keeping bottom growth off propellers

[MikeP]

I just dove the boat today to clean the running gear and install new zincs. Interestingly, for the first time ever, there were virtually no barnacles. But there was a heavy coating of algae. Usually it's the other way around - not much vegetable growth/heavy barnacles.

I have no idea what was different - Heck, maybe it's global warming.

The only thing that was different than previous times was the amount of zinc - in addition to the shaft and rudder zincs, I had two guppies overboard as well. I never heard of the amount of zinc making any difference re growth/type of growth - I'm just mentioning it because it's the only thing that changed...other than whatever may have happened re water conditions that could have caused the change. The boat is in the same slip/same orientation in the slip that it has been since we moved it here in early '07.

I ASSUME it was local water conditions that somehow this summer favored algae and un-favored barnacles. ?

 

[season]

Just out of curiosity, Teflon has been around a long time. Has there ever been any tests utilizing it for prop coating. It too would be subject to the abrasiveness of shallow water. I guess hanging a fry pan off the swim platform for a couple of weeks would be revealing.

 

[mdshore]

best thing Ive seen for the effort and money is to take prop and shaft to bare metal and apply 3 coats of Prop coat barnacle barrier by Pettit .you will need 3 cans . a day later you can brush on bottom paint right over top , of course the bottom paint blow off eventually but that trick will get you through the initial early spring low boat use time. and if your boat doesnt move well, itll still be there...

 

[bobk]

Jim,

Seems no one mentioned 'spray zinc'. I think is has been discussed before. Pettit has a pricy product that seems the same as Rustoleum spray galvanize. I was not happy with either of them when I tried it several years back, but I only did one coat. Others on other forums were happy if several coats were applied onto clean gear. I plan to try the Rustoleum again when I come out of storage in November. We will put less than 100 hours on it before we start north next year. I'll have my diver report on how it is doing and I'll post any significant results.

Bobk