We don't scrub or use a Scotch Pad on the bottom as we do on the prop occasionally. We use a dry wall knife/scraper to clean the bottom. We're not racing and we seem to get more time out of our paint.
We were in Community Harbor near Tavernier in the Keys for 11 months, almost no growth at all. It did not need cleaning at all period. We moved to Boot Key Harbor just 50 miles away and literally there would be 2 inches thick of growth in 6 weeks. It was crazy. .
Any conclusion as to why the huge difference?
It's important to use a paint with an anti slime component like Trinidad SR or Micron 66.
If you're going to get the boat scrubbed every month, why bother with bottom paint?
There are cleaners here who use some advanced process with air jets to remove muck without physical scrubbing.
Once you scrub the a/f paint I think the stuff is doomed.
Well, that's just simply not true. In fact, relatively frequent (and therefore gentle) cleanings will extend the useful life of your anti fouling paint, quite dramatically in fact.
I can see that hard a/f should be fine with vigorous cleaning, but ablative? I`ve seen it come off in clouds of color, and after that re-fouling seemed quick.
Gentle cleaning, not vigorous cleaning. If paint in good condition requires more than a piece of carpet or a white pad to clean it, you've waited too long and will be removing paint unnecessarily.
It ain't rocket science folks.
"Interlux Micron 66 never had such an ingredient."
Yes it does, always has.
Then there is always the Barnacle Zapper. Yes, there really is such a thing.
Barnacle Zapper- Ultrasonic Antifouling
I have no idea if it works or any issues. $1999 for a unit and two transducers. Definitely an intriguing prospect though.
There are many ultrasonic anti fouling systems available. None of them replace anti fouling paint, they all are used in conjunction with it. My personal opinion is that if these things performed as advertised, we see them on every chandlery shelf. But we don't. In my 21 years and 25,000 boats cleaned, I have yet to come across one in use.
I will stand corrected on this point. Some Interlux products used an additive they called "Biolux", which is Irgarol. Again however, Irgarol is currently no longer being manufactured.
Actually I believe he corrected you on 3 points.
"Some Interlux products used an additive they called "Biolux", which is Irgarol."
No it's not.
HopCar cannot "correct" my statements if they were not incorrect.
I will always admit it if I make a misstatement. I was wrong about Irgarol not being an ingredient in Micron 66. Otherwise, everything I wrote can be taken as gospel.
Your statement about the need for monthly cleanings was incorrect. In many cases at least.
And your statement about him needed to try it out and see what happens was incorrect. Since it appears that is just what he is doing now. And he doesn't see the need for monthly cleanings.
Well chief, in your rush to prove me wrong, you failed to comprehend most of what I wrote and a fair amount of what HopCar wrote, as well. I never made a blanket statement about the need for monthly cleanings. And when HopCar implied that with monthly cleanings, no anti fouling paint is necessary, my rejoinder was meant to infer that without anti fouling paint, even monthly cleanings wouldn't suffice. Further, HopCar is not going without anti fouling paint, as you claim. He is happy with the product he is using, apparently to the point of feeling he needs annual cleanings only.
Monthly cleanings of painted bottoms just are not universally needed.