Zinc spray experiment

[Jim Walsh]

After reading other members accounts of using zinc paint, or "cold galvanizing compound" as Rustolem describes their product, I decided to give it a try this year. I had always just painted my prop with bottom paint. I know it's not considered a good practice but scores of owners still do it and so had I since the 60's.
I also decided to augment my prop nut style anode with a "streamlined" shaft zinc. I trimmed it by a half inch, or so, for a better fit. Ill have to update this posting with the results of my experiment in the fall.

[Ron M.]

Good luck with the zinc paint. I did it a few years ago with no effect, still had barnacles to scrape.
You may have better success depending on conditions.

[Cathy Monaghan]

It works for us. Without it our prop may as well be a cinderblock. With it we only get a few very small barnacles which come off easily.


Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Jim Walsh]

That's good to hear. Orion was just launched this morning so the test is in progress.

[Cathy Monaghan]

By the way, we use Pettit Zinc Coat Barnacle Barrier. Hope you have good results with the Rustoleum product.


Cathy

[jbenagh]

According to their material safety data sheets, the Rustoleum and Pettit products are identical except for price:

Rustoleum: http://www.rustoleum.com/MSDS/ENGLISH/7785830.PDF
Pettit: http://www.pettitpaint.com/fileshare/pr ... erMSDS.pdf

[jen1722terry]

Nice idea to trim the shaft zinc, Jim, and we'll do the same on our 31. We'll also try the rustoleum product to see if it works during our long cruise Down East and over to Nova Scotia in June.

Thanks for sharing

Jenn and Terry

[Jim Walsh]

This is the result after 6 months in the water. The shaft zinc worked out fine. The prop-nut zinc was rattling in place. This is the first time I've had it deteriorate so much. The cold galvanizing spray worked great. I had a couple 1/4 inch barnacles attached to the hub and nothing on the blades of the prop. The red freckles on the prop are where the old bottom paint, which had not all been removed prior to applying the cold galvanizing spray, flaked off. I'll spend a little more time with the sandpaper and try to get the prop cleaned up properly before applying the new coating in the spring. I'm now a true believer in this anti fouling technique for props. It's real cheap, real easy, and damn effective.

[jen1722terry]

FYI, Jim.

We also had zero barnacles this summer, after spraying on 3 coats of the Rustoleum product on the prop in the spring.

Granted, we motored a great deal on our 2-month cruise from Portsmouth to Nova Scotia, but we also laid at moorings at least half the nights, including 3.5 weeks in Northeast Harbor.

Cheap insurance for a more efficient prop.

So if it works on the prop, would it work on the hull? I may do a small test spot in the spring. Zinc, I suspect, is a bit cheaper than
copper.

Cheers!

Jenn and Terry