HawkSpeed Prop & Shaft Antifouling

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Rich Stidger

Rich Stidger

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Feb 10, 2004
4,098
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Does anyone have any experience with the HawkSpeed product?

I have resisted the use of PropSpeed due to it's very high cost although I have observed most of the boats in my marina seem to show only a few barnacles with it's use.

I've been using the Pettit Zinc spray coating for several years, but it doesn't seem to work well for me in Narragansett Bay. I do know of others in the bay that seem to get good results with it, so I don't know why my result is different.

Hawksheed appears to be a similar product except that it is made in the USA and it is significantly less expensive. It also looks to be easier to apply with respect to the timing of the primer and topcoat.

Here is a link to a comparison between the PropSpeed and HawkSpeed. Note that the comparison is produced by Hawkspeed, so the comparison will be favorable to it's own product.

http://www.hawkspeedusa.com/

I have found the small kit of Hawkspeed for about $140 including shipping. PropSpeed is priced at $200+ depending upon where you buy.

So if anyone has used this product or has observed the results on other boats in their marina, please give me your opinion.
 
J

James Devenne

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Dec 15, 2009
1
searay sundance fort lauderdale
Hawkspeed

Rich Stidger said:
Does anyone have any experience with the HawkSpeed product?

I have resisted the use of PropSpeed due to it's very high cost although I have observed most of the boats in my marina seem to show only a few barnacles with it's use.

I've been using the Pettit Zinc spray coating for several years, but it doesn't seem to work well for me in Narragansett Bay. I do know of others in the bay that seem to get good results with it, so I don't know why my result is different.

Hawksheed appears to be a similar product except that it is made in the USA and it is significantly less expensive. It also looks to be easier to apply with respect to the timing of the primer and topcoat.

Here is a link to a comparison between the PropSpeed and HawkSpeed. Note that the comparison is produced by Hawkspeed, so the comparison will be favorable to it's own product.

http://www.hawkspeedusa.com/

I have found the small kit of Hawkspeed for about $140 including shipping. PropSpeed is priced at $200+ depending upon where you buy.

So if anyone has used this product or has observed the results on other boats in their marina, please give me your opinion.
Click to expand
I have used it on my Sea Ray and know several other people that have tried it. It just came out earlier this year. I have had tremendous results so far (6 months) . I actually got an extra knot! Also had a friend that says it all came off within a month. I am not sure if he applied it correctly though. I think the product is alot like propspeed. Some folks have good luck with and some do not. You are right about the price...that is much better than propspeed! I will use it again!
 
Patrick17430

Patrick17430

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Jan 22, 2008
250
Cherubini 37c HULL#37 Alameda
Hot Hot Hot

Try mixing in some cayenne pepper w/ the paint . Barnacles hate how it burns their little asses. Really !
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

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Feb 6, 1998
11,701
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
pkdailey4 said:
Try mixing in some cayenne pepper w/ the paint . Barnacles hate how it burns their little asses. Really !
Click to expand
Practical Sailor actually tested this and found no added efficacy with cayenne pepper. They even called this test a "Myth Buster"...


Practical Sailor said:
Nearly a year and a half later, testers confirmed their last report that there is no difference in fouling between those sections with and without cayenne additive. Soft growth and hard growth was noted.
Click to expand
These paints are expensive, I personally would not go dumping ingredients into these paints that were not put there by the manufacturer..

Sorry Rich can't add much to the Hawk Speed question as I get almost no barnacles and don't have a need..
 
John T1594

John T1594

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Jun 4, 2004
834
Hunter 340 Forked River, NJ
Rich,
One thing you might try is to put a coat of non-conductive primer (non-metallic) under your zinc antifouling spray on the prop and shaft. After some research and much trial and error, I found that any metallic bottom paint, applied directly to the shaft and prop will foul as if there were no coating. I heard that the metal of the shaft and prop react with the metal in the paint reducing its inhibiting effect on barnacles. When I use a good primer such as Interprotect, I get no growth regardless of what bottom paint I use as a top coat.
 
R

ronbo

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Jan 2, 2009
46
gozzard 44B mkll md
Rich,

Where did you find Hawk Speed for $140, their website sells it for $189 and a quick check online found it for $167. Prop Speed at West Marine is $190.

Ronbo
 
Rich Stidger

Rich Stidger

.
Feb 10, 2004
4,098
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Ronbo,

Google is your friend.

I ordered from Fisheries Supply Co in Seattle.

www.fisheriessupply.com

Their item number 215956, $131.20 for the "small" 12 oz size, enough to do two 23" props. Plus USPS Priority mail, total under $140.

Ask for Mike Gibbons, tell him that Rich in Massachusetts sent you.

I am not affiliated with this company, just an ordinary customer. Referencing me won't cost you any more or any less.....
 
Bad Obsession

Bad Obsession

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May 23, 2004
3,319
I'm in the market as were . Colonial Beach
I have given up trying to keep my prop clean with paints. I just swim on it every few weeks and clean the hell out of it. I have had my boat in the water for two seasons and the prop has stayed pretty clean with this method since the worst growth time is early summer.

For the $140.....I will stick to spending a little time swimming and cleaning the prop. It is nice to go over and do this on a warm day anyways.
 
BobM

BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Easy for you in VA...

Bad Obsession said:
I have given up trying to keep my prop clean with paints. I just swim on it every few weeks and clean the hell out of it. I have had my boat in the water for two seasons and the prop has stayed pretty clean with this method since the worst growth time is early summer.

For the $140.....I will stick to spending a little time swimming and cleaning the prop. It is nice to go over and do this on a warm day anyways.
Click to expand
...your waters aren't a balmy 60 degrees mid summer! :eek:
 
R

ronbo

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Jan 2, 2009
46
gozzard 44B mkll md
Thanks Rich, I just ordered HawkSpeed also from Fisheries.

HawkSpeed looks to be similar to PropSpeed except it's application allows more time between the primer and topcoat making it a one person operation.

Both coatings, however, require a temperature of 50 degrees minimum. Here in the NE Springtime temperatures take a while to get that high particularly after night time lows.

Ronbo
 
Rich Stidger

Rich Stidger

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Feb 10, 2004
4,098
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
OK, Ronbo. Let me know how it performs for you this upcoming season, and I will do the same. This will be my first attempt with this product.
 
R

ronbo

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Jan 2, 2009
46
gozzard 44B mkll md
Rich,

Just applied Hawk Speed and will launch this week, the air temperature was warm enough. Application is a bit tedious, but if you follow instructions it hopefully will stick.
My boat is sail and the prop is a 19" MaxProp. We'll compare results at next haulout.
Good luck!

Ronbo
 
Rich Stidger

Rich Stidger

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Feb 10, 2004
4,098
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Thanks, Ronbo! I haven't yet started commissioning, that will be late this month as my launch date is May 10th. We will certainly compare in the fall after haul-out.

Thanks for your input.
 
B

Blitz

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Jul 10, 2007
703
Seidelmann 34 Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Maine Sail said:
Sorry Rich can't add much to the Hawk Speed question as I get almost no barnacles and don't have a need..
Click to expand
Do you contribute this to your prop type (assume you still have the Campbell Sailer), the cleaning you do during the season, the prep you do each spring, or just the waters you are in?
 
R

ronbo

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Jan 2, 2009
46
gozzard 44B mkll md
Rich,

Yesterday I hauled the boat with HawkSpeed antifouling applied to the prop in April.
It didn't antifoul anything...a complete failure. Maybe that's the reason it's been taken off the market!
A slipmate used PropSpeed, under the same conditions, it prevented barnacles from adhering.

Ronbo
 
Rich Stidger

Rich Stidger

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Feb 10, 2004
4,098
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Well, it is a mixed bag. A friend and I split the smallest kit and coated both of our props this Spring. We used our boats differently- I went to Maine and motored extensively, and then the boat sat on the mooring for almost three weeks before hauling with no use. I had a few barnacles but generally the prop and shaft looked better this year than in previous years with the Pettit Zinc Spray coating. Look at the first three pictures.

My buddy used his boat most weekends and his boat also sat for about two weeks before hauling. He motored about a normal amount - probably about 125 hours for the year. His prop and shaft has about twice as many barnacles as mine. See the last three pictures.

So it this a success or a failure? I am disappointed that nearly all of the Hawkspeed product is off our running gear. I was in hopes that I might get 2-3 years out of the application. I suspect that it came of with the power-washing because if it was off while the boats were still in the water I think we would have had much more fouling. The cost to each of us was about $75, but I think the product did work for me. Is it worth the effort and expense? I' still deciding.....
 

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Chuckbear

Chuckbear

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Jan 3, 2009
821
Marine Trader 34 Where Ever I am
ronbo said:
Rich,

Yesterday I hauled the boat with HawkSpeed antifouling applied to the prop in April.
It didn't antifoul anything...a complete failure. Maybe that's the reason it's been taken off the market!
A slipmate used PropSpeed, under the same conditions, it prevented barnacles from adhering.

Ronbo
Click to expand

Not sure where you are coming from when you say it has been taken off the market. It is still very much available. We have heard many say that it did not stay on the prop. The installation is critical and the prep essential to the success. We have found when applied properly it last for at least a couple of seasons and does a good job of keeping the prop and shaft clear. We have it on our boat, but have not hauled yet to get a look at the results. We have seen other boats that it has done well on. Chuck
 
R

ronbo

.
Jan 2, 2009
46
gozzard 44B mkll md
Chuckbear said:
Not sure where you are coming from when you say it has been taken off the market
Click to expand
Because according to Hawk: "...it has been taken off the shelf".

I applied HawkSpeed exactly according to the directions, waiting for the ambient (and prop) temperatures to be above the minimum, so application isn't likely the issue. The appeal of HawkSpeed over PropSpeed is the additional time allowed between the bottomcoat and topcoat being less critical. (I was concerned at application as the paint seemed to be old and stiff requiring much stirring...a call to Hawk said it was normal).

Adhesion seems to be the issue as I was at the haulout and observed little or no paint remained before the powerwashing. Many barnacles and other growth on the blades and hub of the MaxiProp. Petit's zinc paint had better results last year.

I used my boat every week and put about 100 hrs while motoring here in the north Chesapeake.

When I recently asked Hawk about 'being off the shelves' they said to get back to them if I find any problem after hauling. I'll let the forum know when I get word from them.

Ronbo
 
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