Antifouling with Hot Chili Powder . . .

[reiner]

I just put my H28 back in the water after doing antifouling for the first time.
Quiet a big job but I had a good friend helping me.
We found very little Osmosis on the nearly 30 year old hull.
We talked about the Cayenne pepper story and decided we try Hot Chilli Powder.
We did one side with the Chilli and the other side without.
About half a cup full in 4 l paint.
Has anybody done the same experiment??? It's hard to wait 12 month and see what it did.
Thanks
Reiner

[ozskipper]

Any slime yet?

[NotQuiteLost]

That's a great idea. Keep us posted on your results

[bewitched]

I've seen Thais put crushed chillies on their fishing boats - no idea whether it works or not

[useDaGreyMatter]

I'm not quite there yet so I cant speak regarding bottom paint but I figure it should work. I have used red chili pepper to force red ants off my property line, on multiple occasions. apparently it burns all life forms same as it does us if we get it in our eyes or nostrils or other sensitive places.
If you use it forced ants you may have to do it a couple of times since what it does is force them to move. Usually by the time i hit them twice they are gone completely.

[skipmac]

In 2007 Practical Sailor tested this theory, applying Interlux Bottomkote with and without cayenne pepper to a Cape Dory. After 18 months in the water they reported no difference at all in the paints with or without pepper.

Also, not all animals are sensitive to pepper. We buy suet for our bird feeder with pepper added. The birds don't notice but it sure bothers the squirrels.

[useDaGreyMatter]

Well that's one on me. LOL

[VirtualVagabond]

If nothing else, you could start a new craze... chilli barnacles.. white wine??? Nah.... beer..

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by useDaGreyMatter

Well that's one on me. LOL

Well still keep us posted on the test. Practical Sailor did one test. Your results may vary. Local fishermen in a lot of third world areas swear by pepper added.

[savoir]

It definitely works but I never heard of anyone (including me) getting better than 4 months. It upsets the barnacles not the slime.

Keep us posted.

Just for the record, birds are impervious to chillies which spread their seeds via bird poop.

[mrohr]

For the budget minded: Driveway sealer , if you can still find the oil based type. Might be worth a try.

[fstbttms]

If adding chili powder was an effective method to improve the efficacy of anti fouling paint, everybody and their brothers (including the paint manufacturers) would be doing it. This idea has been around for decades at least and yet for some reason, has failed to catch on. Hmmm, I wonder why...

[useDaGreyMatter]

No telling. Just a guess but the thought occurs, maybe because it is to easy and cheap and if every one did it they would not need to pay through the nose for anti fouling paint? Not saying I'm right, just saying its a thought.
Seems to be the logic on a lot of things people depend on corporate for but could do cheap and easy them self. That seems to be the pattern I've noticed, 3rd world or poverty stricken cultures find ways to accomplish cheap or even for almost free what we spend large amounts of cash to do. Twenty years ago people said the same thing about straw bale homes, solar electric, etc.

[capt_douglas]

I've used cayenne pepper and had no conclusive results. However, I'd not consider adding anything red to a light colored bottom paint.

At one time, in the Caribbean, you could buy a vial of what was supposed to be tin additive (as in the old tin based bottom paints). Many folks reported good results with that, though.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

This idea has been around for decades at least and yet for some reason, has failed to catch on. Hmmm, I wonder why...

Originally Posted by useDaGreyMatter

No telling.

I was being sarcastic. It hasn't caught on because it doesn't work.