Antifoul Puzzle

[Dockhead]

So I've just discovered that the Micron 77 is ok for fresh water. The formulation is changed from the 66.

So maybe I will go with this, despite the horrendous cost.

3 coats will require about 15 liters which will cost me -- gasp -- about $1500. But if it saves me from lifting out and blocking off next year, it will pay for itself.

I will try to clean it gently by hand.

[unclemack]

Remember mention some years ago of worries about scrubbing off at grids possibly being banned.

Was that Brussels-led and is it ongoing? Presumably they'd want to stop divers scrubbing in harbours too?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

So I've just discovered that the Micron 77 is ok for fresh water. The formulation is changed from the 66.

So maybe I will go with this, despite the horrendous cost.

3 coats will require about 15 liters which will cost me -- gasp -- about $1500. But if it saves me from lifting out and blocking off next year, it will pay for itself.

I will try to clean it gently by hand.

I don't think they sell that in the US; I am putting on Micron66 because I don't need to go n fresh water and it costs $265 per US gallon.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I don't think they sell that in the US; I am putting on Micron66 because I don't need to go n fresh water and it costs $265 per US gallon.

Nearly the same price if you consider VAT in the UK. Pretty pricey stuff.

[monte]

We had Interlux uni pro. Worked ok. Much softer than seajet platinum 39 which seems pretty good so far and none ablates when we scrub it. I'd say it would handle pressure washing very well. But if you annually haul any way I'd be inclined to try the uno and recoat every season.

[Snowpetrel]

I had a Hemple aluminium AF paint on Snowpetrel2 when I bought her. It was very hard for an ablative paint, and coped with hard scrubbing and waterblasting very well sadly it's adhesion to the epoxy base coat was patchy so I had to scrape if all off and redo from scratch.

The new wattyl aluminium antifouling is much softer and is wearing away around the waterline after 14 months and only a few light scrubs.

[Snowpetrel]

Here's an old tin I got given. Interesting that it has low and high usage options. My guess is the high usage option is harder?

[El Pinguino]

I've been using Hempel Olympic since whenever...
Did a mix and match 3 years ago using the last of my Argentine batch up on one side and Sherwin Williams on the other... could see no difference when hauled out 12 months and 10k miles later.
Applied two( three?) and a half coats of Hempel in NZ last year... looks ok after 5k but I shall report back when I lift her out in May/June..

[Snowpetrel]

How was is the adhesion of the hemple Olympic ping? My hemple (Aluminium) wasn't good, but that could well had been application over the base layer of epoxy not a antifouling issue.

[El Pinguino]

I went from whatever the base was when I bought her to a few coats of Jotun and then Hempels assorted for the next 16 years or so.... pics are of her as she came out and while getting presure washed in BA in 2010 after no new antifouling since 2004 and only two grid p/washes between......

We will see what we will see with the latest stuff...

[El Pinguino]

Serious el crappo photo but this is what she looked like when hauled in NZ in August 2014.
Two years earlier all old a/fouling had been removed and she had been taken back to the grey epoxy or whatever and given 3 coats...I think this is the Sherwin Williams side... tother side looked the same.

[Snowpetrel]

Looks good ping, no sign of detachment there. Shows it must have been a primer issue. Nice to see the inivane before it's demise. Cheers

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by monte

We had Interlux uni pro. Worked ok. Much softer than seajet platinum 39 which seems pretty good so far and none ablates when we scrub it. I'd say it would handle pressure washing very well. But if you annually haul any way I'd be inclined to try the uno and recoat every season.

It costs me only 150 to haul, scrub off change anodes, and relaunch, without blocking off. But if I have the boat blocked off, it costs something like 700 pounds ($1150).

So normally I try to get two years out of my antifoul and block off only every other year.

I'm leaning now towards the Micron 77 and have to make a decision today.

[Pete7]

I can't think of anything available locally which is going to be any better, so you may as well go for it. The only close suggestion would be Seajet 033 at £75 for a 2.5L tin.

Pete

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Pete7

I can't think of anything available locally which is going to be any better, so you may as well go for it. The only close suggestion would be Seajet 033 at £75 for a 2.5L tin.

Pete

That's 1/4 the cost. If it were anywhere near as good, that would be a good choice.