You will not get much fun out of anti-fouling your boat, the sense of satisfaction you get when you have finished is quickly overcome  when you realise that you are going to put your boat back in the water and only a year later you are going to have to do it all again. Having said that it is important that you get the best finish you can if you want to protect the hull from effects of fouling. The sea around our coast is full of living matter and small creatures which will, given the opportunity attach themselves to your hull and take up permanent residence to the detriment of its speed,  manoeuvrability, and if engine driven, its fuel consumption.

Before you commence the application of the paint itself it is necessary to take a few protective precautions for yourself and the boat. Wear protective clothing, mask, goggles and gloves. Mask waterline and any other areas you do not want to paint with a good quality masking tape. Always work in a well ventilated area. Do not eat or smoke when painting or preparing the hull.

When preparing the hull always wet sand or scrape old anti-fouling, the dust is toxic. Keep tins sealed when not in use and dispose of rags, empty tins, used tape sensibly. The better the preparation, the better the finish and performance.

There a three main types of antifouling available today:

1. Self Eroding - the cheapest and probably the most popular)

2. Hard – for those who want that extra protection and the occasional scrub.

3. Very Hard and High Speed – for high speed powerboats and sail boats that are scrubbed frequently for top performance.

At Piplers of Poole,  we have available most brands and types of antifouling the following are examples of the different types.

Type 1 - Flag Cruising, Seajet Basic Antifouling, International Cruiser Uno, XM Yachting CX2000, International Bottomcoat.

Type 2 – Seajet Shogun, Seajet Emperor, Flag Performance Extra, International Micron Extra, XM Yachting HX3000, Nauteco Performance.

Type 3 – International Interspeed Ultra, International Micron Optima, Seajet Platinum, XM Yachting PX4000.