Anti-fouling Colours for the underwater hull, so-calledAntifoulingsare a constant source of debate in boating circles. While some swear exclusively by "branded goods", others are convinced of the advantages of inexpensive no-name products.
Understandable: in view of the price differences, not only the "Stinginess is cool"The question remains as to whether mark-ups of up to 100 per cent for branded goods are justified. Anyone who takes a look behind the scenes of what is on offer will be completely confused. The supposedly cheap products often turn out to be second or third lines from renowned paint factories.
The assumption quickly arises thatNo-name products have the same quality as the expensive branded product and only come in different pots for marketing reasons. But is this really the case? A scene insider describes the connections as follows:
"Pea stew is still pea stew, that's true. But it only becomes really tasty when it contains bacon and sausages instead of artificial flavour enhancers." So what applies toAntifoulings?
Five colours on one boat
To get to the bottom of the matter, we had a 40-foot boat built at the start of the 2016 season.by a professional with five different antifouling products(Hempel Hard Racing, International Ultra EU, Nautical Eroding Antifouling, Epifanes Copper-Cruise and Yachtcare Eco SP).
Each product was tested both on theSunny side of the fuselage as well as on theShady side upset. Why? Besides theWater quality, water temperature and solar radiation play a decisive role in fouling. The sunny side, especially at the water pass, is usually more affected than the shady regions opposite.
The same applies to the position on the hull: as our boat is a semi-glider, the various hull areas are moved during the journey.exposed to different pressures and currents. These in turn play an important role when it comes to self-cleaning.
For this reason, it is also important to check your boat from time to time.with higher speeds moved to prevent excessive fouling. Owners whose boats are moored in the harbour for the entire season should therefore not be surprised by heavy fouling.
We left approximately 5 cm wide strips untreated between the individual, approximately 2 m² test fields in order to suppress mutual interactions between the individual colours.
We moored the prepared boat, an Pfeil 42, in our main harbour in Hamburg-Tatenberg. Over the course of the year, it spent around 50 hours travelling in various fresh, salt and brackish water regions. It was mainly driven as a displacement boat (9 knots), with less than 10 per cent of the time spent planing.
At this point we would like to point out that our experience only applies to native German watersapply. In particularMediterranean drivers should be said that in terms of temperatures, salinity and water qualityCompletely different framework conditions and, in case of doubt, you should always use paints with the highest possible proportion of active ingredients (see the respective technical data sheets of the manufacturers).
For the products we used, the moment of truth came after the slip-on in autumn 2016.all products fulfil their task. After a single wash with a steam jet, the coarsest impurities caused by vegetation had disappeared from all surfaces.
Nevertheless, differences could be identified:
When it came to cleaning, two colours stood out as being particularly easy to clean. Both the one withUltra EU (International) as well as those with Hard Racing (Hempel)coated surfaces could be cleaned in no time at all. The build-up was so small that you could wipe it off with a damp cloth and your bare hand. Especially theVery smooth surface of Hard Racing made a good impression.
The same applies to theFouling. Both brand products also achieved the best results in this respect. Both the sunny and the dark sides showed only little vegetation. In second place were the products Epifanes Copper Cruise and Yachtcare Eco SP. Both showed only slight growth on the shady sides, while significantly more organisms were able to colonise the areas facing the sun.
The Nautical Eroding antifouling showed clear fouling on both test surfaces (shade and sun), but this also came off during the second steam jet pass. Compared with the aforementioned products, however, it came last in this part of the test.
Another criterion for antifoulings is theirColour fastness. After the season, no product has the sameColour intensity as at the start of the season. The colour tone changes over the year as the active ingredients are released and the pigments are washed out. With the colours we have chosenBlack tones have a slight "greying" effect. completely normal. With the exception of one product, this effect remained within acceptable limits for all colours. Only the surface coated with the Nautical Eroding antifouling had become significantly lighter in colour.
The cost issue
As mentioned at the beginning, thePrice differences for antifouling paints are quite large. The most expensive product in our comparison is Epifanes Copper-Cruise at around 70 euros per litre. According to the manufacturer, the coverage is 10 square metres per litre. The products from International (55 euros per litre) and Hempel (50 euros per litre) are available for around 20 euros per litre less. While the yield of the International paint is also stated as 10 square metres per litre, one litre of Hempel Hard Racing is even said to be sufficient for 12.5 square metres of underwater surface. The cheapest paint comes from Yachtcare (Eco SP) at around 27 euros per litre and a coverage of 12.5 m² per litre.
Conclusion
If we summarise the individual results, a clear picture emerges: Thebest anti-fouling propertiesBased on our experience, we can recommend the antifouling paints fromInternational and Hempelto the other. The latter scores additional points due to its lower price and very smooth surface.
Second place is shared by Epifanes Copper-Cruise and Yachtcare Eco SP. If you compare their prices, however, the Yachtcare product is the clear price-performance winner.
Only the Nautical Eroding antifouling performed less well. Although it comes "from a good company" (Akzo Nobel), this product did not convince us under the test conditions described.
The question remains: Can cheap also be good?
In our experience, yes. The Yachtcare product is a suitable example of this - at least if the requirements remain within the limits we have set. If, on the other hand, you sail your boat in warm, nutrient-rich waters, we are convinced that you should always choose the product with the best effect - and according to the results of this test, that is the antifouling products from well-known brands such as Hempel and International.
This article is from the BOOTE issue 3/2017.
