Give it a few years. U. Florida has been studying shark and porpoise skin
for some time trying to produce a low friction non-depleting non-toxic
anti-fouling coating for the Navy. Last I heard they were in full scale
testing.

I was under the impression that anti fouling paint, or copper sheets
for that matter, work only because they are toxic.


It has something to do with the texture and flexibility. It is apparently a
thick coating that has a microscopic surface pattern that slime spores and
barnacles have a hard time binding to. It also flexes slightly under
varying water pressure so the barnacle cement pops off. A side benefit is
that those little bumps improve laminar flow reducing wetted surface drag.
Sort of like the dimples on a golf ball.
--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com

"Glenn Ashmore" writes:

It has something to do with the texture and flexibility. It is apparently a
thick coating that has a microscopic surface pattern that slime spores and
barnacles have a hard time binding to. It also flexes slightly under
varying water pressure so the barnacle cement pops off. A side benefit is
that those little bumps improve laminar flow reducing wetted surface drag.
Sort of like the dimples on a golf ball.

It is the other way around actually. The dimples of golf balls are
there to trip the boundary layer to make sure you get rid of the
laminar boundary layer.

--
Martin Schöön "Problems worthy of attack
show their worth by hitting back."
Piet Hein