work) Saturday, back next Saturday, then Monday off to Vienna (Conference Speaking engagement) and back on Thursday, Friday off to the boat to float on Mals tarry bottom with Fiona, Boris, Monty (who will be 17 weeks old then) and Helena with Boyfriend who we have not actually met yet. There back on topic again...

Tarry bottoms rule....And Pavlovs dogs drool......

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ExMemberBobdog

ExMemberBobdog

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4 minutes ago, Wildfuzz said:

Trying to stay on Piste......... I need to have my anti fouling done this winter I used to use Jon at Wayford but he has moved on, I emailed Whispering reeds and got no reply, anyone recommend anyone near to Hickling for a lift, wash, scrub and re apply?

 

S.

Working downriver, either try giving Whispering Reeds a call, (they're not great on new tangled technology like e-mail, but good at old fashioned boats stuff), Martham Boatyard Development Co, or Phoenix Fleet at Potter.  After that you're either going downriver to Eastwood Whelpton at Upton, or upriver to Ludham Bridge Boatyard or beyond ...

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