18-MONTH UPDATE
A year on from the results of our initial boat-based test of eight antifouling products, we see how our long-term test panel is faring
Regular readers may remember that in June 2021 we began a long-term test of eight R different antifouling products, from the latest silicone fouling release coatings to conventional copper-based paints and longterm treatment Coppercoat. The aim was not just to see how well they performed over a season but to assess their longevity, ease of application, environmental factors and cost.
We applied all eight products in evenly spaced vertical stripes to both sides of a regularly used Hardy 42 called Raymariner, which is owned and operated by Raymarine as a floating test bed for its navigation equipment. We also painted a GRP panel, of about one square metre in size, with the same products and in the same way as for the boat. This would allow us to see how the products performed over a longer period of time (Raymariner was repainted with fresh antifoul after our test ended last January). It is this static panel that forms the basis of this report, 18 months since the test began.
Before we get to the results, it’s important to remember that a boat would not normally sit idle and uncleaned for that length of time, making the test more challenging for all our products but especially the ‘foul-release’ coatings which rely on water movement to help shift any fouling. However, now that the boat-based test has reached its conclusion (see the full findings on www.mby.com/antifouling), the static panel provided a valuable cross-check for the longer term performance of the products based on a visual assessment of the stripes, a finger swipe to see how easily any fouling came away, and a sponge wipe to check if the coating itself came away too.
TEST PROCEDURE
The products on test were divided into four sub-categories, comprising traditional copper antifoul paints, silicone foul-release coatings, Coppercoat and one nano-ceramic coating that was being evaluated for its potential as an underwater antifoul, and later withdrawn from the test at the manufacturer’s request.
Each product was applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. This included using their own branded primers and tie-coats. We even arranged for bead-blast removal of Raymariner’s existing antifoul layers, so that we could ensure a level playing field on which to apply and compare our test products.
Looking resplendent in her coat of many colours, Raymariner was relaunched for a period of seven months, before being lifted again in January 2
