Antifouling in the Caribbean?

[seanie20]

I agree Todd, in the Caribbean taking the boat out into the bay if she has been sitting idle for a while is important whatever the antifouling. Get the mask and snorkel out or pay a diver $100 to do it either way. Just be careful about removing the barnacles as it's very easy to get cuts on the back of the hand, I know that all too well. Rum & coke afterwards is well deserved.

[osirissail]

Waverider has the deep dark secret of how to get "long life" out of almost any bottom paint. As the active anti-foulant ingredient - usually copper these days - is consumed doing its job, it leaves behind an empty "matrix" of epoxy that is covering the next layer of active material. Only physical cleaning and scrubbing with a ScotchBrite pad or one of those versions with the handle will remove the "dead/empty" matrix and bring the next layer of active material into play. From my bottom paint lasting maybe a year and a half to two years - when I started scrubbing the bottom with the handled scub pad I now get over 3 years to almost 4 years between bottom jobs.
- - As to cayene pepper, etc. they do not work. The "gringo" barnacles leave and are replaced by the "Mexicano" and "Latino" barnacles who love that stuff. If you are outside 1st world countries you can buy the TBT Booster in a little glass jar and add that to your favorite bottom paint and supposedly increase its effectiveness.

[sobriyah]

I was advised by one yard that the extra tin booster was actually a waste of money. Does anyone know for sure that it helps?

[osirissail]

- - Well, I used it and I got almost 4 years versus my normal 2 years, but I also added the scrubbing with a ScotchBrite type of pad - so nobody can give you anything other than a definite "maybe".
- - The big ? to adding anything to an established brand of bottom paint is how it will affect the chemistry of the paint. Some chemicals are incompatible and will cause blistering paint, curdle, or loss of adhesion in the original bottom paint. So I only add additives to the same brand of paint as the additive rather than cross brands.