Has anyone used painted coatings with electrodes as a form of antifouling?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Chantal

thanks anyway.... is this a typical result of coppercoat in your neck of the woods? Is that water very warm? cheers

I have never found any copper-loaded epoxy (which is the category of coating that Coppercoat falls into) to be effective here. And here in the Bay Area our water is not particularly warm (50°-70° Farenheit is the range) but we do have fairly high fouling conditions. Water temperature is not the only factor in determining what fouling conditions will be like.

That said, you can find many who are pleased with Coppercoat. But I believe they typically use it in areas where fouling is not much of a concern. Depending upon where you plan to do your sailing, it may work well for you. I just have never personally seen that to be the case.

[Roy M]

Here is my neighbor's CopperCoat bottom:

[Cadence]

I am probably dumb. I would not think the depth of the grow would be anymore than ideal conditions for growth. The question would seem to be can the initial growth attach to the hull?


For those in a country similar to the US with a large naval presence you might look into Navy surplus auctions. I feel sure the antifouling on Naval ships is not an off the shelf product and it is auctioned after a shelf period. Just a thought. You may need to bid on pallet loads. If it is too much find out who was bidding and buy from them.


Has worked for me along with 2 part epoxy paint.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Cadence

For those in a country similar to the US with a large naval presence you might look into Navy surplus auctions. I feel sure the antifouling on Naval ships is not an off the shelf product and it is auctioned after a shelf period. Just a thought.

The U.S. Navy uses commericially available copper-based anti fouling paints. There is nothing special about them.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

The U.S. Navy uses commericially available copper-based anti fouling paints. There is nothing special about them.

May well be. The auctions can save significant bucks, if you are close to a navy base. I doubt those boomers are sporting over the counter paint? The only exception may be exemption from the EPA.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Cadence

May well be. The auctions can save significant bucks, if you are close to a navy base. I doubt those boomers are sporting over the counter paint? The only exception may be exemption from the EPA.

What is it exactly that you think the Navy uses?

[a64pilot]

I'm no Submariner, nor have I ever even been on one, but it's my understanding that they are not just steel hulls with anti-fouling paint, I believe they are something close to rubber coated of some kind, presumably to dampen sound, maybe?
So Boomers would I think be different than say surface ships

But being Retired military, I can tell you from experience if anything the Navy is probably held to even higher EPA standards than civilian shipping, plus there are all kinds of groups watching them like a hawk, just dieing to catch them doing something wrong.

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

What is it exactly that you think the Navy uses?

I haven't got the slightest. Just know I have never seen heavy growth or divers keeping them free from growth. I could well be wrong? Just relating my experience with buying it in 5 gal, buckets and being a contractor seeing a bunch naval ships in dry dock.Maybe additional copper or zinc?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I'm no Submariner, nor have I ever even been on one, but it's my understanding that they are not just steel hulls with anti-fouling paint, I believe they are something close to rubber coated of some kind, presumably to dampen sound, maybe?
So Boomers would I think be different than say surface ships

But being Retired military, I can tell you from experience if anything the Navy is probably held to even higher EPA standards than civilian shipping, plus there are all kinds of groups watching them like a hawk, just dieing to catch them doing something wrong.

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

After doing some quick research, to my surprise it looks like U.S. submarines use pretty standard (and commercially available) copper-based ablative anti fouling paints:

The current antifouling coating systems specified by MIL-PRF-24647 contain ablative cuprous oxide.

Underwater Hull - Submarine

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

But being Retired military, I can tell you from experience if anything the Navy is probably held to even higher EPA standards than civilian shipping, plus there are all kinds of groups watching them like a hawk, just dieing to catch them doing something wrong.

The U.S. Navy is actually exempt from following any anti fouling regulations. They can use anything they like. That said, how many nations would restrict entry of U.S. warships if those ships were painted with triButyl tin paint?

The reality is that the U.S. Navy is at the forefront of clean and green anti fouling technology and is constantly looking for better, less polluting anti fouling methods.

[Cadence]

I'm out what GSA can buy or not isn't worth a pissing contest. Just saying if you a close to a gov. auction it may be worth your while to bid on bottom paint or run down who did.

[Bill Seal]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Assuming you are in California, not one word of what you just wrote is true. Sorry.

Then why did the local boatyards require me to have the bottom cleaned before taking it out of the water or face a hefty "permit" fee?

and this:

When it comes to painting the bottom of a recreational vessel's hull to discourage marine growth, boaters currently have a wide array of products from which to choose. And while the choices can be a bit bewildering, beginning January 1, 2020, boaters in the state of Washington can scratch off their lists any paints that contain more than 0.5 percent copper. That's because last year, in response to concerns about contamination in Washington waters, the state legislature outlawed copper-based antifouling paints. (Paints on the market today contain 20- to 70-percent copper.)


This ban applies only to private recreational boats 65-feet and under. That leaves commercial, government, research, and for-hire passenger vessels — not to mention large ocean-going ships that frequent Washington waters — free to discourage marine growth with paint that recreational boaters can't use. And the fine, if they do, is a maximum $10,000 per day

Is Copper Bottom Paint Sinking? - BoatUS Magazine

But what do they know?

[Sundae Driver]

Hello,

As a young e-nothing air traffic controller, we had the joy of doing all sorts of nasty jobs when in port. Among my highlights (read that with great sarcasm) was needle gunning haze gray off of a lot of steel and repainting with stuff called red lead before putting more coats of haze gray back on. It appears they no longer use that led based paint. I didn't find what replaced it in a quick search but the British seemed to be more forthcoming; here is an article about their hull paint.

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload..._March2012.pdf

Kindest,

Sundae

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Bill Seal

Then why did the local boatyards require me to have the bottom cleaned before taking it out of the water or face a hefty "permit" fee?

Why don't you ask them? Nobody here knows why they required that.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Bill Seal

Then why did the local boatyards require me to have the bottom cleaned before taking it out of the water or face a hefty "permit" fee?

In California, when a boat with an excessively foul bottom is hauled and pressure washed, the detritus and debris that comes off that bottom must be handeled by the yard as hazardous waste. They have to barrel it up and have it shipped off to a hazardous waste handling facility. This is, of course, very expensive and a cost that they are going to pass on to you. So yards will often ask the boat owner to have their bottoms cleaned before bringing the boat in to be hauled, if they suspect the bottom to be very foul. Does it make sense that the can't simply dump the stuff back into the water (which is essentially what would happen if a diver cleaned the boat in its slip)? Maybe not. But the yards are regulated differently than hull cleaners and that's they way things are.

Further (in regard to your original post), there currently is no ban on copper-based anti fouling paints anywhere in California. Yes, Washington State passed a ban that will come into effect over the coming years, but even if that affects you, it has nothing to do with the EPA, as you asserted.