Two-Questions-in-One

[diverdutch]

I have been offered enough Coal Tar Epoxy/black to give my boat a few coats of coverage.

My first question concerns how well this will work for our boat when we get south in the Caribbean, as in Martinique south. Will this keep the bottom reasonably free from the usual suspects, will it end up being a nightmare or will it fall somewhere in between? How many years between haul out will I be able to expect...or should I figure this in minutes?

My second question concerns adding cayenne pepper to the antifouling I do eventually use. I know some will discredit the idea out of hand but I do remember quite a few comments years ago from some pretty knowledgeable sailors with experience in the southern Caribe.

Let the war begin.

Thanks, John

[GordMay]

See Practical Sailor:
“Skimmer, a Cape Dory 25 test boat, was painted in November 2007 with Interlux Bottomkote and Bottomkote mixed with cayenne pepper. No difference between the two sections was noted. Initially, the boat was cleaned of soft growth every six to eight weeks. Now, nearly two years later, it requires weekly cleaning or else hard growth sets in. Bottomkote is a mid-priced hard paint that holds up well to scrubbing.”

P.S. ➥ Mailport: 08/09

And ➥ http://www.bwi.org/images/basics.pdf

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by diverdutch

My second question concerns adding cayenne pepper to the antifouling I do eventually use. I know some will discredit the idea out of hand but I do remember quite a few comments years ago from some pretty knowledgeable sailors with experience in the southern Caribe.

There is zero evidence that cayenne is an effective additive to anti fouling paint.

[Bash]

while cayenne pepper won't keep the barnacles away, it will certainly help lower their cholesterol.