keeping bottom growth off propellers

[jim rosenthal]

Over the years, I've tried several things to keep barnacles and soft growth off my boat's props. I've tried regular bottom paint (doesn't stay on), bottom paint with an adhesion promoter (zinc chromate primer- that didn't stay on, either), bottom paint preceded by Interprotect AND zinc chromate primer (that stayed on better, but didn't keep barnacles off), outdrive bottom pain (didn't stay on, didn't work even in the areas it DID stay on) and, finally, Pettit Barnacle Buster. That's what I've used for three seasons, now, and it's worked better than anything else. But it isn't perfect- it's just better than all the other alternatives which essentially didn't work at all.

I've had very little trouble keeping hard growth off the hull using SeaHawk paints, although my understanding is that SeaHawk's parent company is in trouble with the law for using TBT in paints and there is a court case pending against them. If I have to switch paints, I'll use Pettit Ultima SR40 or Micron 66, both of which have done well in tests recently.

Meanwhile, back to the props. Today, I had another idea. Would plating the wheels with copper as an anti-fouling agent keep barnacles off them? This might be fairly easy- all plating shops that do chrome plating start with copper, then nickel, then chrome, which is the top layer. I think I could get a plating shop to just put copper on the wheels.

So- has anyone seen this done, or done it, and does anyone know how well it worked? Copper plating should stick to bronze wheels, I would think. I'm willing to try this if no one knows of any horror stories associated with it.

 

[Boatsb]

Over the years, I've tried several things to keep barnacles and soft growth off my boat's props. I've tried regular bottom paint (doesn't stay on), bottom paint with an adhesion promoter (zinc chromate primer- that didn't stay on, either), bottom paint preceded by Interprotect AND zinc chromate primer (that stayed on better, but didn't keep barnacles off), outdrive bottom pain (didn't stay on, didn't work even in the areas it DID stay on) and, finally, Pettit Barnacle Buster. That's what I've used for three seasons, now, and it's worked better than anything else. But it isn't perfect- it's just better than all the other alternatives which essentially didn't work at all.

I've had very little trouble keeping hard growth off the hull using SeaHawk paints, although my understanding is that SeaHawk's parent company is in trouble with the law for using TBT in paints and there is a court case pending against them. If I have to switch paints, I'll use Pettit Ultima SR40 or Micron 66, both of which have done well in tests recently.

Meanwhile, back to the props. Today, I had another idea. Would plating the wheels with copper as an anti-fouling agent keep barnacles off them? This might be fairly easy- all plating shops that do chrome plating start with copper, then nickel, then chrome, which is the top layer. I think I could get a plating shop to just put copper on the wheels.

So- has anyone seen this done, or done it, and does anyone know how well it worked? Copper plating should stick to bronze wheels, I would think. I'm willing to try this if no one knows of any horror stories associated with it.

Cleanest props I've ever seen are on boats that run.

My dock neighbor runs once a week and never has growth.

The cost of all that bs will pay for the fuel.

 

[jim rosenthal]

She gets run every two weeks. Even when she got run weekly, there were still barnacles on the props. I would run her even more often if I didn't have to work full time etc etc.

Next?

 

[Boatsb]

She gets run every two weeks. Even when she got run weekly, there were still barnacles on the props. I would run her even more often if I didn't have to work full time etc etc.

Next?

I logged 67 days running in a year. We would run a half hour in the evening for cocktails at sunset. Cruise up a river for an hour or spend a day anchored out. Making time was the prioritiy. Never had any growth and was in a heavy growth area.

 

[doc g]

Prop speed is the "stuff" . It can be bought and applied in a DIY situation also, although the manufacturer tends to lead you to believe it cannot. It's expensive goo but works really well......Pat

 

[oldboat]

years ago they did clad the hulls of ships to prevent fouling. i would think that if you select the correct copper it should work. i don't know if they used pure copper or an alloy.
i also don't know how this would influence electrolysis. probably not much since you would be doing just the props and not the hull, and the props are bonded.
maybe pick up a sheet of copper at a hobby shop and hang it in the water next to your boat and see what happens.
it will stick to bronze and it shouldn't be very expensive. it may wear off quickly since copper is kinda soft.

 

[sgharford]

Prop Speed seems to be the stuff - I get 2 years of service from one coat. What I'm not crazy about is how you have to sand metal to shiny finish to get a fresh coat to stick. I use a DA sander, but I see the finish left on freshly stripped props at the yard (done by the yard) and it looks like the are using something to abrasive to prep bronze material. I imagine it doesn't take much to knock a prop out of balance. The physical wear and tear to bronze pieces when applying Prop-speed is something I think should be considered.

 

[magnawake]

I used prop speed and it worked great for exactly 1 year, then it stopped. The trick is to keep it running. However, the other trick is not to run in sandy or muddy areas. If you run over a shoal area, your done. I wouldnt recommend prop speed for the ICW, its just too shallow and you will run over shallow spots. Charter fisherman love it being that they run offshore all the time and often. I have paint on my props this time and cant seem to keep it on.

 

[jim rosenthal]

I have never been able to get anything to stick to the props. This is where I got the plating idea. There is some literature on the web on it but nothing conclusive.

 

[luckydave215]

years ago they did clad the hulls of ships to prevent fouling. i would think that if you select the correct copper it should work. i don't know if they used pure copper or an alloy.

Cladding was done to guard against wood borers. They used copper because they had it, and were able to work it with the tools of the time.
They had no clue about growth.

However, I think a good test would be for you to nail 1/8" copper sheet metal all over your running gear.
Get back to us with the results....

 

[rwappleton]

That took longer than I expected !!!!!

 

[jim rosenthal]

I'll do that. As a matter of fact, maybe I'll just sell the Hatteras and buy a wooden sailboat.

Actually a good test would be to plate ONE propeller and not the other.

Someone else here ought to do it. It isn't going to be me.

 

[micky]

Someone told me that if you powder coat the props barnacles they won't get barnacles.

 

[steve c]

I've seen two instances where owners of gas boats, one a 40' Silverton convertible powder coated the props and there was an issue with the balance of the props. ( vibration )The owner had to remove the powder coating and it stopped the vibration. The props were professionally coated.

 

[jim rosenthal]

I think powder coating would all a lot of weight. And as you say there may be a balance issue.

I've written to a couple of plating companies. We'll see.

 

[Walter P]

Jim,

The idea of copper plating is certainly interesting. I don't think you will ruin your props if it doesn't work but you will have a little extra work on your next haul out to remove it. My only reservation is that it seems too easy therefore surely someone has done it before...I hope you go for it. Keep us posted.

Walter P
AMB GUPPY.. 48 Series I, 1982 MY
(AMB is Atsa My Boat in Jersey Speak)

 

[Pascal]

A few years ago I did th math and realize that there was no way propspeed made sense for us. We still need a diver once a month for the hull anyway so the minimal fuel saving we d get from maybe the week or two before the diver visit woudl never pay for the prospeed.

And when you run in shallow water, the props and rudders get sandblasted. Maybe it works for a sportfish that mostly runs in deep water but when you routinely maneuver with a foot or two under wheels, it just wears off

Using th boat helps, but even when you use it twice a week, barnacles still need to be scrapped

 

[Dan Mapes]

I would never recommend prop speed for a boat that goes to the Bahamas. Just about every where we go over there, we see the parallel lines in the bottom going into and out of marinas. Maybe if they went very slowly it might survive.

 

[jim rosenthal]

PropSpeed sounds like of like Veridian, which I tried to get for my boat years ago and finally gave up on. It was just too complicated to try to buy it and find a yard willing to do it. Great idea, but not ready for prime time.

This coming week, I'll be setting up a haulout date for this winter, and starting on getting the winter cover out of wraps. And I'll call the plating companies and see if anyone's willing to do it. We'll see.

 

[Angela]

I did the Propspeed once. All the yards really push it here, probably because they make a butt-load of money off of it. It's expensive, works for one year to the anniversary date, and costs almost as much as paying a diver for a year to clean the boat once a month. So, I just pay the diver to do the running gear once a month (nothing grows on the Micron 66 I put on the hull), and he takes care of changing my zincs, too, at no additional charge. It's a win-win for me, as I have done that job of cleaning the running gear and changing the zincs. It's money well spent once a month, in my opinion.