Normally, my catamaran powers at about 7.5 knots, but on its last trip
last fall, it could only muster about 6 knots. I assumed it was do to a
foul bottom as the boat had not moved for the previous month, and I had
gone 2 years on the bottom paint. Indeed the bottom, and especially the
aft sections around the saildrives, was a mess, both with barnacles and
some type of small clam-like critter.

I didn't think much about it until someone at the yard said he had the
same problem - his Seidleman could only get to 4 knots at the end of the
season, and he said other owners reported the same thing.

So my question is, was last fall particularly bad for growth in New
England, especially Boston Harbor?

On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:58:00 -0400, jeff wrote:

Normally, my catamaran powers at about 7.5 knots, but on its last trip
last fall, it could only muster about 6 knots. I assumed it was do to a
foul bottom as the boat had not moved for the previous month, and I had
gone 2 years on the bottom paint. Indeed the bottom, and especially the
aft sections around the saildrives, was a mess, both with barnacles and
some type of small clam-like critter.

I didn't think much about it until someone at the yard said he had the
same problem - his Seidleman could only get to 4 knots at the end of the
season, and he said other owners reported the same thing.

So my question is, was last fall particularly bad for growth in New
England, especially Boston Harbor?

I think you should go back to Micron Extra! No matter what, I never
have even a single barnacle attached. All I get is slime and fuzz,
which wipes off pretty easily.

wrote:
On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:58:00 -0400, jeff wrote:

Normally, my catamaran powers at about 7.5 knots, but on its last trip
last fall, it could only muster about 6 knots. I assumed it was do to a
foul bottom as the boat had not moved for the previous month, and I had
gone 2 years on the bottom paint. Indeed the bottom, and especially the
aft sections around the saildrives, was a mess, both with barnacles and
some type of small clam-like critter.

I didn't think much about it until someone at the yard said he had the
same problem - his Seidleman could only get to 4 knots at the end of the
season, and he said other owners reported the same thing.

So my question is, was last fall particularly bad for growth in New
England, especially Boston Harbor?

I think you should go back to Micron Extra! No matter what, I never
have even a single barnacle attached. All I get is slime and fuzz,
which wipes off pretty easily.


Well perhaps, but the stuff I had on (old version CPP formulated then by
Petit but since changed I believe) worked pretty good for almost 2
seasons, at half the price. There was no speed reduction during my last
trip of the summer; it was only going to the haulout in mid October that
the problem was apparent. And the worst of the fouling was on parts
where I can't use copper paint anyways, the Saildrives. In any case,
I've got two gallons of Blue Water Copper Shield 45 ready to go on this
Spring.

On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:53:12 -0400, jeff wrote:

So my question is, was last fall particularly bad for growth in New
England, especially Boston Harbor?

I think you should go back to Micron Extra! No matter what, I never
have even a single barnacle attached. All I get is slime and fuzz,
which wipes off pretty easily.


Well perhaps, but the stuff I had on (old version CPP formulated then by
Petit but since changed I believe) worked pretty good for almost 2
seasons, at half the price. There was no speed reduction during my last
trip of the summer; it was only going to the haulout in mid October that
the problem was apparent. And the worst of the fouling was on parts
where I can't use copper paint anyways, the Saildrives. In any case,
I've got two gallons of Blue Water Copper Shield 45 ready to go on this
Spring.

Micron Extra gets a lot of recommendations and there are good reports
about Trinidad SR also. You can get special paint for the aluminum
sail drives which is quite effective if applied properly.

http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/INT/INT5493A.html

Don't the saildrives require a haulout for zinc replacement every 6
months?

Wayne.B wrote:
On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:53:12 -0400, jeff wrote:

So my question is, was last fall particularly bad for growth in New
England, especially Boston Harbor?
I think you should go back to Micron Extra! No matter what, I never
have even a single barnacle attached. All I get is slime and fuzz,
which wipes off pretty easily.

Well perhaps, but the stuff I had on (old version CPP formulated then by
Petit but since changed I believe) worked pretty good for almost 2
seasons, at half the price. There was no speed reduction during my last
trip of the summer; it was only going to the haulout in mid October that
the problem was apparent. And the worst of the fouling was on parts
where I can't use copper paint anyways, the Saildrives. In any case,
I've got two gallons of Blue Water Copper Shield 45 ready to go on this
Spring.

Micron Extra gets a lot of recommendations and there are good reports
about Trinidad SR also.

I used Micron and Micron Extra for about 6 years, but when the price
went up over $200 (now $240) I decided it was extortion. The CPP worked
so well the first year, I decided to let it go another so I could shed a
few pounds. As I said, it almost lasted two seasons. The Blue Seas is
top rated, and less than half the price of Micron, so its worth a try.

You can get special paint for the aluminum
sail drives which is quite effective if applied properly.

http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/INT/INT5493A.html

That's what was on the saildrives. It nowhere near the old TBT based stuff.


Don't the saildrives require a haulout for zinc replacement every 6
months?


Yes, but hauling after 6 months is the norm in New England. I just
replaced them yesterday.

On Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:16:59 -0400, jeff wrote:

Wayne.B wrote:
On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:53:12 -0400, jeff wrote:

So my question is, was last fall particularly bad for growth in New
England, especially Boston Harbor?
I think you should go back to Micron Extra! No matter what, I never
have even a single barnacle attached. All I get is slime and fuzz,
which wipes off pretty easily.

Well perhaps, but the stuff I had on (old version CPP formulated then by
Petit but since changed I believe) worked pretty good for almost 2
seasons, at half the price. There was no speed reduction during my last
trip of the summer; it was only going to the haulout in mid October that
the problem was apparent. And the worst of the fouling was on parts
where I can't use copper paint anyways, the Saildrives. In any case,
I've got two gallons of Blue Water Copper Shield 45 ready to go on this
Spring.

Micron Extra gets a lot of recommendations and there are good reports
about Trinidad SR also.

I used Micron and Micron Extra for about 6 years, but when the price
went up over $200 (now $240)

I'll be buying a gallon of Micron Extra this morning for $188. That's
a sale price, but the regular price at the same place is $209, not
$240.

Dave wrote:
On Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:16:59 -0400, jeff said:

I've got two gallons of Blue Water Copper Shield 45 ready to go on this
Spring.

Hmm. I note that unlike their Copper Pro SCX 67, the marketing blurb for
this line doesn't say "can re-launch after extended haul-out while retaining
original antifouling properties."

Sure you ordered the right stuff?

Yes, the current version of Copper Shield 45 is rated as "Multi-Season"
but Practical Sailor does not have it in the 18 month survey so I'm not
sure if it will go two seasons.

However, I've never had an issue with extended periods with any ablative
as long as the boat keeps moving. I only had a problem last fall after
being idle for 7 weeks. My query was not about paints, but whether
other people noticed abnormal growth at the end of last season.