Antifouling Prop Paint

Bob R.

Bob R.

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Jun 5, 2004
161
Marlow-Hunter 40 Pasadena, MD
Does anybody have experience with Velox Plus antifouling prop paint (from PYI) performance? How does the performance and durability compare to Propspeed? Propspeed surface prep and application instructions are pretty exacting, not to mention the higher cost. We take delivery of our new MH40 next month and I want to coat the new folding prop and sail drive with a reliable product that I can continue to use in the future.
 
dehler25

dehler25

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Sep 10, 2012
222
Hunter 450 Gulfport, Florida
It may seem odd but I heard of an alternate approach and asked my diver if he had encountered this, it is a permanent marker. The story goes that it was noticed that there was no growth where a prop had been written on. The diver said he had cleaned a trawler and the owner asked him about the prop, he said it was totally clean and the owner said that he had used the permanent marker on it. I "painted" the prop I was installing with marker and will report its condition if anyone is interested. Cheap option if it works.
 
rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,553
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Wow.... now that you say that, it makes sense. I had never thought about it before but... black marker pigment is actually a mixture of several different pigment colors. Most pigments have fused aromatic ring structures. For instance this pic is for a red pigment...


This second structure is Blue 1 pigment and the part I circled in red is the structure of naphthalene

upload_2018-4-20_13-44-32.png

Naphthalene is the active ingredient in mothballs. Which is very toxic to mold, and algae type organisms. My bet is that the marker pigment prevents the "slime" film from forming which is the first step in getting growth on your hull.

Magic markers also have a resin that binds the pigment to the surface of whatever you are drawing on. So in essence you are coating the prop with a biotoxin paint.

You may have found the next best bottom paint.

Any venture capitalists on this forum who want to give me a grant?:cowbell:
 
S

Solstice

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May 10, 2008
392
Catalina 355 Boston
Bob R. said:
Does anybody have experience with Velox Plus antifouling prop paint (from PYI) performance? How does the performance and durability compare to Propspeed? Propspeed surface prep and application instructions are pretty exacting, not to mention the higher cost. We take delivery of our new MH40 next month and I want to coat the new folding prop and sail drive with a reliable product that I can continue to use in the future.
Click to expand
I have some experience with Velox and it is not good! Heading to the boat in a few minutes but will post pictures and details later tonight. I am going to share this experience with PS for one if there update articles on prop paints.
I have before and after pics, had the prop balanced and professionally applied at the prop shop so no way failure was due to improper application. I communicated with the vendor after my prop shop shared my concerns and there answer was less than acceptable....
 
C

Crazy Dave Condon

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Jun 8, 2004
10,376
-na -NA Anywhere USA
Years ago I learned from Sailcraft in oriental that you can apply a tie coat to a prop I think made by Petit that you can apply anti fouling paint to which will not come off and worked well for me. Sorry but cannot remember but suggest calling Sailcraft in Oriental N C and ask Allen. If you do please advise back here. Retired old fart sailboat dealer who ain’t got squat for remembering
 
Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Practical-Sailor did a side-by-side comparison of Velox and PropSpeed. Velox was the winner. Easier to touch up year to year. It appears to mostly be a zinc compound and I find that inexpensive zinc primer works well on the prop in the upper Chesapeake. If I didn’t haul every year I would use Velox.
 
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gettinthere

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Nov 26, 2008
1,970
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
Crazy Dave Condon said:
Years ago I learned from Sailcraft in oriental that you can apply a tie coat to a prop I think made by Petit that you can apply anti fouling paint to which will not come off and worked well for me. Sorry but cannot remember but suggest calling Sailcraft in Oriental N C and ask Allen. If you do please advise back here. Retired old fart sailboat dealer who ain’t got squat for remembering
Click to expand
Been there, done that...failed PDQ

For seasonal boaters, the Forespar product works well for 2 to 4 months or more depending on how much you motor. You'll need bottom cleaning anyway later in the summer. Re-apply each spring.
 
SG

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
I wouldn't be using a marker on my prop (or strut) -- and certainly not on the saildrive.

We used PropSpeed for a number of years. When I last had the boat hauled a year ago, we couldn't get it easily in Annapolis (no one had it in stock). I had the metal treated with zinc. As Gunni said, it works in the Chesapeake and north of here. We have the boat wiped down every couple of weeks in the prime growing season in the Chesapeake. I don't know anything personally about Velox.
 
S

Solstice

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May 10, 2008
392
Catalina 355 Boston
14EBAE30-22E8-43C2-9882-DDC96E91BFD4.jpeg
1BD0CFE5-7EDD-4AFE-9EDF-22E528E986A0.jpeg
14EBAE30-22E8-43C2-9882-DDC96E91BFD4.jpeg
1BD0CFE5-7EDD-4AFE-9EDF-22E528E986A0.jpeg
Gunni said:
Practical-Sailor did a side-by-side comparison of Velox and PropSpeed. Velox was the winner. Easier to touch up year to year. It appears to mostly be a zinc compound and I find that inexpensive zinc primer works well on the prop in the upper Chesapeake. If I didn’t haul every year I would use Velox.
Click to expand
This is why they were interested in my experience
Before and after one season, 6 months in Boston Harbor with regular bottom cleaning...
 
S

sailcrazy1

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Sep 29, 2012
17
Taswell 43 Center Cockpit currently the eastern Carrib
We heard the same "story", re: Magic Marker, and tried it several years ago. Complete failure! Did not work at all, and came off the prop very easily. Don't waste your time!
 
P

Phil P

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Jan 6, 2012
61
Hunter Legend 375 Rye, NY
I've used Prop Speed with 100% success here in LI Sound for several years after trying all of the purported alternatives. The preparation is not nearly as difficult as rumor has it - just sanding your prop clean as you would do anyway, cleaning the dust off (acetone works fine) and applying the product. On haulout at season's end the prop is immaculate every time without cleaning during the season.

One thought, there's more than enough Prop Speed in the kit for two normal sailboat props so if cost ($200 at Defender) is really a factor, just split it with another owner.
 
Bob R.

Bob R.

.
Jun 5, 2004
161
Marlow-Hunter 40 Pasadena, MD
Solstice: I have some experience with Velox and it is not good! Heading to the boat in a few minutes but will post pictures and details later tonight.

Solstice, thanks for posting the before/after prop photos with Velox. What are the white pox marks on the after photo? Is it electrolysis of the zinc in the Velox coating or discoloration from barnacles that were removed from the prop? Was there any permanent damage to the bronze prop?

If Velox has a high zinc content, should it not be used on the aluminum sail drive. The sail drive manufacturer warns not to coat the drive with copper based antifouling bottom paint because of electrolysis corrosion potential of the aluminum.
 
dswanson13476

dswanson13476

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Jun 25, 2004
15
- - Mukilteo, WA
I have not used Propseed because of the poor reviews that I have read.

I clean the prop and strut to bright bronze and the shaft to bright stainless steel , then coat it with several coats of petit zinc rich primer (masking off areas of the shaft and strut for zincs). Then once it is dry, I coat the prop with Lanacote before splashing the boat. This approach works well in San Diego Bay and Puget Sound.
 
jsalley

jsalley

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Mar 20, 2007
500
Catalina 355 Kilmarnock, VA
Another vote for Prop Speed. Been using for 7-8 years in the lower Chesapeake (i.e. fairly warm water) with excellent results. I have always done the application myself - agree with Phil that the difficulty factor is overrated. I’ve also saved the leftover to use the following season, with no loss in anti fouling efficacy.
 
Rich Stidger

Rich Stidger

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Feb 10, 2004
4,096
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
About 8 years ago I split a kit of Prop Speed with another sailor. Both of us were disappointed in the performance in Bristol Harbor, Narragansett Bay, RI. Honestly the Pettit zinc coating performed just as well as the PropSpeed - and with a fraction of the application effort and 1/10 of the price. I now use spray on zinc cold galvanize from Ace Hardware. It works the same as the Pettit product at $8 for a larger can. I get 2-3 years application from a single can.
 
dehler25

dehler25

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Sep 10, 2012
222
Hunter 450 Gulfport, Florida
Too bad Practical Sailor didn't include the marker in their test! If it doesn't stand the test of time it's another 89 cents wasted.
 
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Sumner

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
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