Rarely do we rave about a specific product on the market. But as we prepare for the upcoming boating season, boat owners will be hauling out and working on their hulls and running gear. The dreaded bottom painting and coating.
My 48.5 wooden trawler sits in marine life rich ocean water for 51.5 weeks of the year. Most of the time not moving - either at anchor or tied up in her home berth marina. A perfect environment for barnacle and organic growth.
One year I had a boatyard coat my twin props with Propspeed. A two part treatment that looked stunning in yellow once applied. The immediate effect was speed. My hull speed increased at least .5 knots. Partly because the hull was clean but also because of the slippery surface on the Propspeed product.
That next year I moved my boat moorage from the USA to Canada and messed up my annual haulout routine. So after two years in the water, I pulled out my boat and to no surprise my hull was covered in mussel and barnacle growth. 40 burlap sacks of material was removed! BUT. My props which were treated with Propspeed looked, well, like they could go at least another year or two. Apart from some growth around the prop nut, these babies looked dang clean.
Now if I could only find a bottom paint that was eco friendly and could last 2+ years, I could revise my haulout schedule from an annual routine to at least 2 years or more!
Here are my before and after pictures of the props treated with Propspeed and then 2 years later…
