Outside the Box Anti-fouling Ideas

Hi Guys, I've always been insatiably curious, and this forum seems like a decent place to air this question which bounces around in my skull from time to time.

Aside from conventional bottom paints, who's got some good ideas they're willing to share in terms of keeping marine growth on hulls & anchor chains to a minimum? And I'm particularly curious about the latter, as one sees little if anything marketed for such.
That, & desliming/cleaning marine growth off of long deployed chain sucks!

Ideas from pretty much any angle are welcomed. Including ones which might need to be incorporated into a vessel's construction from the outset, to a KISS, cheap fix.
Application wise, they could be for anything from a dinghy, or 30' cruising boat to... the sky's the limit. And they needn't be anything that one would try & market commercially. Meaning that plain, DIY solutions to try could be the perfect thing... you never know, until...

Also, I'm curious as to what other ideas along these lines which folks have read about or tried. Be said information; links, reference pub. titles, etc.

Thanks,
Andy

 

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/metal-boat-building/copper-nickel-37691.html

 

But a metal arc spray machine and apply zinc/aluminum or perhaps some copper mix. It cools fast enough that it doesn't harm fiberglass.

 

A friend of mine, once a month or bimonthly, dons mask and flippers, and scrubs his hull with coconut husk.
I asked why coconut husk?
He has seen many floating coconuts at sea, and none had barnacles or slime on them.
He figures there is something in the husk, some oil or chemical.
His hull does appear to stay clean.

 

Coconut fibers are extraordinarily durable and strong. People are apparently making sup and surf boards from them, using "coco mat" in place of carbon fiber for reinforcement.

 

The problem is they took it off the market in 1993. It rated good...maybe there is something else like it now.


http://infohouse.p2ric.org/ref/29/28163.pdf

Yes, there is more...

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=antifouling foil

 

If you are floating in seawater, apply some high carbon (maybe graphite) laden paint on hull, then some sacrificial copper-nickel anodes and le the hull plate itself via electrolysis.

Seriously aside, of all the bottom colors on the 100s of boats at the marina I use, boats with black bottom antifouling fouls less, stays cleaner, than other colors.
High carbon lampblack as pigment?

Since my boats are trailer sailors, I only use antifouling for the boot-top, at the waterline. Below water I use this product in link below.
Grass and barnacles can't easily adhere on superslick surfaces. Has to be kept slick-clean though. Dirt or slime provides the foothold these organisms need.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=2326

 

Friends of mine had made mention that some in the cruising community have taken to mixing a bit of "Round Up" (weed killer) into their bottom paint, prior to application. Especially now that the "bite" has been legislated out of most paints anymore.
I can't help but to wonder as to the efficacy of such. Thoughts?

 

The problem with adding into your paint, toxins or red pepper or anything, is sooner or later, you have to re-sand the bottom.
Some of these chemicals can be as hard on you, as on the grass and barnacles.
I specifically used "hard on YOU!"
No marina or yard in the USA, will sand the bottom for you if they suspect you've doctored the paint. Probably not in Canada either.
If no one will do it for you, then you'll have to do it yourself, and DIY yards are scarce and getting scarcer.
It's one of many reasons I chose trailersailors instead of a bigger boat.
DIY launch and haulout. Easy to maintain bottom, especially when she is out, more than in the water.. Cheap storage. ect, ect.

 

I have an inexpensive, effective, non-toxic anti fouling treatment for sell. PM me with you bank account and PIN numbers and get some today!

(this started as a joke involving Nigerians but I just didn't have the heart to follow through)

 

Do you have more information regarding metal arc spraying? Where do you get the spray equipment? What metals can be sprayed? What form is the sprayed metal (before spraying)? To what substrates can it be applied? How well does it adhere?

The copper-nickel foil idea sounds nice, but I've not been able to find a retail supplier. So I'm wondering if there is a cost-effective way to spray it on?

 

You can Google "wire arc spray" or "thermal spray". It's been done on fiberglass and metal boats. My understanding is that with fiberglass, they sprayed on epoxy with micro-ballons and then sanded it a little. This gave it some tooth to adhere well. It's not popular, so perhaps it wasn't cost effective.

 

On fiberglass, electroplating sounds less effective than mixing powdered copper in an ablative bottom paint. How many mil thick is the electroplating? A lot thinner I bet, than compared to two rolled on coats of bottom paint?

 

underwater UV light bulb.
Blinds the larvae
http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating...linds-barnacle-larvae-they-do-not-attach.html

 

Aquatic version of the Roomba robot x Pool Cleaner machine on steroids?

If we scrubbed every week and it was easy (i.e. automatic) would it nip the growth in the bud?

I've seen video of a device which the cruise lines have for their props - diver attaches it then it polishes the surface on 'auto pilot' - too harsh for a hull but could be scaled back.

some swimming pools use salt water to produce free chlorine by electrolysis so for salt water boats we could probably do something similar in the space under the robot and bleach the little SOB's in addition to scrubbing.

Might be an idea for marinas too if robot too expensive - pay for a 1/2 hour autoscrub weekly as a service