antifouling yes or no?

[laxhan]

Hello,
My Fletcher cruisette from 1982 has a lot of algae and mussels on the hull after every season. The gel-coat looks still quiet good. What antifaouling should I use. Some people say one should first apply 2-7 layers of 2-compound epoxy paint and then a kind of teflon-paint (V70), some say apply the V70 directly on the gel coat and some say use antifouling on Cu++ basis. Is it dangerouse to burnish the gel-coat before the paint work? What do you say?
Thanks for any help Holger

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: antifouling yes or no?

It is my undertanding that any boat slipped in the water should have an epoxy "barrier coat" applied, then your choice of bottom paint. West Marine has a nice section in their big catalog that sort of explains what types of bottom paints work best in certain types of water.
Best of luck to you.

 

[1730V]

Re: antifouling yes or no?

Once you apply anti fouling paint, you are committed to keeping that paint fresh. Year after year.

There are several ways to approach this. If you apply the anti foul over a coat of epoxy, you will not get into your gel coat should you want to remove it.

If you apply it directly to your gel coat, you are committed-totally.

Look at the anti foul coats available from Pettit and Interlux. They are available, here on iboats. Good prices.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: antifouling yes or no?

Holger, It is best to prime the hull prior to applying antifouling paint. If the hull has blisters, you will want to repair them and apply an epoxy barrior coat primer prior to the AF paint. if you have no blisters by now, your hull is not succeptable to them, and you do not need the epoxy barrior coat. You do need a primer, so pick out a marine AF paint primer. Pettit No-Sand Primer is one that I have used. It has an overcoat window time frame, so read the directions.

BTW- if you do not prime the hull, the AF paint has a habit of peeling off in large spots, due to residual mold-release wax from the manufacturing process. Of course on a hull as old as yours, it may stick since all the mold-release wax should be long gone.

I recommend an ablative antifouling paint. These are multi season, and slowly wear off elimiminating build up of old AF paint. Pick one with a copper content appropriate to the water temp you use the boat in. Hotter water requires more copper content.

 

[impman]

Re: antifouling yes or no?

Best stuff for a primer/anti fouling is an epoxy polyamide coating. kills 2 birds with one stone