Boat Maintenance Man 0 Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 Your boats antifoul performance can be affected by a lot of factors. And Any one type of antifoul can be affected in the same subtle ways. It could be floating above Mud, Sand in a fast flow tidal river, It could be Moored river which has a lot of industry along its banks. It could be a marina at the end of an inland habour, Or a marina surrounded by a central city. Maybe a marina in open water, Perhaps a marina that is affected by an open ocean flow where warm water from the tropics carries all manner of biodiversity like an ocean highway. To choose an Antifoul type that will cover all these factors can feel a little like a lottery. It has been my experience that soft antifoul self polishes and sheds itself losing settlement foul or other foul that attaches in a more mechanical way like weed algae, barnacles, muscles or oysters. Soft antifoul will let it go. Semi soft is my preference as it will give you a longer duration and still offer up that self polishing aspect. Harder Antifouls are supposed to be designed for fast planning hulls, or the bigger boats that are regularly being hydro blasted by the sheer bulk of the vessel moving through the water. But it is my experience that harder antifouls don't shed or release any inhibitors unless they are very heavy in copper, which is a natural biocide. Anybody who has sanded antifoul will understand just how much effort is required to wear down Medium to Hard antifouls. We are lucky to be living in an era where we are learning of different methods and products to give us the solution. We are now being offered Antifoul wraps, antifouls with high silicone content, Antifouls that are predominantly copper, Antifouls that are technologically advanced. In the right conditions all of these will work as prescribed. But which one offers an all round solution?. Cost effectiveness and Durability? My personal preference is Altex no 5 and its slightly harder cousin the sea barrier 3000. I find that it self polishes nicely, it has a strong copper content and an effective acceptable biocides and foul retardants that stops the spread of unwanted biodiversity. While we have a preference, we remain respectful and open to friendly discussions, sharing of experiences with our boating community. If you would like to talk about your boat please feel free to follow this link to my webpage where you will be able to contact me directly. https://aucklandmarineboatvalet.co.nz/antifouling/ The Antifoul services we offer are competitive and knowledgeable. We will help provide the right solution for boat antifoul and polishing. We offer good advice, save you money and time. Boat Antifouling and Antifoul services are offered in all the main marine centers throughout Auckland. Give us a call. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ed 143 Posted May 20, 2022 Share Posted May 20, 2022 For an 8.5 multihull that will get cleaned regularly do you see any benefit in going for a harder antifoul and burnishing? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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