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Altex #5 extra coats


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Hi all,

 

About to antifoul my lotus 9.2 that lives in the Mahurangi.  I've been recommended #5 and have got 4l (enough apparently for 2 coats plus a bit for rudder etc).

I'm keen on some opinions as to whether its worth getting another can and getting some extra coats on. how much is too much?

The boat spends a lot of time static and has long periods between cleans.....

look forward to your thoughts...

 

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I have a 9.2 and 4ltr only gives me 1 coat and a second on the leading edges, rudder and the first metre down from waterline. I use a hard antifoul so don't want too much biuldup. Sand hell out of it so I can see previous years antifoul before applying new antifoul.

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18 hours ago, Battgirl said:

For my 9.5 mtr I too use hard antifoul and put it on with those tiny rollers unthinned. I get 2 full coats, 3 on leading edges and still have a little left over. 

Wow how do you do that. What anti foul do you use. I have just gone back in the water, antifouled on a warm day with no thinners and don't get 2 full coats. Might have to change the type off roller next year.

Have never had cover like what you get.

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For two years, regardless of the brand ( but Altex no5 is good) At least two coats on all surfaces with one / two more on all leading and trailing areas. 

Fair out "missing, old antifoul" either wet and dry to a gentle fair or Prime and fill with an easily sanded fairing compound. (Dont use an epoxy filler in this case).

Build thickness is just that... coarse rollers will put a lot on...but there is not a lot of point if there is large "valleys and peaks".  Better to put three light  coats on with an even build. 

Use an extension handle on your roller and get into a rhythm.  This stuff is toxic. ( I know I have done many , many boats) Use a good breeze and be very systematic.  You need to work in a direction and pattern. It does a much better , more even job , in a much quicker time. This is less time you are exposed to the solvents. Wear proper PPE. Dont get it in your eyes...wear safety glasses.

Dont leave your masking tape on for extended times or if it is going to rain. Its much easier to re mask in the long run. 

Check that what you are painting onto is worth the effort. If you have a large build up of flakey old antifoul then it may be time to do a serious strip back.

Dont ...DONT...DRY SAND !!  Read the labels !!! Gently wet and dry paper or in most cases just a dish scrubby is enough . Taking off solid ablative antifoul is nuts... That is protection you paid for getting wasted. 

Dont use hard (non ablative) antifoul unless you are a high speed power boat or a racing nut with lots of money. There is no point. It dosnt last longer at sailing speeds, or make you go faster. It by its nature just builds... adding weight and over time an uneven texture. This forces hard sanding or soda blasting... ...And dont tell me otherwise !! Our rescue boat that does hundreds of hours and 40 knots will get a year from two coats of ablative medium... I get 2.8 years from two coats on my very well used yacht, and none of my customers ever complain that there is no antifoul left on their boats come two years....

PS...with rollers... some cheap ones will ...some wont. Even if they say they are acrylic , sometimes they do... Even if they say they are solvent ...sometimes they dont....  Put it this way...I dont pay $25 dollars for a single roller cover. I also dont pay $10 in solvents to badly wash one.  Small fragments of whatever you use that gets stuck in the paint is just not worth worrying about.  I have heard some wonderful stories about steel boats rusting because the fibres have allowed water to wick to the surface....I have heard even better stories about skippers /boat owners blaming their "lack of competitiveness " on their antifoul.  .... These days I just smile and say..."dosnt a golf ball travel straighter and faster with dimples ? "..

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As Tamure said 5mm knap mohair rollers. I apply one coat horizontal, the other vertical, extra over leading edges. My boat is in a marina. I have been using TransOmarine 271, was happy with that and had about 500ml left at the end each time. Coverage I think is a combination of the rollers and the area to antifoul. My boat is a Mull 9.5.

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I am involved  with one boat in the Tamaki Estuary on a pile mooring (38 Ft) and another on a swing mooring at Cocklebay (Carpenter 29). Like ( I suspect) many owners I have tried many AF options over the years but never finding a silver bullet solution.

I got frustrated with the thicker paints as they were so intolerant of hot and/or windy weather, I was always thinning them to get coverage and a half decent finish.

Eventually I tried  Hempel's which seems no better or worse than the  others in terms of performance but it is way less viscous and  rolls out easily almost like a single pot enamel. It doesn't seem to mind hot temps or wind and so  I find I get better and more consistent coverage. The tin is 5L which does the C29 with a little  to spare, while  38 ft vessel needs 6L. I use a mohair roller with a decent pile to carry the paint anything suitable for oil based paints should hang together.

I have heard much discussion as to how many coats to apply and certainly there is a view that the thicker the finish the longer the interval between re-application. For myself I haven't found any benefit beyond two coats and sometimes just one good coat ! 

PS:  I have no involvement with Hempel's or the retailer :-) I'm sure there are other brands which have similar characteristics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On 15/10/2020 at 3:06 PM, Battgirl said:

For my 9.5 mtr I too use hard antifoul and put it on with those tiny rollers unthinned. I get 2 full coats, 3 on leading edges and still have a little left over. 

Probably a little less underwater surface on a Mull 9.5 than a lotus 9.2, hence the extra coverage.

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I just tried to purchase my usual Hempel's  AF  however MT Smart Marine no longer stock it and the Manukau branch advised it was no longer available. I'm using Altex No 5 as a fall back for now but I would like to thin it for a better finish and roll out. This is against the manufacturer's recommendations but id be interested on feedback as a boat builder told me he thinned it with kerosene with good results and no performance degradation.

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Altex produced a product ,maybe 5yrs ago, called "coastal" inexpensive at the time $140 4lts and worked well,2 coats and after 6 months was just starting to get pin head barnacles. That was up Tamaki river.

Hempels worked for 1 season but found too soft for the river. Altex No 10 was good but went off the market,too many goodies in it

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Number 5 gives me three years on all the boats, however that is two proper rolled on coats with mohair roller and a bit more on leading edges. Do not thin, dont worry if it looks like porridge after a month in the drink it will smooth out, do not scrub just wipe with a rag. The best thing about it apart from no growth is a savage waterblast and you are ready to recoat every three years. 

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Used NO 5 for years and it works  well. I get two coats for my 9.2 out of a 4l can,but admit they are thin ones.

It's important to avoid build up on the non-wear surfaces so I use different colours. The underlying colour is black, and then two thin coats of green. When I haul out, I can see where the green has worn by the black showing through, and I only put this year's antifouling on those thin areas. Otherwise, the stuff builds up and every so often you have to do the unenviable job of scraping- ugh!

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