anti fouling paint for the prop

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by skipgundlach

Another Prop Speed proponent. Critters spin off (we rarely don't sit still for an extended period of time).

However, be sure that you or a diver uses nothing harder than a 3M scrubbie, or you'll damage it. Once it's off, the prop behaves just like any other untreated prop.

2 applications per 200ml set for our 19" MaxProp...

Another Propspeed. We went three years live aboard in the Caribbean. I would discourage use of any abrasive including scotch bright. Use your hand, glove, rag, sponge. Propspeed is basically silicone rubber applied over an etch & primer. The surface is both slick and flexible. Both features help ridged things, barnacles, to lose their grip.

If you will be parked for extended periods, nothing legal will work. You can bag the prop in a plastic trash bag and keep it clean indefinitely but this requires diving. There used to be a bag product with a Velcro closure that could be removed from on deck with a puller string. I dive with the Brownie before pulling anchor and make sure everything is clean, including the shaft, rudder, keel.

We just applied new Propspeed in Trinidad for this upcoming season. Many boats in the yard also have done so. If you plan to apply outside of the US be sure to acquire in the US. About 1/4 the price! There is now also a competitor product but I can’t remember the name.

[sailorboy1]

I’ve been cruising full time, including Fl, and have sat over a month at times. The Petitt barnacle buster I applied 2.5 years ago still is pretty much working and it was less that $20.

[lancelot9898]

After trying various things on my max prop over the last 30 plus years, I finally settled on a hard bottom paint which I can go 2 to 3 years between haul outs here on the Chesapeake. I do have to scrap the prop a few times per season, but it is never loaded up and has just a few. The trick is prep. The prop must be clean and brought back to shiny metal and then an etching is done and then underwater metal primer(3 coats) before two thin coats of the hard bottom paint. I think I'm using trinadad. The worse experience was some sort of lab grease which was suppose to make the prop super slick so nothing would stick to it. After one year the prop could barely move the boat.

[Dr. Sea]

Does anyone know how much PropSpeed is needed to coat a 23" Max-Prop 3-blade propeller?

[skipgundlach]

A single 200ml kit should be ample. I get two applications for our 19" MP from that size.

http://skip.justpickone.org/gallery/...and+Prop+Speed

[James S]

I've often wondered if electro plating with copper would work.. and why we dont see that offered as a finish from the manufacturers...

[Locquatious]

We've had great success with PropPurr™ which is an antifoulant (anti-stick) that was designed just for bronze props. It's much less expensive and simple to apply. PropPurr™ chemically bonds a silicone layer to the copper surface of bronze (or brass). It does not use acids or acid primers that eventually degrade the bronze.
The main thing is to sand the prop to make it as smooth as possible and to expose fresh metal. Clean away the sanding residue. And finally apply the PropPurr™. One person can do the job in less than 30 minutes, there is no rush between application steps. There's no need for professional workers dressed in moon suits. And best of all, you can launch in an hour. It's easy to remove the next season and only a light sanding is required prior to reapplication.

The PropPurr™ coating is extremely thin, just enough to make it slippery. Growth and settling that does occur can be hand-wiped away. Many times just rotation of the prop cleans it. If barnacles start to grow, they tend to be very small, ball point pen size. Most of the testing was done in the Caribbean and in the Chesapeake.

The developer focused on making a coating that minimized the environmental impact. There is no waste when making PropPurr™ and the product introduces a minimum amount of silicone polymer into the environment. There are no pesticides in PropPurr™.