Anti Fouling Again

[Mowjo]

Not the usual question! I know what to use, but I've come across several articals and hire yards that no longer anti foul the whole boat bottom they just do the waterline, even the BA are recommending it now, but what do you all think? mines coming out soon and needs doing, I just can't decide whether to do the lot while it's out or just the waterline,

 

Frank,,,,

[BroadScot]

Hi Frank,

 

Reading your threads, and knowing you like things to be right.

 

You pays yer money and labour time and pick yer choice. I know which one I would take!

 

 

Iain.

[smellyloo]

An interesting question ...... it would certainly save time, money & effort to do just the first foot around the waterline.

 

I await responce from those that know on this one.

[LondonRascal]

If you were undertaking this yourself then the largest cost is going to be the lifting of the boat and putting it back in the water.

 

The reason why hire boatyards just do the waterline is cost and speed.  They know every year the boats come out the water and will be looked at, the majority of the hill being ‘blacked’ and if I may put my cynical hat on for a moment, does a hire yard really get too troubled if there is some growth on the hull that causes more drag through the water since they also are providing the fuel.

 

When you look at boats for sale it surprising how often a point is made of the when the boat was last anti-fouled – and how this may be 3 years previous.

 

If I was a boat owner then I would aim at it being done annually I would use two colours of the same composition so when the other colour began to show thru you know it is time to re-paint.  By having the boat lifted annually it also means one can inspect the hull, look at the propeller, rudder and anodes etc and nip any problem in the bud. but if that was not possible then certainly every two years maximum between it being done.

[SueH]

We anti-fouled a 21ft narrow beam canal cruiser years ago, took it out on its trailer and did it all by hand.  Never again - it took me weeks to get it out of my hair etc.

 

To make matters worse, because we did not know what was there before we took it all off and started all over again.

 

SueH

[MBA Marine]

Lifts are costly, I recommend my customers antifoul every other year, every year is a bit keen in my view.  do it all not just the ring.

[Mowjo]

Time is no problem, I can normally do one coat in a couple of hours, the boat is coming out so I can polish the hull anyway, cost isn't the problem either, two coats around the waterline will take more than 1 ltr so buy the time I buy two tins I may as well get the 2.5 ltr and do the whole thing, it was this bit about greener boating that got me thinking, http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/398625/Greener_and_cleaner.pdf  I know there are going to be some EU changes to the anti fouling we can use in the next year or two, so thats going to mean the cost of the stuff will go up, if it isn't dear enough already International Paints and Withams are changing their Antifouling to comply with EU regulations, so I pressume everyone else will have to,  I was just wondering if apart from half the work there were any benifits to just doing the waterline,,

 

Sue! you do all the fiddly bits with a brush, and the rest with a long handled roller, NOT! your hair,   

 

Frank,,,,

[DaveRolaves]

The hire yards have only been antifouling the waterline for some time now. Our boat came out of the water this year after three years afloat.  It   had been antifouled with International Uno and after that length of time in the water the weed growing on the hull was

minimal. Prior to antifouling three years ago the boat had over several years been antifouled and that antifouling had been over coated numerous times. I cant see any advantage in removing the old coats. The old coats are still working and are effectively preventing the build up on the hull of weed,  Dave R.............

[C.Ricko]

on hire boats the weed does not seem to grow, probably due to the constant use and changing from fresh to brackish water fairly constantly.. 

the antifoul is mainly for cosmetic purposes on our boats but when we sell a boat we antifoul the whole bottom.. 

[Mowjo]

Clive! if I just sprinkle a tub of salt around the boat will that count???  Anti foul is a bit of an odd one as we never see if it really does anything worthwhile or the cost, I have always done my boats every three years and apart from it being a bit grubby, there never seems to be much build up of anything apart from the algie ring around the waterline and a bit of fading, but as Clive says! the fact I use my boats al year round may help, I'll probably end up doing the whole hull, I know my new/old boat hasn't been done in a few years so I'll have a good look at it when it comes out, but for now I need to watch Youtube videos on how to polish the hull, I had a nice pro random orbital polisher bought for me a few years ago and I've never used it because all my boats since had been painted by previous owners, so something else I have to learn about,,

 

Frank,,,

[Oddfellow]

We antifoul whatever is necessary when the boat is out of the water and after a pressure washing.

 

It's far from accurate to say that the hire yards en-masse only do X or Y. Repeat after me; We are All Individual

 

The wind and water line is, as Clive says, cosmetic. One of our boats has Coppercoat or similar on it.

[MBA Marine]

Where you keep the boat is a factor, boats in dark shady areas or boat houses are often worse on the bottom you can also usually tell which side the boat moors due to the build up on the shady side.  I like most others in trade have come across numerous boats that have enough muscles on the bottom to keep a sea food restaurant going for a month!

 

If you are happy that you have a clean hull and it does not foul up then skip it this time and see what its like the next,  more importantly while she is out clean up or replace anodes, check for play in rudder bearings and shaft cutlass bearing, check prop and shaft for damage and cracks. 

[stumpy]

When we first had No Worries antifouled Robert at Sutton Staithe got five buckets of mussels off her, reckoned she'd not been done for 4 or 5 years! She's now done all over every 2 years (2 coats on the waterline) which seems to work.

[Mowjo]

Mark! don't worry I check everything twice just in case I miss something, I'll be sticking with what I know and do the whole hull, something I can't work out is the BA are promoting doing just the waterline in their Greener boating, but surely if you do get a build up of crud, algie and other stuff because you havn't done a full antifoul, you'd be more likely to transfer nasties around the Broads,

 

Frank,,,,