There is nothing to say that you have to use anything at all, however a proper antifoul, suitable for either fresh water or sea water--not both, is the coating to be prefered since after its application the boat should be back in the water within 14 days. This because antifoul paints are water solouble and any attached algae or weeds etc will slowly fall off as the paint dissolves. One good coat will last 12 months.You try removing the algae etc that has adhered to a GRP hull. Narrowboats tend to use a black bituminous coating for hull blacking as they are normally pulled out of the water every 5 years. Also black coatings do not look so great on GRP hulls.
In fresh water, its not worth spending too much.... there is very little to choose between them... you can probably get 2-3 years out of it if you give the waterline a scrub each year.
Just slap a few coats of the cheapest on. Some have to be immersed soon after, others don't... read the tin.
And then there is the school of thought that only antifouls the area around the waterline, as that is where the bulk of the growth occurs.
But I agree with Dean. Buy the cheapest and just slap it on. You're not looking for a polished super-smooth frictionless coating. Just get it on there. It's horrible stuff to apply and you might want to consider paying a boatyard to pressure wash the old stuff off for you. It's a job they tend to give to the apprentice, along with a set of waterproofs...
Antifouling for my 32
Posted - 29 Oct 2015 : 09:44:24
