Visit our Popular Forums

Jentine · 05-07-2006, 15:31

I installed my new Flex-O-Fold over the weekend and a friend gave me
some anti-fouling paint for the prop that he had used on his boat and
that I had used on my last vessel. He purchased it in Venezuela and
can no longer find it. I was wondering what the ingredients were and
if it or a comperable paint is available in the U.S. The language on
the can is Italian and the paint is listed as "Antivegetativa VELOX per
eliche, assi, piedi poppieri ecc." What I believe the contents to be
is "composti di tributilstagno, composti di trifenilstagno, acetato di
etilglicole".
Any linguistic assistance would be appreciated.
I used this on my last boat and after two years in the water, there was
nothing on the prop except where it had worn off on the leading edge.
Is it possible that it contains TBT and that is why it is no longer available?

05-07-2006, 15:46

no help on the language issue but there is a product available in Australia named "Speed Prop" that is getting around and I hear it's good, no personal experience though. The problem I have had with any anti-fouling on a prop wasn't in it's performance but it's tenacity. The stuff would get flung off the prop going from the slipway to the mooring! I'll be watching to see what people come up with myself!

cheers

hellosailor · 05-07-2006, 19:44

"tributilstagno" I'm betting that is tributyl tin, or "TBT" which has been banned in most of the world and is about to be banned everywhere.

TBT bottom paints are very effective but also supposedly so toxic that they will kill everything in the marina for many years, that's why they've been so widely banned. The use is now restricted to aluminum vessels when it is still allowed at all, IIRC.

If your friend gets caught with a can of it....I'd guess the fine will be over $10,000. Catch-22.

coot · 05-07-2006, 19:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jentine

What I believe the contents to be
is "composti di tributilstagno, composti di trifenilstagno, acetato di
etilglicole".

If you look up "stagno" in the Italian version of wikipedia, you find that it is atomic number 50 and has the symbol "Sn" -- looks like tin to me.

On http://www.wwf.it/lavoro/campagne/detox/glossario.asp you can scroll down to TBT and find out that it is tributilstagno.

I would have to guess that means it is TBT.

**Alan Wheeler** · 05-07-2006, 21:22

Try this here. www.marlinpaint.com
Click on the english tag and voi la, up will come the info in something you can understand.

Brent Swain · 22-07-2006, 12:11

Polishing your prop with one of those scouring pad type angle grinder pads on an angle grinder, exposes fresh bronze and drasticallly reduces fouling.
Brent-

**Alan Wheeler** · 22-07-2006, 13:33

Interesting point there Louis. I wonder if it is the brass or the copper in the bronze, but I had actually never thought of it being a natural anti-foul.

Strygaldwir · 22-07-2006, 15:30

Painting props works!? I have painted mine 3 times now. The paint never stays on! I used Trilux 33 the first couple of times. I then used a zinc Chromate primer followed by Trilux. It is still not staying on. I'll pull them again, clean off all the old stuff and use STP. someone told me that's what the commercial boats use.

Keith

**Alan Wheeler** · 22-07-2006, 16:04

Whats STP???

Macfish · 22-07-2006, 16:41

Velox and the Marlin antifouling paint is only sold in third world countries such as Venezuela because of its'high toxicity. You will probably not find it anywhere else.

Strygaldwir · 22-07-2006, 18:33

It is an engine oil adative. cost about 5 bucks for a 500 ml bottle. I had a friend swear to me it works great. We were down in Georgetown Bahamas and I took a look at his prop. Looked great. Worth a try, but I won't recommended it until I try it!

fred · 22-07-2006, 22:13

STP ???
That's a new one....could work....anyone have any proof???

No anti-foul lasts on moving parts..it's too soft, as designed.

Polish the prop, polish the shaft, replace the zincs and clean off the transducer....it details the bottom job..... the mermaids love the look.

fred

**Alan Wheeler** · 22-07-2006, 23:54

Forget the use of any "coating" on a prop. Unless you want to coat it every couple of days, in which, you may just as well wipe the prop clean anyway. The only coating you can hope to have any longevity with is a hard anti0fouling and as already stated, it doesn't last indefinitly either. But it will last much longer than an "soft" coating. It's simply a case of tooo much abrasion with the speed of the prop. Remember, the thing is screwing itslef through miles and miles of water with lots of particles suspended in the water. It quickly washes off any soft coating and will eventually wear off any hard coating as well.

hellosailor · 23-07-2006, 05:30

"use STP. someone told me that's what the commercial boats use."
That's one of those myths that won't die, someone should ask Snopes.com to post it by now as an urban legend.

Bronze has TIN in it, that's why is is not called BRASS, right?<G> And we all know that tin is such a good antifoulant that it is illegal in the civilized world. That's why the critters don't like sucking up to the bronze, it tastes an awful lot like the toxic TIN that can leach out of it. Apparently just copper in the alloy isn't good enough...which is also why critters grow even on copper bottom paints.