Is Propspeed worth it?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by ohthetrees

It isn’t crazy or stupid of him to observe a bunch of well kept fishing boats and assume they have optimized maintenance routines and have figured stuff like this out.

Dude came in here and without equivocation stated that he knew that the 100+ powerboats he’s looking at could afford Propspeed but choose not to use it and that’s his rationale for why it doesn’t work.

That’s a ridiculous statement and I just calls ‘em like I sees ‘em.

[sailorboy1]

I used Prop Guide last haulout. It has been great and I would buy again. I am sure it matters how and how often you use your boat.

[DEAN2140]

$400 a pop. You must like your beer.

[DEAN2140]

Thanks for all you comments. My diver thought it wasn't necessary for a small prop like mine. He details the prop whenever he dives the boat. He felt that mostly the large powerboats with multiple engines need it. Among sailboats, only 10-15% of his customers use it. I will do without and see how that works.

[JPA Cate]

^^^^

Okay. Understood. We've been using it for years now, on our sailboats. Wouldn't go without. Have never hired a diver, always did it ourselves. It may not be popular in the PNW. The fouling will vary with one's location. Ours have been mostly tropical and extra-tropical. Both fin keel, folding prop sailboats. One feathering prop, briefly [didn't like the increased fuel consumption.]

Ann

[phorvati]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

This professional hull cleaner says it’s the best thing since sliced bread

I put it on in October for the first time onto 3 blade 21" maxprop and i dove down 3 weeks ago....couldnt belive how clean the prop is. Boat was in wet storage in VA since november. I intended to wipe the blades with soft cloth, but didnt need to at all. And sections of the prop where retaining bolts were and cotter pins, they had 3" seaweed growing on them. It was easy enough to pull the weed off. Indeed the best thing. I did make sure that i run the engine in gear at the dock at least every 3-4 weeks.
But i wish i did this 6 yars ago

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by BobFord

I have used Propspeed and most other products , on Gori props.

After many years of disappointments, my ideal coating is Lanolin Grease. The gears need a dob of Lanolin quite regularly , especially if props sit too long. Easy done with a dive. Each annual dryout , a smear of Lanolin on blades which becomes a thin dull layer and no growth. Surprised me how long grease will last on a prop- probably 4x longer than paint.

I’ve been using lanolin on my max prop the last couple of years and it definitely helps a lot. I can’t say how it compares to the expensive prop treatments though.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by DEAN2140

My diver thought it wasn't necessary for a small prop like mine.

I don’t understand what the size of the prop has to do with it. Either your boat lives in a place where the fouling of your underwater metals is an issue or it doesn’t. In a place where it is, a smaller prop is still going to get foul between cleanings, just like a big one is. I recommend Propspeed to all of my customers. Why wouldn’t I want them to use a product that helps their boats perform better and makes my job easier? Seems pretty dumb to tell someone that isn’t a good idea.

[DEAN2140]

The question (not a dumb one) is whether the cost of $400 is worth it. Your business is cleaning hulls and props so I imagine anything that makes you job easier is welcome. After all, it's not your money.
To your point about the prop size, a smaller prop takes the diver less time to clean.

[Tin Tin]

Have used 5 methods, Propspeed, PropGlide, Trilux 33, Petite Barnacle Barrier, no paint at all on flexofolds.


We hauled every year and would Hookah dive the boat twice a year to clean off early stage fouling (With SeaHawk Biocop on the hull) . During that process the drives and props would be lightly fouled with early stage barnacles and easily removed. The least amount of cleaning was the Propspeed and most amount was bare props, but that was 30 seconds per prop vs 5 minutes so for the over $400 that works out to $40 per minute approx over two dives depends how you value your labor and convenience.

[Scrimshaw4]

I vote for PropGlide! It works just as well as PropSpeed and it's MUCH less expensive. Best place to get it is on Amazon. A clean prop makes for efficient economical cruising. JMHO

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by DEAN2140

To your point about the prop size, a smaller prop takes the diver less time to clean.

The question wasn't how long does it take to clean the prop on your boat, the question was, is Propspeed worth the money? I don't know where you do your boating or how often you have your diver come out or what qualifications you posed to him when you asked him about Propspeed, but the fact is that Propspeed is very effective and does exactly what it is advertised to do. But maybe you do your boating in a place where fouling isn't a big deal. Maybe you only have your diver out a couple times a year. If that is the case, then maybe Propspeed truly isn't worth the $400 cost.

Edit: I see that you are in Sausalito. In that case, Propspeed is definitely worth the money, IMHO. But maybe your diver is worried that you won't need him as often if you were to use it, I dunno. In any case, if he's truly arguing that Propspeed is only useful for large powerboat props, he doesn't know what he is talking about.

[HankOnthewater]

For recreational boat owners, who only use their boats occasionally (that would be most of us), ie once week, growth is nearly unavoidable with antifoul paint.

For fishing and commercial boats that are used nearly every day, there may not be a need for anything as expensive as propspeed.

For me, in relatively cooler water, it lasts well. I first applied propspeed 7 years ago, now on my second coat, lasts easily 3-4 years without any scrubbing or cleaning.

But at the same time: $1000 (oz dollars) per litre retail is an absolute rip-off. Maybe the ingredients are worth a tenth of that? But hey, if the market is prepared to pay, the manufacturer/wholesaler/retailer is not complaining, and certainly not lowering the price.

[fxykty]

I’ve heard commentary that for power boats whose props spin all the time (when not berthed of course) the slippery surface is enough to keep critters from being able to stay on. But for sailboats that use their props very little, there just isn’t enough spinning to get the critters off. So they can get through the PS and attach to the metal.

That’s certainly been our experience with PS. After paying for it 3 times and having it professionally applied twice (did it myself the last time), I don’t think it works particularly well, but it seems to provide galvanic protection (zincs erode more slowly). We decided to paint props and shafts with regular antifoul most recently. After two months that’s keeping things clean but the paint is coming off, so needs better undercoating to stick.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by fxykty

I...for sailboats that use their props very little, there just isn’t enough spinning to get the critters off. So they can get through the PS and attach to the metal.

Not my experience. While Propspeed doesn't have the lifespan of most traditional antifouling paints, while it is intact, fouling organisms cannot readily attach.