Hi , I am getting ready to slip my yacht for some well needed TLC , to get ready for the sailing season. Its a 22 ft space sailor , swarbrick built , fibreglass hull , steel keel , built in 1978.
I wondered if anyone knows of a good antifouling paint to use ; I have been using hemple products for the last 10 yrs.
The boat is penned in the river all year , I race it in club events every Sat'dy ;
I used to use a soft antifouling , but last year changed to a semi hard , we scrub the bottom every 2 wks or so with a medium soft hand brush so as not to wash off all the paint;
I think international have got some good products , but I've lost touch with the latest advances , I am using up some leave from work , so I can spend time sanding back the old antifouling , so I guess a primmer coat will be needed.
Any advice appreciated , Chris.
I'm using the Hemple hard ablative this year. Been there only 9 months but seems as good as Jotun or Altex No.5.
I am about to anti foul my new yacht and am using Jotun Seaguardian on the recommendation of several friends who have been using it to good effect here in the tropics.
Great results from Jotun that I get from Boating Hardware, much cheaper than others and works slightly better
Hey JV,
I reserched exactly that for the Swan River a little while back. See here from freo Doctor:http://freodoctor.com.au/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=38&func=view&id=24151&catid=2&limit=20&limitstart=0
My advise is go International Micon extra (or Micron 66 if you want top $$$). We now use the 66. With regular use, you should get 6 months of clean hull, then perhaps a very gentle soft wipe 1-2/month for the second 6 months. Once you start wiping, you will find yo have to keep wiping. Ablative AF, like micron, needs to be wiped very gently (I use soft divers gloves) so you just remove the slightest bit of AF.
We've found hard anti fouling won't keep up with the growth on the river. Regular scubbing just creates more work for yourself. We slip our boat & renew antifoul each May. I believe growth is worst later winter & spring - The winter rains wash all the nutirents into the river, and the water is still relatively warm.
We have used Jotun Seaguardian before. It was useless. Have not tried Hempel.
Main recomedation is to use you boat regualrly - Keep it moving! we sail 2-3 times/week, and spend a fair amount of time offshore.
Note that whats works in North Qld / Sydney Harbour / Offshore Fremantle may not (ie: won;t) work in Swan River.
I trust this is of use to you!
Poods 
Hi John,
I have a Swabrick Spacesailer 24.
See link below for details on my last Antifoul. It should be applicable to your project.
pekeri.com/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi?page_id=191
Happy sailing
Hi John
I've been using the Micron 66 for the past few antifouls on my boat, and i highly recommend it. I started off using VC offshore (when I was keen on OD racing and won a couple of Australian Championships with it), and while it was smooth (and made me think i was fast), I had to dive & clean it before every regatta or every two weeks, and after about 8 months, there was little left on the bottom. With the 66 I dive it once a month or so (but not for the first 3 months), and then just give it a very light rub (the prop & drive shaft need more regular cleaning, but thats quicker). It lasts a long time - ie I'm just about to apply it for the third time, but the last time was 24 months ago, so yes it's expensive, but I hate diving the boat all the time, so I think it's worth it. While I'm sure it's not quite so fast as the hard anti-fouls, I've still been at the front of the fleet when I've sailed well, so it's your call. I think it works out as good value when I don't have to dive so much.
good luck
Dave
Thanks Guys , looks like Micron 66 , gets my vote;
Have a good summer of great sailing, too you all , might see you on the water.
Good luck , Chris.
P.S. does anyone know a good place to recruit crew.
finding crew; try findacrew.com it's a prety good place to meet likeminded hmmm idiots :) who will sail with you for nothing but the potential to spend a portion of their life in a wet and miserable way.
as for antifouling - i agree with all, go for top quality, price difference is not that much. It usually says it's ok to coat over any previous antifoul, but I would do an undercoat anyway, different companies, different chemicals etc.
enjoy the experience, we finished the second coat on our cat only a few hours ago so I now have time to get on seabreeze and CHECK THE WEATHER! yep, sailing tomorrow.
