PropSpeed

Has anyone used a fairly new product called PropSpeed?
http://www.propspeed.com/

My prop and shaft were had more barnacles this past season then last (Chesapeake Bay) and I asked my yard if there was anything they could recommend except bottom paint. They said that they've been using "PropSpeed" for a few years with "very good success" and highly recommend it. I did some research on it and it has been testing in Florida waters, where marine growth is much more then our norther waters. The testimonials that I've read, after additional search in the web, were given by power boat owners who, in some cases, say that the stuff works for over two seasons before coming off. I figure using it on a sailboat, I should get two years out of the stuff. It is expensive and seems a little tricky to apply. PropSpeed recommends that a "qualified technical" apply the stuff but you can do it yourself. My yard has quoted me a price of $300 to put it on. Any comments?

Which river are you on? Seriously - getting different feedback on growth depending if South, Severn, West etc. I'm on the Severn, and for the past several seasons have been priming the prop and shaft with Interlux Primocon and then using Trinidad SR on top. The tips of the blades will polish out by the end of the season and be free of paint and barnacles, and I've had good luck with the rest of the prop and shaft staying pretty clean. Ain't perfect, but I'd say if presented with the results I've gotten versus $300, I'll do the Primocon/Trinidad combo again. Another thought is you could probably get 4+ dives on your whole bottom to go over the entire boat and clean everything up, check zincs etc.

Hey, Annapolis 27 - you concur on the Primocon/Trinidad combo?

Bolo,

The combination that David wrote about, Trindad SR over Primocon, has worked well for me the past two seasons. I keep my boat in Whitehall and Mill Creek. Prior to that I had barnacle problems so bad that I lost most of my engine power and when you only have 8hp to start with that was real bad. Try this combination and save your boat bucks for something else.

People around here swear by Propspeed, mostly powerboaters. Vince Benn, or VBenn the owner of Wild Blue has used it and said he would comment on it when he got a chance. I would like to try it too. I have heard that $150 of product will allow two applications, so most of us would get 4 years of treatment if the application is DIY. Not too spendy.

Application is not that difficult. You just have to follow the instructions. They state that you MUST apply the product very quickly after the primer, something like two minutes. The simplest way to achieve this is to have a helper and one person just follows right behind the other.

RT

More info

We keep our boat on Back Creek at Port Annapolis. One of our dock neighbors has barnacles so bad last year that he lost almost all of his power. He actually had to turn back and have his "crew" pull his boat back along the dock because he could get almost no forward motion. So, for whatever reason, it was bad last year.

As for cost, yes $300 it is pricey, but I live about 80 miles away and getting to the boat for bottom work is not always an easy thing to do. From what I read, on the application directions, having two people to apply the final coat in the window of opportunity is the way to go. So that too would be difficult for me.

I expect this stuff to last for two seasons. Power boaters almost always get two years use out of it. So that spreads the cost over at least two years. This is sort of an experiment for me and if it works I think it's worth the cost. If not, then it's a $300 lesson. I'll post my results here as time goes on.

I am really interested in the results. If you can get enough seasons out of it, then it may be worth while. Please do post back with an update next season at haul-out.

Back Creek, and the Severn, from chatting with folks through the season, were very bad last year for barnacles.

Diversified Marine in Annapolis applied it to my prop last July. I'll take pictures when I haul out.

Vince Benn
Wild Blue

propspeed update

Just had my bottom cleaned and prop/shaft/zincs inspected. The boat has been in its slip on Back Creek since July 07 when it was hauled for bottom painting and application of Propspeed. The diver informed me that the prop and shaft have no appreciable growth compared with the hull. There a a few small barnacles on the prop and shaft and they appear to be young - - maybe 4 mos old according to the diver. She also mentioned that the prop and shaft have a "waxy" feel to them, and that from her observations, whatever was applied has been working.

I plan to haul out in mid-August for bottom cleaning and prop replacement. Will provide an update and hopefully some pictures at that time.

Vince Benn
Wild Blue
E-380-#22