New antifoul discovery - 100% effective AND green

currently, I am testing this substance.
So far all it has grown is slime and some algae

 

Without control data the results don't mean much

 

ya I think a number of products would need to be treated side by side as well as a number of subjects left untreated in order for the results to be evaluated properly.

that said if this product really did keep those surfaces clear of appreciable growth since 1993 or aprox 16 years then you really have something there

or am I misunderstanding something here

anyway cheers and thanks for the info
I'd be interested in a greener better form of antifouling as would most people

 

It looks like they ran that test for 3 years.

I actually coated the whole boat bottom with several coats of sani-tred permaflex as a sealer and later heard about the possible anti foul.
So in it went. Within a week it grew that slippery slime layer with some green algae (on the stern exhaust port close to water line, perhaps that gets more sunlight) a few weeks later later, but no barnacles yet. If I rub my hand across the underwater surface, the slime comes off easily.
Permaflex is a hard glossy rubber surface that when wet feels like an extremely slick oiled surface. It also is pretty strong when layered on thick.
It would be very nice to find out it works, since if it works, it is a permanent solution, never needing to be recoated.

they had uncoated controls that they say grew 2 inch thick encrustations.

I will definitely keep this updated over the next year.
Boat is in Hampton VA in the Chesapeake bay near Langley AFB.

 

Here is what it looked like with 2 coats
The boat is totally dry, no sea water comes in and the hull is totally sealed on the inside as well as outside. It was a total rebuild with many new frames, screws and each frame and plank piece I individually coated before assembly with permaflex.

 

Tell us how the paint holds up and be careful with how you block your boat up. . Looks to be too much weight on the center block.

 

ya that keel looks like it needs some work to
sprung looking to my eye from way over here
whats up with that
did that open up as it dried out or was it like that when you pulled her out

 

that was midway thru the process. When it finally went in it was completely sealed.
Yeah the blocking I did not like a lot, should have been 4 blocks under the keel.
but it worked out ok. It sat there for 4 years like that as I worked on the hull.

Keel was tight when pulled out but over the years dried out and the wood shrank.
Before I sealed up those cracks, I tightened up the keel bolts which are bronze. These large bronze bolts run from the inner keel all the way
to the bottom of the outer keel.

Going in and having it float with no leaks was a great feeling.

 

Streptomyces avermitilis

Streptomyces avermitilis is not a fungus!

 

true - they are bacteria

Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Actinobacteria
Margulis
Class: Actinobacteria

Roughly 550 species of Streptomyces are recognized at present

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streptomyces


How they use it in this product is unclear, but the bacteria produce spores, (like Fungi do), so maybe this is why the concept of Fungi found its way into the discussion. Perhaps the product uses their Metabolites ( poo ) which may be unpleasant for marine growth.

 

Here's another technology that mimics the scales of sharks. It utilizes nanotechnology but it has limited success other than for medical purposes. However, the inventors claim that it can be used to create a hull surface that would limit the fungal growth. Link is below.

http://www.sharklet.com/wp-content/...Sharkskin_Technology_Inhibits_Germ_Growth.pdf

 

Sharklet, Sharkskin Technology

Very interesting...thanks for that submission

 

more Lanolin discussions

....from a Trawler forum

What should be used on "running gear" for best barnacle protection?
Leonard

You want the really stiff paste.
Apply to a thoroughly clean and dry running gear. Lasts ten months to a year
in PNW waters. Likely less in warm water. Cost: $4.
Richard

When I have my bottom painted, I coat the running gear with anhydrous lanolin. It really helps a lot.


Richard, I've just gotta meet you! We too use anhydrous lanolin, and I so seldom hear of anyone else using it that I've felt lonely for so long. We need to start an Anhydrous Lanolin club.

I do run into many folks who claim pretty much the same results that we get with anhydrous lanolin with waterproof teflon grease.

In the hottest weather here in Florida, even when we are farther south, we seem to get around 4+ months without needing to scrape our prop, and thereafter, we need to start scraping it more and more frequently.

Eventually, when I get tired of scraping it, I remove the prop, clean it, reapply the anhydrous lanolin and reinstall it and we're good for another 4+ months.

When I try bottom paint, I seem to seldom get more than this and often less; plus anhydrous lanolin is much simpler to use and kinder on my hands.

This is one reason that I made that inexpensive prop puller that was mentioned a few months ago... even if I couldn't pull the prop myself, having the puller means I could probably find someone around who would be willing to do it for me, since the puller is readily available.

As far as the more costly approaches, for our circumstances, the cost/benefits ratio don't make sense to me, though I hear that if you're willing to spend the money and the time, you can go longer without having to scrape the prop.


Oops, it must have been a typo, doubtful that I'd make a mistake... although don't discount that explanation either.

We usually get 8+ months with anhydrous lanolin, not the 4+ that I stated in my post, though for those who are analytical will realize that that statement isn't really wrong either.

This last year, we got 8 months, scraped 6 weeks later, then again 4 weeks later. Temperatures were dropping and didn't want to get in the water after Nov. 30, so mid-Nov. pulled the prop and recoated it.

Cost for 1 lb of anhydrous lanolin, from a pharmacy, $15-$20, at least it was 5 years ago. 1 lb will last years, but less so for me, since I use it for so much more... grease shackle threads and turnbuckle threads, slather it on spliced eyes before they are served, rub on my hands to soften them up, rub it on the tops of our lifeline stanchions to keep the water out of the end-grain of the wood posts, rub it on tools before I store them away when we are goin' a cruisin' or just to pull it out and smell it, since it smells nifty.

If your hair is recalcitrant, wouldn't be surprised if it could be used to tame it some or at least to form it into some interesting shapes.


If you're willing to pay the freight, PropSpeed works. If you apply it
properly, and keep the prop out of the bottom, it will last, I got over
2 years on one application. The surface must be prepared and the coating
applied exactly as recommended, if not, you'll have disappointing
results. The better the conditions, the longer the application will
last, e.g. dry, no wind, scrupulously clean surface. I made the mistake
of coating in gusty conditions, the prop was covered in grit. The worst
wore off in use, but the surface wasn't as smooth as prior times. I use
it on the main prop and thruster blades. The thruster blades are
composite material, but the coating held up perfectly. No barnacles.
Toward the end, a few attached, but came off easily.

Costs about $250 for application, so it's not cheap.
as always.


I've looked into prop speed but found it too expensive.
I've tried the major marine brand "underwater metal kits", but wasn't
pleased with results for the cost/effort to apply.
I found the best performance (Chesapeake bay) to be spray zinc - either
Pettit ($20/spray can) or Rustoleum cold galvanize ($5/can) - either worked
the same, required 3 cans for twin running gear and lasted a season. But
protect your lungs!

I tried something new the last time I bottom painted. I looked at
propspeed but decided the cost and somewhat tricky application was not
worth it to me. What I have noticed in the past is not that anti foulant
doesn't seem to work on running gear, but that it doesn't stay on the
gear for any length of time, I thought maybe if could "seal" the metals
in some way I could get the anti foulant to stay on and do its job. What
I tried was to paint the gear (including aluminum trim tabs) with a
product called POR 15 (http://www.por15.com/POR-15/productinfo/1GB/) and
then with anti foulant, I used the same ablative paint that went on the
rest of the hull, but I think a hard paint might be a better choice.
After the first summer I had virtually no barnacles an the gear itself,
however the trim tabs were covered in barnacles, so something failed there.
The last time I was under the boat was in September of 2010 and there
were still not too many barnacles on any of the gear, though the rudders
seemed a little worse than the wheels and of course the trim tabs were a
complete mess. I will haul this spring and am very interested in seeing
how much of the POR 15 is still in place, I will recoat with it if I
think its needed and try a hard paint this time, probably Trinidad as I
had good results with it on my last boat.


I have done a similar trick - Polished the wheel really well with angle
grinder and 120 grit, then put on 2 coats of unthickened epoxy (System
Three) followed by my regular bottom paint. This gave me two seasons in
the PNW. Probably not as severe a test as the south, but a satisfactory
result, I think, for up here.

 

Sharklet to be featured on PBS

Set your DVR! This Wednesday, February 9, Sharklet will be making big news!!

We're excited to be featured on the world-renowned program PBS NOVA as part of a special series called Making Stuff. Hosted by New York Times technology reporter Davide Pogue, Sharklet will be featured among other innovative technologies that are 'Making Stuff: Smarter.' Watch a preview on YouTube!
Here's what PBS says about Making Stuff: Smarter
"Making Stuff: Smarter" looks at materials that respond to their environments and even learn, such as an airplane wing that changes shape as it flies. Scientists are turning to nature in developing such "smart" stuff. Sharkskin, for instance, has inspired a substance that, when applied in hospitals, could eliminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria. David Pogue visits a scientist who has even created a material that can render objects invisible. "Smarter" concludes with a vision of the ultimate in "life-like" stuff: programmable matter that could create a duplicate of a human being.

We hope you'll tune in to see the program. Visit the PBS website and enter your local ZIP code to view your local listings.

 

Polyurethane coatings...resisting growth

I felt there should be a cross-reference here.

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/metal-boat-building/rubberised-paint-steel-decks-36414.html#post437700