Barnacle Repellent for running gear

[RaceCarRich]

So I refinished my B3 drive, now wondering what diy product I can put on it to keep barnacles from latching on?

I read that on bare metal, like my SS props, that high zinc containing cold zinc galvanizing spray in a rattle can helps but what about painted items like the outdrive, trim tabs, helmet, rams, etc.?

Lots of bottom paints for the fiberglass hull but what about the painted items on the business end?

Thanks

 

[tpenfield]

Trilux 33 in black

The cold galvanizing compounds will keep the barnacles away, but not the algae.

 

[RaceCarRich]

Didn’t have much of an algae problem, just barnacles.

I was looking at the Trilux and started to think I should have painted my drive with it rather than outdrive paint. Looks like over good paint they want you to sand to 80 grit and put on several coats. I’d hate to almost start over on my drive. On other areas, 80 grit would probably result in a full refinishing.

Anything that could be sprayed over clean paint for barnacles?

Thanks. Next time Trilux 33 is my paint.

 

[Bt Doctur]

if your bottom paint contained copper your outdrive will be eaten away

 

[tpenfield]

Didn’t have much of an algae problem, just barnacles.

I was looking at the Trilux and started to think I should have painted my drive with it rather than outdrive paint. Looks like over good paint they want you to sand to 80 grit and put on several coats. I’d hate to almost start over on my drive. On other areas, 80 grit would probably result in a full refinishing.

Anything that could be sprayed over clean paint for barnacles?

Thanks. Next time Trilux 33 is my paint.

There are many instances where you should not follow directions. A light sanding w/ a finer grit will do fine.

I assume this is salt water . . .

 

[RaceCarRich]

Brackish.

Thanks

 

[tpenfield]

if your bottom paint contained copper your outdrive will be eaten away

I know. . . Every year on my previous boat with copper ablative paint the outdrive would be completely missing by the end of the season. I had to buy a new outdrive each year.

j/k

 

[gm280]

Amazing what barnacles will attach to. I seen two stories just in the last week where sea turtles are so covered in barnacles that they couldn't even swim anymore. They had to take the turtles to a rehab center where they crew manually remove the barnacles and clean the turtles up to re-release then back to the sea again... Never knew turtles had such problems...

I can only imagine an engine sitting in such waters. If there were only some type spray that could be applied that the barnacles just couldn't attach to because of how slippery the surface is...

 

[dingbat]

I take it you have an I/O....

Barnacles are nowhere as aggressive in brackish water as in high salinity areas.

The best barnacle protection is planing speed... Using the boat at least once a week is the first line of defense. If that's not practical, Petiti Barnacle Barrier Coat works well.

The obvious solution for an outboard is to store the motor in the up position.

 

[RaceCarRich]

My marina claimed it was a “bad year” for barnacles. For the most part, I used the boat weekly or more. With weather and vacation maybe once or twice I went 2 weeks between uses.

I looked up Petiti Barnacle Barrier Coat and it seems to be a zinc coating for bare metal. I’ve got that part figured out. I was more interested in a coating to go over painted metal.

Thanks

 

[bman440440]

you want [h=1]"EELSNOT BOAT THERAPY"[/h]
it works well on the outdrives on my pontoon boats

 

[Lou C]

I've used Trilux II anti fouling for aluminum for many years in salt water here in Long Island NY. This is considered to be a high fouling area. The proper technique is to sand the original paint, coat the drive and transom mount with the Primocron primer and then paint with Trilux. The point of the primer is it insulates the aluminum from the copper that is in the Trilx II (cuprous thyanacide, not cuprous oxide as in regular bottom paint). I have heard you can just go over the standard paint if it is in good shape and there are no bare areas, but that's what Interlux advises. I have found that the film thickness is what matters. If you just spray on a light coat it will not last even half the season. I have had to brush on by hand 2 coats for it to really work. Spray is the only option in the crevasses of the transom mount.

BTW, barnacles will grow inside the water intake area and cause overheating, I had to split the drive and clean that area out a few times. Eventually I removed that plastic water screen that OMC used on the older lower units (Cobra, Evinrude and Johnson) becuase barnacles always grew on it. Since removing it I can rod out the water intake holes easily with a stiff wire and no more overheating. You have the same problems with water intake pick ups (thru hull) on inboards and they are made to hinge open to clean them out.

 

[RaceCarRich]

The Eelsnot looks promising upon initial research. I think the Eelsnot Running Gear might be more appropriate than the Eelsnot Boat Therapy which is for hulls.

I might use Trilux next time I repaint.

 

[Lou C]

What you could do is talk to people who do bottom painting and find out what paint works where you will keep the boat. Anti fouling is regionally specific. What works in one area may not work in another.