Anti-fouling for Prop and Shaft

[danielg100]

We are taking our Tartan 37 from the Great Lakes to the Islands this fall and I need some advice on coating the prop and shaft for anti-fouling.

Dan.

[Wyoming pirate]

The best thing I have found is a $7 can of "cold galvanizing". We traveled 3500 miles last year and wore the bottom paint off. We hauled out last month and had picked up growth on the bottom but the prop and shaft were clean. Have done the same in the past with 3 part super duper prop paint and other things with poor results. The trick is to apply in thin coats (3 will do just fine) and you will be amazed.
Safe travels!

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by Wyoming pirate

The best thing I have found is a $7 can of "cold galvanizing". We traveled 3500 miles last year and wore the bottom paint off. We hauled out last month and had picked up growth on the bottom but the prop and shaft were clean. Have done the same in the past with 3 part super duper prop paint and other things with poor results. The trick is to apply in thin coats (3 will do just fine) and you will be amazed.
Safe travels!

Hmmm--interesting. Makes sense. What say the rest of the crowd?

[Dynamo1181]

Originally Posted by Wyoming pirate

The best thing I have found is a $7 can of "cold galvanizing". We traveled 3500 miles last year and wore the bottom paint off. We hauled out last month and had picked up growth on the bottom but the prop and shaft were clean. Have done the same in the past with 3 part super duper prop paint and other things with poor results. The trick is to apply in thin coats (3 will do just fine) and you will be amazed.
Safe travels!

Where do you find "cold galvanizing"?
What waters do you sail in?
Thx
A

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by Dynamo1181

Where do you find "cold galvanizing"?
What waters do you sail in?
Thx
A

Any big h/ware store should have it in the spray can rack.

I have done my CQR with it, and it lasts for years.

[Noname]

Pettit Zinc Barnacle Coat Spray. Works for me; and some other folks as well.

[landonshaw]

Just looked up the cold galvanizing on the internet. Here is what I found:
OVERVIEW:
Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Cold Galvanizing Compound Spray applies galvanized finish to galvanized and sheet metal. Use on wrought iron and spot-welded metal, gutters, chain-link fences and more. Dries into a 93% pure zinc film.


Is the 93% pure zinc going to be an issue down the road on the metal. I have a Aluminum S drive.

[Play Actor]

Best thing I've found after 8 years in the Caribbean is a mask, snorkel, and dive knife. 30 minutes once a month. Feels good, too. The water is clear and warm, and I knock off the occasional barnacle on the hull at the same time.

[Jon Hacking]

I would be very careful mixing metals. We coated our Yanmar Saildrive in epoxy before antifouling it (with normal copper-based antifouling). Epoxy makes a GREAT undercoat for antifouling on props & etc, but there's a trick to getting epoxy to stick to aluminum. We document how (& other mods one should make to saildrives) on our Saildrive page.

[Wyoming pirate]

Petit has a can for sale for about $28 or any hardware store has a can for $7 or so. I have used them both with identical results, so get the $7 can. Aluminum drive...really? My prop is bronze and drive shaft is stainless. The drive shaft has a 1 1/4" zinc bolted right in front of the prop so I coat the prop, nut and shaft right up to the zinc with three thin coats of cold galvy and that's all I have to say about that! Aluminum drive...really?

[jmackay]

10 cans of Pettit spray vs 1 kit of Prop Speed, no contest. I did the Pettit spray a year ago and it still looks great. By the way I have to clean the bottom every other month in St. Augustine, FL. Maybe next time I'll spray the whole boat with it.

[landonshaw]

The drive shaft is steel, it comes out of an aluminum S drive. I have to use different anti fouling paint on it than I use on the hull. I have always jumped into the water and scraped and cleaned the prop. Good way to inspect the hull to see how it is doing.

[chrisjs]

I would never use regular Cu based bottom paint on a Sail Drive even after epoxy. Just asking for trouble. We use Trilux 33 that is intended for painting aluminum. As regards the Zn spray paint, I am trying the Rustoleum approach this year on the main running gear and also on our back-up Sail Drive folding prop. Not on the SD leg - just on the prop, though the SD anodes are Zn and do attach directly to the bottom of the aluminum SD housing.

[callmecrazy]

Someone mentioned (in another thread) rubbing surfboard wax on it, even while the boat is in the water. Has anyone actually tried this? It sounds like a good idea to me so I'll be giving it a try in a week or two when I dive down to change my prop zinc. But there's not much barnacle growth around here (plenty of slime though) so I won't have much to compare it to...

[chrisjs]

Please update on the sex wax approach. I tried lanocane one year - smelled terrible - it's some sort of thick brown greasy sheep byproduct - but it did not last long enough to know if it helped. Consistency would be too thick to apply in cold / under water. Needed to heat the stuff up to spread it on the prop.