Barnacles

Post your technical questions or solutions about your boat's hull, prop or rudder here.

Moderator: KenKrawford

Post Reply
nybor
Posts: 248
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 7:55 am

Barnacles

Post by nybor »

Ok, the gloves are off! My boat (along with several others) are located in a Marina on the east coast of Florida. (no names to protect the guilty). The water is brackish. I cleaned my prop about 4 months ago, painted it and then back in the water. Yesterday, tried to motor over to have it hauled and barely made it. I had started the engine and ran the prop every week - no help. The prop was still COVERED with barnacles. A friend on his boat (unpainted props) fouled after only 2 months!

Mine is now like new (took forever to get them off), but before I put it back in the water, I am going to coat it with a pepper based coating. (I bought both the Carolina Reaper powder and the Ghost type). My plan is to mix it with something that will remain on the prop for at least enough time for the barnacles to tell their friends "Persona Non-Grata" and hook up with my neighbors' boats.

My question is, what type of clear coating should I get? I was hoping to not use a paint, since the pigments take up valuable space in the liquid where pepper flakes could reside instead.

Any thoughts?

Also, I am going to use a Magnesium collar behind the shaft this time. It seems it is a better metal for brackish water.

thanks
dave

ps. the only drawback to my plan is that I can't sail it to Mexico. Their local barnacles would love to move to my prop! And MUCH MORE IMPORTANT....wash ones hands after working with or even sniffing the Carolina Reaper powder. I didn't, got only a couple of specs on my hands - thought nothing of it......until I had to relieve myself from too much coffee. The rest of this is left to the imagination of the reader.
Triumph
Posts: 256
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:34 am
Location: Tampa, Fl

Re: Barnacles

Post by Triumph »

See my website www.thebookofsail.com and look under the tab for Sailing Wisdom. I think that's where I put something about anti fouling on your prop. I will gladly send you the instructions for the application. Your boat yard might have these materials available to use so you don't have to purchase them. You only need an ounce or two of each.

I'm on the west coast of Florida, last did my prop in June 2015, no barnacles yet. I typically get 1-2+ years depending on usage. What will harm the coatings is cavitation. Try real hard not to cavitate the prop.

Bill
s/v TRIUMPH
nybor
Posts: 248
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 7:55 am

Re: Barnacles

Post by nybor »

Hi Bill. Nice website!
Good to hear about all the different approaches, the good, bad and ugly. Since I am a research engineer, I am going to try the Hot Salsa method. I will update folks to see if it works.

thanks

dave

ps. yes cavitation kills props! (aircraft ones as well!)
Triumph
Posts: 256
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:34 am
Location: Tampa, Fl

Re: Barnacles

Post by Triumph »

Hot Salsa or cayenne pepper will work, if you can keep it on your prop. That's the issue with anything you try. If you can just get a good bond between the metal on the prop and either anti fouling paint, Hot Salsa, grease or whatever you think is best, you will not have barnacles. If you simply add hot pepper power to what you've done in the past, I believe you will very soon see the same results.

What cavitation does is create tinny bubbles under the paint and then the paint lets go. These spots are the beginning of the end for the prop paint.

Bill
s/v TRIUMPH
User avatar
digitalvillager
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 1:23 pm

Re: Barnacles

Post by digitalvillager »

I've been experimenting with a 2 part epoxy paint that is used for coating the inside of fuel storage tanks (the big ones) for just over 2 years with very good results. The paint has fiberglas fibers in it which help hold it on the prop and also (apparently) irritate the barnacles. I'll be pulling the boat this spring to get a final idea of the results of the 2.5 year test.
Here are the details of the project: Quit In Time is docked on a very tide active creek (all saltwater) in NE Florida. We are on the boat every weekend and under way 4 to 6 times per month. We have a diver service the bottom and prop every month due to the nutrients in the water. The prop has to be lightly sandblasted before applying the paint which is applied like any two part paint.
The diver indicates that some of the paint has come off, but in the 2+ years of the experiment, we have had only two barnacles try to start and they brushed right off. When we pull the boat this spring, I will get pictures of the prop and post them here.
Charlie & Jeanne Monroe
PO Hull #285
Amelia Island, Florida
Post Reply