DIY Anti Fouling - How Hard Can It Be ?

[annv]

Hi Griff I guess its harder in the Navy to claim exercise losses as it is in the army, surprising what you can get away with in crash moves at night in Germany. John

[annv]

Hi Biker Its always good to store a Gel coated boat over winter to let it dry out along with a coat of Emulsion in the bilges, you dont have to antifoul every year when doing this and its safer on the bank over Winter as well. John

[dom]

That cranage fee is a lot higher than I'd expected. The way they do so many boats at once, I'd thought maybe they'd offer a decent rate to get as many out of the water (and harm's way) as possible. It'd be interesting to know how it all stacks up over the year for a permanent mooring. I find marinas seem to do their best to make fees as obscure as possible. The worst one is the way some mix ex.vat and inc.vat prices on their advertised rates.

If it was the Broads, I think I'd be trying to stay in the water year round so you can get trips out but that seems an unlikely prospect in winter with RGO flow rates.

[Smoggy]

47 minutes ago, annv said:

Hi Biker Its always good to store a Gel coated boat over winter to let it dry out along with a coat of Emulsion in the bilges, you dont have to antifoul every year when doing this and its safer on the bank over Winter as well. John

Never heard of using emulsion in the bilges.

[Bikertov]

23 minutes ago, dom said:

If it was the Broads, I think I'd be trying to stay in the water year round so you can get trips out but that seems an unlikely prospect in winter with RGO flow rates.

The River Great Ouse at St.Ives, and Jones Marina, has been mainly unusable since I have been there in October. You could probably go upstream a bit, but my boat won't get past the low bridge at Offord. The Lock at St.Ives had been out of use due to river levels since almost if not all that time. 

But then The Broads has also had it's navigational challenges this winter, albeit not as restricted as the RGO has been.

[Bikertov]

29 minutes ago, dom said:

That cranage fee is a lot higher than I'd expected. The way they do so many boats at once, I'd thought maybe they'd offer a decent rate to get as many out of the water (and harm's way) as possible. It'd be interesting to know how it all stacks up over the year for a permanent mooring.

What I would say is that Jones are making a lot of improvements to the moorings at the moment. New or upgraded electric posts and water points available for every mooring, and the now accelerated upgrade of most of the moorings to floating pontoons is being put in place.

That is a lot of investment going on.

[dom]

1 hour ago, Bikertov said:

The River Great Ouse at St.Ives, and Jones Marina, has been mainly unusable since I have been there in October. You could probably go upstream a bit, but my boat won't get past the low bridge at Offord. The Lock at St.Ives had been out of use due to river levels since almost if not all that time.

Things seem to be slowly improving. They must be, as EA have finally moved the Project 31 adrift on the Old West since Christmas.

Not going great over on the Cam though. Someone managed to wipe out Upware lock with a car last night, so Reach Lode is currently accessible.

I was actually over that way a week or so ago. Reach Lode is like a millpond and it'd make a nice place to spend the winter pottering up and down a few miles of river, but the moorings are very open and not somewhere I'd want to leave a more expensive boat.

 

[Smoggy]

Wicken lode in nice, it's the only waterway where I've felt like I was winding my way up a hill then winding back down again the other way, it's a very strange feeling to get on flat water, it must be down to the way so many fields are a good way below the river.

[dom]

I used to drive through Wicken twice a day for something like 8 years, but have never actually been down to the water there. Seems like the lode is getting incredibly narrow these days from some of the narrowboat videos I've seen.

[marshman]

We always craned out every other year until the current owners came along at Ferry - but the trouble is they upped the liftout costs, charged for the hardstanding ( usually under water) and no refund for the mooring which they then had the cheek to use themselves!

I always wondered how those sort of people got wealthy so readily......!!!!

[TheQ]

Just anti fouled my little boat, the sailing one that is. It was pressure washed at the end of last season, so very little preparation was needed.

1st coat 2.5 hours, unfortunately I've only enough for half the second coat, shortly I'll order some more. Currently I use VC 17M but that's not really suitable for motor boats on the broads, but is good for regularly used sailing boats.

 Had to hand in my S6, but the overalls were handy , they've long since worn out. Now I buy padded insulated overalls for the winter, keeps you much warmer, and drips of paint and antifoul don't soak through to you or your normal clothes.

[Bikertov]

2 minutes ago, TheQ said:

 Had to hand in my S6, but the overalls were handy , they've long since worn out. Now I buy padded insulated overalls for the winter, keeps you much warmer, and drips of paint and antifoul don't soak through to you or your normal clothes.

If anyone still has anti fouling planned, Lidl had some offers that started last Sunday (of course too late for me...) that you might still find if you are quick. I picked up:

A decent looking set of gel filled knee pads, £6.99

3 rolls of 3M masking tape, 3 different widths, for £2.99 (the also had Duct tape for that price)

 

[Bikertov]

Oh, they had a set of paint brushes too, mixed sizes, for about £3

[Bikertov]

 

The anti-fouling on A Frayed Knot is now complete.

It was drizzling all day yesterday, so I decided that a second coat (on the bow and along the waterline) was not necessary. But I did paint the patches underneath the hull, where the marina had kindly relocated the support props.

I think she is starting to look much better now. The hull has been cleaned and polished, and the superstructure - being currently as lovely shade of "Nyx Green" - is due for a clean and polish in the next couple of weeks.

Hopefully you will agree it is a great improvement over the "before" pictures !

 

So to answer my original question - "DIY Anti Fouling - How Hard Can It Be ?" :

It wasn't really difficult, just bit physically challenging getting under the boat, on the gravel etc. Kneepads and a large exercise mat are in order next time !

If you can set aside a whole day, and are lucky with the weather, you can do it in a day. Not a lot of skill or tools are needed, but remember you will be throwing away the brushes and rollers at the end, as it is not worth cleaning them. But I did line the roller trays with tin foil so they can be reused. 

In total, I spent under £180 in paint and materials/tools, saving about £250 over getting the marina to do the work.

Overall, a very satisfying end to a job.

 

[Karizma]

3 hours ago, Bikertov said:

 

The anti-fouling on A Frayed Knot is now complete.

Hopefully you will agree it is a great improvement over the "before" pictures !

Great job - well done.

I also noticed you have an anode on the skeg (as well as the rudder), mine doesn't, but I did think about fitting one last season; maybe I will next time now I know others have them!

Thanks for sharing .......

 

[Bikertov]

1 hour ago, Karizma said:

Great job - well done.

I also noticed you have an anode on the skeg (as well as the rudder), mine doesn't, but I did think about fitting one last season; maybe I will next time now I know others have them!

Thanks for sharing .......

Thanks !

Both my anodes were reasonably eroded (or whatever the word is for an eaten-away anode), as was the small anode on the bow thruster, so they must have been doing the job they are intended for.

For the cost of an additional anode, c.£10, I think it is certainly worth you drilling a hole through the skeg to fit one - and certainly no harm in having an extra one ?

[MargeandParge]

You've made a really good job. I fitted an anode to our skeg as we made a hard nylon bush for the pintail end.

Kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

[Gracie]

"I think she is starting to look much better now"..........Biker, she looks stunning. Well done! 

Grace x

[dom]

1 hour ago, Karizma said:

I also noticed you have an anode on the skeg (as well as the rudder), mine doesn't, but I did think about fitting one last season; maybe I will next time now I know others have them!

Looking at the anode on A Frayed Knot, I just wonder if that positioning could potentially encourage prop cavitation. Not sure if anyone on the forum's more up these things, but it would think it may be better to go further back if fitting a new one - or possibly a rectangular one off to the side?

[dom]

5 hours ago, Bikertov said:

It was drizzling all day yesterday,

I'd planned a day out yesterday. First thought when I opened the curtains was my day was ruined by the weather. Second thought was I bet you're annoyed too!

She's definitely looking a lot better from the gunwales down. We always used to cover boats topside in winter, but it seems less common practice these days.

 

[MargeandParge]

Ours is the same shape as Afrayed Knott and no problems for us with cavitation. 

Mind you don't need trim tabs on ours  just a good Ole Marges Sunday roast and sit forward. 

Kindest Regards Marge and Parge 

[Mouldy]

Positioning of the anode on NL.  The blades to each side of the skeg are no longer there - they were removed when the new prop was fitted.  There also used to be a cage of some description fitted around the prop and rudder, probably for when the boat was part of the Emerald Star fleet in Ireland.

The  size of the old prop can be seen written on the blades.  The new one is 18x13.