I, like the rest of you, have been looking over the years for the "holy grail" of propeller/shaft protection. Something, ANYTHING that would provide long term barnacle protection for our props. I'm not saying I've found it, but there is a chance I have stumbled onto a better mousetrap. A few weeks ago while my '85 H31 was out of the water for a bottom job (and survey...I just sold her), I had a long talk with my yard manager. Over the years, she (yes, SHE!) and I have experimented with just about every paint/coating known to man...all with limited (at best) results. I'd finally given up and resigned myself to monthly prop scraping. My yard has recently started using a new coating from a company called "BARNACLE BLOK." They put on a professionally applied (electrostatically) zinc coating on the prop and prop nuts which is supposed to protect the prop from hard growth for approx. 3 years. One of the boats owned by the yard had the process done 3 years ago and I saw pictures...clean as a whistle! The new owner of TIDE (my old boat) was interested enough to have the prop on his "new" boat done. So did a number of others who were on the hard at the yard. All we had to do was remove the props (OK, not the easiest job in the world!) and take them to the company that does the work. One day later the props were done and delivered to the yard! Price varied depending on prop size, but each prop ran around $80 including a group discount. My new 3-bladed prop will run around $100. They offer a 100% guarantee for 1 year. If the coating fails in that time, they recoat at no charge. Not bad! To me, if the process indeed works as advertised, is well worth the money. If it even keeps crap off my prop for only one or two seasons, I figure I'm ahead. I will keep close track of the condition of my prop and let everyone know what it looks like when I next dive on the boat in the spring. I don't know where else in the US this process is offered, but the place here in Norfolk should be able to tell you. It is POWER SPRAY, INC., 800-989-3331. E-mail: bblock@powerspray.com The web site is listed below. Maybe a better mousetrap? I hope so! Tim Leighton