prop and rudder bags

[mtadamek]

Just wondering if anyone has ever tried using a bag to cover props and rudders to reduce fouling. We have to scrape the running gear on our boat everytime we use it. The majority of the time is spent on the props. Strainers and thruhull don't take much time at all. Stuts, shafts, and rudders go pretty fast too. I bought some military surplus canvas bags with a rubber lining. Just wondering if I could hurt anything by trying it or anyone has any experience with this.

 

[Vincentc]

I believe barnacles require some sunlight so your plan should work if my belief is correct. On the other hand, how long does it take to untangle things if you forget to remove the bags.
Regards

 

[mtadamek]

Just worried about creating some nasty corrosive soup inside the bag. There wont be any flow through the bag.

 

[REBrueckner]

That should work better than leaving underwater parts exposed to sunlight. Not so easy to bag shafts.

Where is the boat located?

If I were you, I'd check locally and see what other boaters or your yard/marina recommends...Sounds like you need to use a different antifouling paint...different parts of the country get different formulations.

Do you use a lot of zinc relative to other boaters? active underwater electrolysis or galvanic corrosion can also affect paint and growth.

 

[Paul45c]

Are you all sure you need sunlight for marine growth? Seems like I find organic growth in heat exchangers (not just calcium/salt deposits), and there can't be light in there.

 

[saltshaker]

Sounds like you need to run the boat more often

 

[mtadamek]

Running gear is the problem. We used petit trinidad SR. It has been great paint. This is the 3rd season on that bottom. No growth on the hull itself, but anything metal is a problem. We primed and painted the metal, but it only lasted through the first couple months. Then we had to scrape the metal from then on. Pain in the rear everytime you want to go out you have to spend 2 hours scaping. We are in Port Aransas, TX and we get a lot of fouling. I don't pay a captain to run the boat when we are not there, so that really is not an option. The heavy rains this year really seem to have made it bad. I don't have a problem scraping some, but the props take a lot of time. I have never heard of anyone else doing this. I have searched on the internet everywhere. We could haul and repaint the running gear, but it would not last. All the thru hulls and strainers get fouled, but they clean up easy. Transducer gets fouled too, but I used a water based spray on paint that lasted about 6 months (it is a resin/plastic huge transducer). Zinc deterioration is normal. About 6 - 8 months. I just don't want to eat up my props with some crazy acid or something that forms in the bags.

 

[rsmith]

Sounds like you need to run the boat more often

Yes My experience has been that if i let my zinks go to long the paint comes off the metal parts as if the electrolisis lifts the paint to get to the metal I sandblast the gear to get it porus and then apply several coats of interprotect primer then I finish coat with the secret stuff( I bought all the yard had before it was banned) holds up for two years with a couple touchups in between. I realy think its the sandblasting that rough up the metal and lets the primer get a good hold.
Has anyone tried the prop coat stuff?
Also last boat show there was a guy selling somekind of anode you stick over the side that generates an electrical current barnacles dont like. I could see having no props shafts or rudders left .

 

[jim rosenthal]

Our yard is using a zinc spray by Pettit that seems to work pretty well on rotating parts. I have the same problem that you do- the fiberglass parts stay clear of growth, for the most part; the barnacles grow on the shafts, struts, rudders, tabs and propellers. The zinc spray seems to help a bit.

 

[double trouble]

I have seen some boats along the Georgia coast that had black trash bags on the props, and it appeared to work very well. They could have some type of chemical in the bag but it was not stated. And in a emergence the bags would torn off with no damage to the props.

 

[saltshaker]

Our yard is using a zinc spray by Pettit that seems to work pretty well on rotating parts. I have the same problem that you do- the fiberglass parts stay clear of growth, for the most part; the barnacles grow on the shafts, struts, rudders, tabs and propellers. The zinc spray seems to help a bit.

Saw this for the first time last year. The yard where I stored for the winter did this and claim they have been doing it for a few years with good results. I don't think you will get several seasons out of it.

The heavy rain will definitely increase fouling issues. I have heard good things about Propspeed but it is VERY expensive and a real pain to remove once it fails. I've never heard of a good solution for running gear other than getting her out of the slip more often.

 

[C. Edmund]

How often are you able to run her?

 

[Bottom Gun]

My Buddy keeps one of these aboard his SF. It fits the shaft on the boat. plus it cleans the intakes and wheels. I gess if you have to scrape this is the way to go. Thx.



topshelfmarine.com/product_info.php?products_id=5

 

[saltshaker]

How often are you able to run her?

She hasn't left the slip since mid August of '09 due to an engine failure. We sea trial this week and hope to get back to normal. It all depends on weather and schedules but we try to get out at least once a week during the season. When she sits for more than a couple of weeks I usually have to call the diver. We often are able to get out 3-4 times a week even if just for a short ride. I also tend to scrub the hull as deep as I can reach when swimming. We're in NJ so our season only runs from April till Nov with mid May through September being the most active. Growth can be bad here if there is a lot of rain and the waters get warm.