In October 2020 we decided to do a bottom job before leaving Grenada. Last time we did one was 1 year before in Trinidad. This time around we used Pettit Trinidad Pro.
We chose this antifouling because a) it’s environmentally friendly (it does not contain TBT) and b) because it has a quite high percentage of copper.
From Pettit Trinidad Pro Product Data Sheet:
“Trinidad Pro’s high copper load is paired with a specially formulated algaecide to create an antifoulant with unprecedented resistance to barnacles, algae, slime, and other marine and fresh-water fouling organisms. Left in the water, it will provide years of dependable service. Trinidad Pro is the only hard paint with the power of dual biocides available for the professional applicator.”
The anti-fouling did a great job until Puerto Rico. Just a few small barnacles, no slime. But then, after 4 weeks at anchor in San Juan, this was the result:
In two years, two continents and 12K+ nautical miles we’ve never seen such a thing. Not even in Brazil, where water is very rich and where we left the boat for one month. Or in Grenada, where we left the boat for 6 weeks.
It’s very hard to get a serious opinion on what anti-fouling works best, because everyone say what they have it’s the best. Hard to find honest reviews online.
We were pretty disappointed, but we think that the anchorage in San Juan is very bad in terms of growth. All our friends who stopped here had the same problem, no matter what antifouling they were using.
Fast forward 2 years after, one ocean crossed and one winter spent in the water in a marina in Sicily.
I think overall the antifouling performed really well. When we took the boat out of the water in Turkey in October 2022, after a pressure wash this is how the antifouling looked like:
So all in all, considering the boat spent 6 months in the water in a marina without moving at all, we think Pettit Trinidad did a very good job. Next year we are going to use International Ultra 300 (once again, a different antifouling) and we'll see how it perforems in the eastern Med.
COMPARISON
How does Pettit Trinidad Pro compare to other anti-fouling we have used?
So far on Oroboro we have tried 3 different brands of anti-fouling, every year a different one.
Out of the factory, the boat come with Sea Hawk Bio Cop TF. It contains a low percentage of copper, just 36%.
From their Product Data Sheet:
“Biocop TF was developed as an alternative to tin-based antifouling paints to protect against the harshest marine environments and provide maximum protection. A new dual-biocide technology and revolutionary polymer binder system “PL3” produces an engineered biocide that leaves no harmful effects on the environment. Biocop TF is considered the top performer among antifouling paints and is safe in salt or fresh water on boats of all sizes.”
This antifouling was very good and lasted us more than a year. The boat spent 3 months in Cape Grace marina in Cape Town, then one month in a marina in Salvador the Baia. When we arrived in Trinidad around November, we did a haul out and a bottom job. I would give it a 4 stars rating.
In Trinidad we were recommended to use International Interspeed 6400NA.
From their Product Data Sheet:
“A high performance, TBT free, polishing antifouling. Enhanced biocide release mechanism. Prevents coating build -up. At subsequent drydockings, it is only necessary to top up the system. Low VOC.”
We got a very good deal and so we gave it a try. It was different from the previous anti-fouling, it was a semi-hard one.
From Grenada to Barbuda and back, it did not show any barnacles, but a lot of slime.
I would give it a 3 stars rating.
Lesson learned:
We prefer hard anti-fouling over soft or semi-hard ones. Scraping a hard anti-fouling is better that scraping a soft one, because you don’t take off the anti-fouling together with the barnacles.
We still prefer TBT free environmentally friendly anti-fouling. We know people who applied Sea Hawk Island 44 the same time we did and sailed in the same places (including spending 4 weeks in San Juan) and their bottom is equally bad. So contrary to popular belief, it’s not TBT that makes your anti-fouling work better. And TBT is not good for the environment either.
The quantity of copper does not seem to make things any better. The Sea Hawk Bio Cop TF contained less copper than Pettit Trinidad Pro but worked better.
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