Is that a hard or a soft antifoul? If it's a soft ablative then your diver is probably stripping it off on its first clean. I don't even clean my hull, just go for a sail/motor.

SirJaman: It's ablative
Morningbird: Had a similar experience when going for the "Most economical" quote for antifoul, the application was terrible. I too started off in Salt Pan Creek where the antifoul lasted for ages. Now in Sydney (also west of the bridge) I have similar trouble to you. I started using a diver when my last coat got to about 10 months old and with regular use (about every 8 weeks) have managed to stretch it our to about 18 months.

Just curious if an extra coat would possibly get me closer to 24 months with the same regime?

Cheers

MorningBird said..
I have a similar dilemma.
When MB was in Pittwater (Salt Pan Cove) I had her antfouled and about 9-12 months later had a diver clean her. Another 3 months later and maybe another clean 3 months on. Then an antifoul about 18 months after the previous one.
Now moored in Sydney at Drummoyne in about 3 metres under the keel at low tide I appear to have an entirely different problem.
I had MB antifouled and propspeeded on 4 December at Gladesville Bridge marina. In early April she desperately needed a thorough clean, speed under motor was down to low 4 knots, normally nearly 6.5 knots is normal after an anti foul. The prop was very barnacled.
Last week she appeared to be half way to another clean, speed was still at an average of 5.9-6.0 knots but the growth really growing.
Do Gladesville Bridge do a crap job, they were the cheapest quote at $2050 for the anti foul and prop speed, or is Sydney Harbour west of the bridge just a high growth area?

Growth rate depends mostly on current flow. If your moored where a lot of water passes your boat then more passing organisms can lodge on your boat. Also sunlight makes a difference. Two coats of the correct film thickness of antifoul is all that's needed. If you put 3 coats on it wont last much longer when your mooring riser rubs on the bottom or you hit some debris while your out sailing and wears off the ablative paint.
Some batches of antifoul from the same manufacturer also can vary. I found this with the locally made Jotun a few years ago.
As always the best results are going to be when you apply the antifoul yourselves and the same goes for scrubbing the boat in the water. The bloke you pay wont be that fussy about how much antifoul he rubs off! The water is cooling off fast, time to get down there now and clean that prop. Your SS34 has the prop down a long way too. Keep an eye out for bull sharks!

I've just redone with altex #5. 2 full coats and 4 coats around waist/waterline and rudder (until my two tins ran out). Marine growth either seems more profilic close to waterline or the paint just ablates off more readily there. I don't know if commercial operators offer the same option. Prop left bare. I promise to scrub that periodically this year, despite been despite being a bit lax other the past year.

What type of ablative antifoul should I use around the lane cove river / Woodford bay area? My boat isn't near the current but I use it regularly so ablative is definitely the way to go. Altex #5?

Also anyone know of any little slip ways in the area where I can DIY.... I don't believe many exist anymore.... Any private one's about the place? There are a couple of little slip ways I see around the place that hardly operate like the one on the Western side of Woodford bay.. any recommendations on a cost effective slipway?

I usually go the extra coat then after close to a year do a quick travel lift and a light water blast to get to new surface and I eek out another year.
Cost of in and out travel lift is more than offset by getting the other year.
Divers can be a bit indiscriminate particularly with foil edges
Cheers

We have Altex no5 and moored in Double Bay. After 16 months the hull is not too bad, I would say 4/10. The rudder however is shot. Covered in hard growth. We had a diver clean after about 12 months and there was a noticeable speed improvement. We are lining up to anti foul in June. The prop speed lasted about 8 months. Again now covered in crusties and I need to clean off but cant face it.

We were quoted on 2 coats on the hull and 3 on the water line. I will ask for possibly 4 coats on the rudder.

I am considering going to Jotun or Petite Vivid which are a bit more accepting of hull scrubs but love the fact the altex is very low maintenance.
I believe our rudder is shot as its close proximity to the prop which has been just washing it off.
There is no easy solution. A robot would be great. Bit like the pool robots.
Ed.

Toyboata said..
What type of ablative antifoul should I use around the lane cove river / Woodford bay area? My boat isn't near the current but I use it regularly so ablative is definitely the way to go. Altex #5?

Also anyone know of any little slip ways in the area where I can DIY.... I don't believe many exist anymore.... Any private one's about the place? There are a couple of little slip ways I see around the place that hardly operate like the one on the Western side of Woodford bay.. any recommendations on a cost effective slipway?

Toyboata, I came out at Woolwich Dock late last year and did the antifoul myself, no problem there for DIY. Had some work done by Itchy & Scratchy also though under insurance so not sure of the cost for lift and hard stand. I can recommend the dock & Itchy & Scratchy but can't say if it's cost effective.

the dearer joton ablative is good **** !!

Wow that's unreal Phillip!

Was one 4lt tin of altex no 5 enough to do all 4 coats on your top hat?

SandS said..
the dearer joton ablative is good **** !!

Yes the Jotum ablative comes in several guises and the names seem to change a bit. I think the Sea Queen stuff is the best at the moment. I used some of their 36 month[seaqueen36] stuff on my fishing vessel years ago and it was very good. I also used a tin of their ordinary stuff from the fish coop and it was finished after 3 months. It was allegedly a bad batch. I visited the factory in Sydney not long after to buy more paint but the bloke I talked to did not exactly inspire me and probably explained the varying quality.

Toyboata said..
Wow that's unreal Phillip!

Was one 4lt tin of altex no 5 enough to do all 4 coats on your top hat?

No you require two 4 litre tins. [2 coats per tin for a Top Hat]

This subject is an interesting one, very subjective. But I ask anyway!

I have Jotun Sea Guardian on my Bavaria in the Port Hacking. It was anti-fouled last August, and I the type that likes to try and clean off slime during the summer months. The boat is used most week ends, and the AF was pretty good, up until February 2018. However those nasty little volcano type shell creatures have infested the undersides, since about March. I think my mooring area is probably the culprit, no rain and hot water temperatures this season. Are other moored yachts getting done over by these critters this year?
I visited Jotun at Wetherill Park, Sydney. Mainly because I was struggling to understand the product names, Local to International. The rep gave me two possible ablative products for leisure applications.

Sea Guardian, already using this and not super impressed?
Sea Victor 50 , I gather this is a more commercial product, slightly dearer.

Has anyone used the Sea Victor and have any reports on it over say the Sea Guardian.

Cheers and thanks Richard