Water line & Diaper Rash Creams

[Kevin Johnston]

Years ago I read an article or commentary in Practical Sailor, I think, that advocated using baby diaper rash cream as an antifouling agent. I told a good friend who owned a commerical fishing boat at Gig Habor about it and he started to use it with great success on the water line. He was given a hard time by the other fishermen at first but it worked, so...

I am thinking about buying a pound or two next time I have the boat up in the air and after repainting my bottom of my boat. A pound of Desitin Baby Daiper Rash Cream is only $15, so not like it will break the bank giving it a try. The idea is that the cream is an excellent antifungal, so it works well to ward off growth on the boats bottom.

Don't know if it would work well in warm water but in the Pacific Northwest with water tempertures hovering around 50; it seems like it should last. Anyone else tried this?

 

[sleather]

Waaaaa Waaaaa

If that works, I'm on board! No warm water here! I get a fair amount of "skank" being in the "marina district"!

Might have to transfer this tip to that "Ah-hA" thread!

 

[tenders]

I remember that article in PS. Like the show "Mythbusters," I think the point was to debunk a purported nautical legend that diaper rash cream works as an antifoulant.

As I recall the conclusion was that it might have worked while it stuck to the hull but it washed off much too soon to do anything.

This did not come as a surprise to me. Few barnacles ever grew on my babies' butts, but I would not care to have to reapply antifouling cream every few hours to my boat, especially in the middle of the night.

 

[Kevin Johnston]

Does it work?

So, does it work in colder climates and cold water? I know my friend thought it was worth the small expense on his 65 footer. I am not talking about stopping barnicles but slime.

Here is a good link that references all the Practical Sailors that referenced the use of diaper rash cream.
http://www.nortekusa.com/principles/AntiFouling.html
http://www.sgnis.org/publicat/papers/9619_37.pdf

Thoughts,
KJ

 

[treilley]

My wife calls it "our girl's dirty panties". We use shark white AF so it really shows up but usually washes off easily.
I would think any type of soft barrier cream would reduce growth as long as it lasts.

 

[u079721]

Not on my bottom.....

A neighbor at my yacht club read about this years ago, and coated the entire bottom of his infatable dinghy, which he wanted to leave in the water during the summer. At the end of the summer he hauled it out and found that the cream had, for the most part, keep the zebra mussles at bay, and even limited the slime growth in parts.

But when he tried to clean off the dinghy to store it he realized that he had to completely remove the old layer of cream, or when he rolled it up the cream would get everywhere, and eventually wind up on his clothes next season. Cleaning off that cream took him forever, as it quickly got all over him, the dock, and became fouled with dirt and sand. He vowed never again.

It might work great on your mothership, but after seeing the clean up hassel I think I would pass.

 

[Sean Engle]

I saw that Sean our friendly administrator on sailnet was also a proponent! Sean Engle??

Uhhhhhhh, hmmmmmmm. I really have no idea about this... I would think any material meant to go up against human skin would probably not last very long on a fiberglass hull.

Where did you see that I was advocating this?

//sse

 

[Kevin Johnston]

Mistaken Web Identity

Sorry for the case of the mistaken web identity but a Shawn Engle on Sailnet had said that diaper rash cream extend the antifouling for up to a year in Seattle on a fiberglass boat. I will post a link to their tread when I find it again.

One Shawn Engle and one Sean Engle both in Seattle and both sailors, my mistake. My appologies!

 

[Sean Engle]

Sorry for the case of the mistaken web identity but a Shawn Engle on Sailnet had said that diaper rash cream extend the antifouling for up to a year in Seattle on a fiberglass boat. I will post a link to their tread when I find it again.

One Shawn Engle and one Sean Engle both in Seattle and both sailors, my mistake. My appologies!

You're kidding?! Now you've piqued my interest in this...and I'll have to go over to their archives and poke around... I don't remember saying anything like that...but of course, I'm in my mid-40s now, so....

I'll look into it and get back to you...

//sse