Electronic Antifoul Systems

[GregL]

Hi Raiders

After having my boat in the water for a couple of weeks I was amazed on how fast the growth happens on the bottom!

Within a few days of the boat not moving you could see growth starting, within 5 days you could feel barnicals attaching. By day seven I had to get it slipped, sprayed n rubbed down to get them off before it got to late.

So my question is, has anyone had any of the electronic antifoul systems like Barnaclean installed on their boats before?

Do they work?

I don't want to paint the bottom of the boat as it spoils the boat plus then it has to be done all the time and hell I don't want to slow it either!

Cheers

Greg

[adzzy]

hey GregL

i know this doesnt answer your question

but with that beast you have im sure you could spare a few horse power

Adzzy

[pelican]

I know there is 4 different designs doing it but haven't yet had first hand contact with someone who as the product installed.

I week or 2 in the water would be taking 5-7 knots off Gregs boat and 20 -40HP at a guess so it gets expensive on fuel fast.

Some chew power so require shore power and others use battery and solar pannel

Some require only 2 tranducers to put out the ultrasonic and others require 10 on a similar length boat.

Can't wait for someone else to try it and prove to me that it works and is not at all damaging to any structure on the boat or other electronics as basically they all put out a ultrasonic style halo around the hull. Not sure of the longevity of the tranducers and electronic brain either.

Could be the soluton to getting rid of all the nasty algaecides and copper that pollute from paint on antifoul or the other option of chlring in a yachy bag.

Amazed at how much better a polished hull resists them but still a week and they are seriously attached in the warm water about at the moment.

Please keep me up to date with what you find out and possibly the marine biologists and metal or fibreglass engineers could comment on any possible degradation of hull etc??

Pel

Edited March 20, 2009 by pelican

[digger]

there is a new one on the macket and he good reports.can only be install on glass and allum boats so far.when they can be install on woodon boats i will be installing 2 off yo cover my boat

[pelican]

Hi digger do you know anyone with first hand experience. I won't do it till have seen and spoken to 1st hand people even if they are offering money back after 12 months as I don't know if they will exist in 12 months.

You would think commercial boats would be doing it just on the fuel saving alone as it isn't that expensive.

Happy to hear good and bad results.

Does it not work on wood due to the lower density of wood or is it the joins in wood that mean the vibrations don't transmit to the next piece?. There was a very powerful one years ago that actually pulsed the water rather than the hull but haven't heard of it for several years

[panda]

Hi I purchased a well known brand of ultrasonic antifouling unit approx 8months ago. The unit does not do what the manufacturers claim. I have weed & barnicles growing on the hull and am about to return the unit.

I have had to have my boat antifouled which was something I didn't want to do as nothing else works.

I had my boat painted with high gloss white antifouling paint and you can't tell it has been antifouled.

Panda

[brickman]

a customer off mine had his longlinner up on the slipway last month for repairs and there was a river cat also up on the next slipway

they were painting the hull off the river cat with what he discribed as a black paint when it dried he said it felt like rubber

after a few questions he was told it was worth $100.00 per square meter but was the ducks guts

next time i see him ill try to get the name off it

gary