Polyurethane coatings marine growth preventer

[sdowney717]

http://www.geocities.com/pucoating/submarin.htm

'The polyurethane exhibited no flaking, brittleness, cracking or delamination after 5 years of abrasion, salt spray and tidal activity. Large sections of the pilings had little or no barnacle growth and where barnacles were located, they were easily removed'

Permaflex polyurethane also works similarly.
This factoid was one reason that led me to look into Sanitred permaflex

[Bob Cleek]

Could be the "silver bullet" we've all been waiting for... if it can be applied to wood! (And perhaps it can't.) For more on alternative coatings to bottom paint, google "San Diego Harbor" and such... they did a big study on alternative coatings because they had a copper polution problem down there. The general conclusion was that "smooth" type coatings work, but only if you have a diver go down and scrub them regularly. The cost analysis was not promising.

[sdowney717]

I was really intrigued when I found out how well it worked for the navy. These types of polyurethane coatings when wet feel slick and slippery. The bottom scrubbing may have to be done if the boat never moves or moves very slowly and not very often.

[John B]

more on copper antifoul in californ eye eh. web page (http://www.latitude38.com/LectronicLat/2005/0905/Sept16/Sept16.html#anchor840592)

[ 09-19-2005, 05:54 PM: Message edited by: John B ]

[paladin]

You will notice that DuPont, in their advertising of Teflon II, state that "Almost nothing will stick to new Teflon II".
At one point it was "Nothing, absolutely nothing, will stick to new Teflon II."......until we stuck one of their frying pans over the side in the Chesapeake bay for six months......and the critters loved it......we sent them the pan...sealed in a plastic bag.....I can only imagine the smell.....

[formerlyknownasprince]

We've got an experiment underway with Grantala.

A few guys down the south coast of NSW have been varnishing their propellors rather than antifouling them. They claim it works a treat.

I used a single pack polyeurethane varnish on Grantala's props when she was last out - last March. I'll let you know what they are like next time I slip her - which will be to replace the props.

Ian