E paint Antifouling 1

[berkshire]

There was an article in the Feb/March issue of Professional Boat Builder, on page 106, about an anti fouling that uses a catalyst to produce hydrogen peroxide to kill off marine growth, instead of the tin or copper used in most antifoulings.
Since the area where I live is very keen on getting copper out of the water. I am interested to know if anybody lurking on here has any practical experience with this material. If so what are your experiences to date?

 

[mshimko]

I've looked into this product a bit over the years, and have two comments to provide:

1. I am very skeptical about the claimed mechanisms of the product; and would bet monney that no detectable amount of peroxide is produced.

2. The mechanism question aside, the US Coast Guard has been using this paint on relatively small aluminum vessels for years.
- It gives decent anti-fouling performance (not as "good" as copper ablative;
- while not a "foul release", fouling is relatively easily removed when the vessel is hauled (using small pressure washer and perhaps a scrub brush)
- the paint can be easily re-applied and/or touched up by the crew.
- the paint "fouls gradually", that is, the crew can tell when the hull is getting fouled by engine performance (rpm versus speed, etc), and they simply schedule the boats to be "hauled" a week or so later. I've seen the crew have the boat hauled by a marina, the crew cleans it, then the boat is refloated same day.

 

[berkshire]

mshimko (Materials)
Thank you for your reply. I know this is a relatively new product to the market, and at this time few people outside of the coastguard have practical knowledge of the product.
Do you know if a diver cleaning once a month would have any problems with keeping a hull clean? Also reported life is 18 months between repaints. Which is barely as good as copper. Do you have any practical knowledge of how long they are getting, better or worse
I have 16 boats to look after, 15 are copper anti fouling, one is painted with CeRam-cote 54. The CeRam-cote boat has to be cleaned twice a month. However it it is now 4 years on the bottom and the diver still reports it as good. So to date this boat has saved one haul out. This has put us ahead financially very slightly (We have saved about $200), with the spent money going to the diver instead of the boat yard.
B.E.

 

[mshimko]

From my limited experience and what I've discussed with my one customer (USCG);
- Cleaning frequency depsnds on the area, season, and how much fouling you will accept before cleaning. I suspect the e-paint will require several cleanings a year.
- I had info on repainting schedules from work a few years ago. I don't have that handy, but from memory, the Coast Guard will haul the boats about 24 months and apply a fresh topcoat; do the same thing in another 24 months, then haul/blast/repaint in another 24 months.

Compared to CeramKpte 54 (which I looked at about 10 years ago); I suspect e-paint will have better antifouling properties, but is probably not as durable. Cleaning of the e-paint, though, should be easier and the diver will have to "change tools" to softer brushes.

Depending on the size of the boats and the cost to haul, you may want to consider what the Coast Guard does when marinas are not busy - have the boat hauled and left in the straps, you or "your assistant" clean the boat with a pressure washer and brush, and two hours later have the boat put back in the water. You'll pay for hauling, but the actual cleaning will be much less.

 

[berkshire]

mshimko (Materials)
Thank you for the information. I had suspected that if anybody had the information on this paint, it would be you. Some comments you made in an earlier reply to me, about doing feasibility studies for the navy on anti- fouling coatings indicated that you had an inside track. It would appear that this is definitely a coating to watch. When E paint gets the reformulated paint they have mentioned. One that will go over existing copper without stripping. I think this will be a winner, at least in San Diego.
B.E.

 

[berkshire]

mshimko (Materials)
With regard to your comment about hauling the boat, cleaning and dropping back in the water. The yard charges us $115 just to drive the travel lift over to the boat. The Diver cleans the whole boat for $20,I get all of the boats cleaned for $320 per month, so its no contest there.
Thank you again for the info.
B.E.

 

[mshimko]

Only $20 for a diver to clean a boat - that's a great deal and obviously cheaper than hauling.

Of course, I'm sure diving in San Diego is "more pleasent" than diving in the cold waters of Maine....unless you're going after "bugs", that is

 

[berkshire]

mshimko (Materials)
We get "bugs" in the water here, however since the water is not as cold, they are pink instead of blue. But you knew that didn't you.
B.E