how often do you polish your props-gctid382442

[Guest]

Finally got my 4588 out of the water and pressure washed but was shocked to see how much deposits had built up on the props. Spent a few hours scraping and wire brushing them clean but was wondering how often most people do this?

Todd

[mmichellich]

Each time the boat is hauled, maybe every 3 years or so, I have all the barnacles scrapped off. Twice per year I have a diver do the same. Newest diver has a tool that seems to even get the calcium deposits off under the barnacles. I never have the props polished.

[Guest]

I use the star flex pads. I use the brown ones with a grinder. It takes me about 15 minutes to do both props and they turn out looking brand new. I do this everytime I haul the boat out of the water. This is what the boat yard uses when cleaning the props.

[Uncle_Bob]

A light sand paper annually then slather the shafts and props with zinc oxide cream (diaper rash cream). No growth attaches to that stuff.

[Guest]

Might have to try the zinc oxide...my props were wrapped in CONCRETE!l

T

[NeilW]

Prop Speed is the only produce that works that I have found. Keeps your props clean for at least a year.

http://www.propspeedusa.com/

[Guest]

I have recently heard of a product called Barnacle Barrier on another website. Never used it but getting good reviews. Some type of zinc aerosol spray.

I tried Lanocote, lasted a few months, they now have a paste specifically for props, have not tried it yet.

[RinnyBeth]

rmacdonald wrote:
I use the star flex pads. I use the brown ones with a grinder. It takes me about 15 minutes to do both props and they turn out looking brand new. I do this everytime I haul the boat out of the water. This is what the boat yard uses when cleaning the props.

we did the samething. the 13yr old was given that task and we oversaw what he did.. our props look brand new now...

[Guest]

We clean our props (and running gear) every year before spring launch.

After reading several threads about using zinc oxide cream to keep Barnacles off the gear, we learned that it was the Lanolin in the cream that was the effective compound. (Thanks Cmagic ) It supposedly creates a barrier that the Barnacles can't adhere to.

After seeing how much Propspeed costs ($220.00 for an eight oz. jar ) we decided to give the Lanolin a try. We bought 3-1lb jars from a soap making supplier. The cost with shipping was only $45.00. We heated it in the microwave until it was liquefied and brushed it on all the gear with a paint brush. It cools to a thick paste very quickly when it is applied to the cold metal.

The reports say that it will last for a few months depending on how much use the boat gets.

Around here, the Barnacles bloom in spring and the gear is usually covered in them by the end of June. In past years, I have always just scraped them off with a putty knife while we were on the hook and lounging in the water. After the initial scraping, they don't seem to grow back as fast or as thick as they did in the spring.

I'll post a report on the effectiveness of the Lanolin in July. (after the water warms up) If it doesn't work as expected, I'll just go back to my yearly routine of swimming and scraping. I'm not about to spend that kind of money on Propspeed.

[Guest]

We use Propspeed. It is expensive but when applied correctly it works....we get close to 2 years out of it. There is also another similar product called "pellerclean" which is slightly cheaper (in this part of the world)

[Guest]

I popped this back to the top so I could report back on the effectiveness of the Lanolin cream we used last year to repel Barnacles.

My overall opinion is that it's not worth the trouble.

The Lanolin seemed to slow the growth for a while but didn't last all season. In July, the growth was less than in previous years but by the end of the summer they were pretty much the same as usual. The areas of the gear that were exposed to the most water friction (props and bottoms of the tabs) had the heaviest growth. The tops of the tabs, center of the props around the nuts and all the metal on the transom above the bottom of the boat had a little less.

Obviously, the Lanolin wears off. It might work better if it was re-applied mid season but that would require that the boat to be hauled out. The cost of hauling the boat would more than out weigh the cost of PropSpeed. I was trying to find a cheaper solution.

This year I'll be trying the "Pettit Zinc Coat Barnacle Barrier" that is an aerosol spray. It is available at WM and cost $31 per can. This spring, while prepping my boat for the season, I have had the opportunity to look at some of the boats that used it last year. It seems to make a considerable difference compared to those that didn't. I'll report back again next year.

On a positive note, the pure Lanolin is wonderful when applied to my dry cracking hands and feet.

[HughfromOz]

Kiwi3488 wrote:
We use Propspeed. It is expensive but when applied correctly it works....we get close to 2 years out of it. There is also another similar product called "pellerclean" which is slightly cheaper (in this part of the world)

I have and still use propspeed but I have mixed feelings about this product. In Sydney we usually have to haul our boat out once a year and that is stretching it. By that time I have lost at least 300 rpm due to growth on the running gear. With the cost of propspeed it would cover another haul out and wash down because it dosen't last more than 12 months for me. This may vary with the use of the boat, so for those people that would use their boat twice a week it would probably be good but then so would most other products.

[NeilW]

R&Jonthebay wrote:
I popped this back to the top so I could report back on the effectiveness of the Lanolin cream we used last year to repel Barnacles.

My overall opinion is that it's not worth the trouble.

The Lanolin seemed to slow the growth for a while but didn't last all season. In July, the growth was less than in previous years but by the end of the summer they were pretty much the same as usual. The areas of the gear that were exposed to the most water friction (props and bottoms of the tabs) had the heaviest growth. The tops of the tabs, center of the props around the nuts and all the metal on the transom above the bottom of the boat had a little less.

Obviously, the Lanolin wears off. It might work better if it was re-applied mid season but that would require that the boat to be hauled out. The cost of hauling the boat would more than out weigh the cost of PropSpeed. I was trying to find a cheaper solution.

This year I'll be trying the "Pettit Zinc Coat Barnacle Barrier" that is an aerosol spray. It is available at WM and cost $31 per can. This spring, while prepping my boat for the season, I have had the opportunity to look at some of the boats that used it last year. It seems to make a considerable difference compared to those that didn't. I'll report back again next year.

On a positive note, the pure Lanolin is wonderful when applied to my dry cracking hands and feet.

save your $31.00 as the Pettit Zinc Coat doesn't work. I tested it on a few boats at my boat yard and it failed. They make great bottom paint but in this product they failed. As I stated earlier in this thread, they only produce that actually worked for more than a few months is Prop Speed, and as expensive as it is it, it only lasts about a year or so.

[Guest]

NeilW wrote:
save your $31.00 as the Pettit Zinc Coat doesn't work. I tested it on a few boats at my boat yard and it failed. They make great bottom paint but in this product they failed. As I stated earlier in this thread, they only produce that actually worked for more than a few months is Prop Speed, and as expensive as it is it, it only lasts about a year or so.

Well shucks, I was hoping. :sorrow: Unfortunately, I've already bought....and used a can.

Last year, on top of our barnacle issues, we had excessive plant growth. It seems that everyone (except for those who used their boats almost daily) had a problem no matter what paint they used. I'm beginning to think that a mid season short haul may be my best solution.

[WhiteRockMike]

Actually, I tried the Pettit zinc spray two years ago when I last hauled and painted, and have had pretty good results so far. I bought 3 spray cans (they were only $15 at that time) hoping to use it on all most of my underwater metal, however, the evening i applied it it was a bit windy so it wasn't the most efficient application. I did manage to get good coverage on the props, shafts and struts, but not on the rudders and trim tabs. On them I applied a primacon underwater primer and my bottom paint on top of that. This allowed a good comparison between the zinc spray and the primer/bottom paint. the zinc spray was far superior. We used the boat a reasonable amount the first season and I dove under to check every month or so. By October there was still absolutely no growth on the props, shafts and struts (when I've them bare in the past - I always need to start scraping and cleaning after a month or so), whereas the rudders and trim tabs had their normal barnacles and grass etc that needed scraping.

From October till the following August we didn't take the boat out at all (not good for growth), as we were caring for aging parents and were out of town much of the time. We did get out in August and September - the first time out I dove underneath again and there was some minor barnacle growth on the props, shafts and struts, but I was able to brush it all off with just a wetsuit glove - much better than labouring with a scraper and sandpaper.

Again, we haven't been able to take the boat out from last October till probably later this month. At that time I'll report again on the condition of the props, etc.

We use an ablative bottom paint (West Marine's product last time - I'm very happy with it on the hull), and are able to go three years plus between hauling and bottom painting - as long as i dive once in a while to clean things.

A quick google search gives a better price than WM below:

http://www.boatersland.com/pet1792.html