Copper Coat bottom cleaning

[shimari]

We had copper coat on our boat while we were in the UK. It worked incredibly well. We didn't even need to clean the bottom. Hauling out for some work after several months in the wanter, and she was clean as a whistle.

Once we were in the Chesapeake Bay, things were different. We had to dive the boat every 3 weeks vs. the usual 6 weeks with an ablative. I ran the numbers of changing over to an ablative every 2-3 yrs vs. having to dive the boat twice as often. It was break even.

We had to blast a portion of our keel plate over the winter and that made the decision easy to switch to an ablative. Given we had to reapply copper coat to a good portion of the hull, we decided to switch to an ablative. Otherwise, we would have probably kept it another season. Ultimately, we don't think copper coat works as well as an ablative in the brackish waters of the Chesapeake.

[fxykty]

Well, we’re a relatively fast mover when we sail so use a hard ablative (Jotun SeaQuantum Ultra S), which doesn’t come off as easily even when scrubbing (softer ablatives get worn off the bows and rudders within a few months). But it’s not doing all that great in warm (30* C) water and we are scraping (we use wide metal scrapers, plastic just disintegrates) weekly to remove the small barnacles that seem to form instantly. Also, sea grass has gotten into the paint at the waterline and literally grows daily! The alternatives seem to be Coppercoat, which gets applied once and is good for 10 years, or soft ablative paints that we need to reapply every 6 months, or hard ablatives that need to be replaced every 12 months. All of these suck at keeping barnacles off in warm water, but at least with Coppercoat we wouldn’t have to haul out so often?

Regarding biocide properties of antifoul paints, haven’t environmental regulations removed all of the truly effective metals anyway, so all we’re doing with paints is smearing on copper and relying on the paint to come off to remove the critters?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by fxykty

...so all we’re doing with paints is smearing on copper and relying on the paint to come off to remove the critters...

That's not how ablative paints work

[Chotu]

And we like to think we escaped "mowing the lawn" ha ha ha

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

That's not how ablative paints work

Ablative paints do wear off, but you are correct that the paint comes off to reveal fresh copper and/or zinc biocide and not to remove critters directly. Thanks for the correction.

The point for us stands though, that soft ablative paints slough off too quickly to be practical. Hard ablatives that we have been using don’t come off too fast, but seem close to useless in warmer waters.

[Tin Tin]

Had copper coat - had to scrub more often after year 3 until it became tedious - changed to an ablative, scrubbed every 6 months vs every month. Ablative lasted 2 years - subtropics. I was a scuba diver but a real PITA to suit up and scrub coppercoat every month esepcially in murky water full of bull sharks (I never saw one) too busy staring at the barnacles six inches from my nose.

[Leadfree]

For me, and I've been thinking about CC for awhile, the problem isn't that it has to be cleaned regularly but that the hard growth is more difficult to remove.

I've always used TRINIDAD. I do my own bottom jobs and apply the paint in very thin coats with a foam roller.

In the high-growth Fla Keys I have to clean the boat every other week. My technique is to clean gently, albeit frequently. I use a white Doodlebug pad and a bamboo kitchen spatula. In lower-fouling waters of the northern GOM I gat three years out of the paint but down Keys way I only get two (pushing it), and that is because I try to spend half the year in The Bahamas which has very low fouling rates.

An acquaintance also in the Keys had CC bottom and had a similar cleaning regimen, although I gat the impression that he was scrubbing harder than I have to.

The only advantage I can see with CC is that it would last longer than paint, ergo fewer haul-outs. It certainly doesn't seem to do much WRT actual anti-fouling.

[DIJ]

Have had copper coat ( in fact Coppercote proprietary product ) on my boat for 17yrs - still reasonably effective in my environment (was excellent in first 12-13 yrs) but will replace soon. I just lightly sanded with 160 grit wet and dry emery paper to better expose the copper once each year - never scraped.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by DIJ

Have had copper coat ( in fact Coppercote proprietary product ) on my boat for 17yrs - still reasonably effective in my environment (was excellent in first 12-13 yrs) but will replace soon. I just lightly sanded with 160 grit wet and dry emery paper to better expose the copper once each year - never scraped.

even though you didn’t scrape, did you have to scrub at all? Like with a brush?

[Bill_Giles]

Have had Coppercoat for about 8 years and it is quite effective at keeping off growth. Almost all the growth is removed by a pressure wash immediately after being lifted out. Do not delay as if the stuff dries it is hard to remove. Lately we have had some small barnacles which do not come off with the pressure wash. However after a few days dry they pop off with a plastic scraper. I think that the barnacles cling to the layer of silt which builds up. I would never consider using a metal scraper. We also get a tenacious layer of stuff near the top of the Coppercoat. I think that this is probably a combination of surface dust, oil slick and marine growth. This comes off with a green kitchen scourer but it also needs to be done promptly and not allowed to dry out.

[gulfislandfred]

Not coppercoat, but I have used Epoxycop, a one part, hard bottom paint, in the Salish Sea. It's one of the least expensive bottom paints on the market here. Good for two or three years, in an area where we grow lots of barnacles.


It sticks well, if the surface underneath is good. Fine over any other hard bottom paint after a good pressure wash



I was particularly pleased with Epoxycop on my Aquarius 23 and Sirius 21 trailer sailors. Out for winter on the trailer. Back in the water, with just a mild scrub in the spring, no barnacles when it came back out in fall.


I've had a run of boats that came with ablative paint, so I haven't bought/used Epoxycop in a few years. No fresh price information.

[DIJ]

Originally Posted by Chotu

even though you didn’t scrape, did you have to scrub at all? Like with a brush?

Latterly in some areas more attention was required where the coppercoat had become ineffective after many years but only a few patches. A power washer did the job mostly but a brush as well in some places. Part of the once per season job when brought ashore for winter.

[blazing928]

6 years of Coppercoat
Australia, port Phillip bay. 13-22c water temp

Coppercoat cleans easily with microfibre or brush.
It’s not easily scratched, so a metal scraper is fine on a barny or two.

It’s not as effective as a fresh coat of ablative, though better than the trilux on my drives.

Weed grows very well on the propspeed, which is probably the ground zero spot on the boat.

Way ahead $$ wise and environmentally.
Some marinas are now banning scrubbing ablative in the marina.

Washes off very easily, as others say don’t let any slime dry. Boat gets lifted every year for service.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by DIJ

Latterly in some areas more attention was required where the coppercoat had become ineffective after many years but only a few patches. A power washer did the job mostly but a brush as well in some places. Part of the once per season job when brought ashore for winter.

thank you! I guess when you haul each year, it’s a little different.

I’m trying to gain an understanding about this product and what it’s like to leave it in the water all the time. How often you have to go under with the brush and brush it off. If there are barnacles to scrape at all.

Your situation doesn’t involve that unfortunately

[CaptainMarkS]

We’ve had CopperCoat on our bottom for two years in warmer Pacific waters (Mexico to Panama). it replaced the soft ablative we had on prior. At the end of the day, there is no miracle antifouling solution. One has to work to keep the bottom clean (we need to do it every 3-4 weeks). I’m happy we are not contributing a toxic burden to already polluted waters, and will trade in the effort of scraping the bottom against a guilty conscience. In answer to the question, it is correct that using a metal scraping tool on CopperCoat will gouge it, no matter how carefully one uses it to remove barnacle heads. I use a hard plastic scraper with narrow head for the removal of barnacle heads. The action is more akin to sanding than scraping, and requires some effort. I use a simple toilet bowl plunger fixed to the hull to give me leverage on my working arm. As a sidenote, I do regret applying CopperCoat on our shafts and props. It hasn’t adhered, despite following application instructions.