PropSpeed or Alternative?

About to coat my props and running gear

Any other effective products that compete w propspeed?

Seems to be a bunch of new players on the market now for less money...but are they as good?

There was a thread on this a couple months ago with some alternatives to Propspeed mentioned. I personally use PS - Yes it is expensive but I get at least 3 years of no growth with it.

Do some internet searches. There is a competing Japanese product(check Ebay), there are DIY people who thinned standard clear silicone with epoxy thinners and applied it over still curing etch primer onto well prepared running gear.

Doubt you see to many actual trawlers using propspeed.
That says enough to me.

The OP doesn't have a trawler.

We use Propspeed. We're well aware of it's competitors and all their claims and also some yards pushing other products, but we've been happy so not going to change.

Propspeed is being applied on my boat right now.

Just yesterday folks at the yard (and not the people doing the propspeed !) were telling me about some new alternative used recently. Several boats tried it, and it only lasted a few months at most. There may well be alternatives that are ok, but be sure you get a few recommendations on any of them from owners who have been using it for at least a year.

With propspeed you know it works well, and lasts well.

Another vote for Prop Speed. I kept pretty close records of my boats speed in various conditions. When I switched to Prop Speed from regular bottom paint on my Prop, I picked up a full knot in speed. The prop stayed clean for more than a year in Miami without cleaning it.

My prop just had its second application of prop speed. I did the stainless keel shoe in front of the prop as well.

I haven't tried any of the competitors, other than cold galavanized spray paint on the keel shoe. It worked ok for a few months.

Moonzy1 said:

About to coat my props and running gear

Any other effective products that compete w propspeed?

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Nope...

Simi 60 said:

Doubt you see to many actual trawlers using propspeed.
That says enough to me.

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What is an actual trawler? On my trawler (or not) I've used prop speed for a decade. Divers I use say they can tell which boats use it and which don't.

There is usually plenty of PS in the mix.

If you split the cost with another boater , its silly price becomes less of an issue.

Does it really save 10% fuel as claimed by the manufacturers?

Peter B said:

Nope...

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Yup
just one of those things. You get what you pay for

thanks all

It`s a bit unfair to rule out anything but Prop Speed without test comparisons.
There is the ebay listing for the Japanese competitor, not a lot cheaper but some, and Japan products are usually good.

I did use Prop Speed, I think the boat was faster, even with fresh a/f, it stayed clean and shell free for 18 months. We reluctantly went back to hard a/f,after advice that in our new marina area which is shallow in spots,if you had a prop touch mud it might destroy PS but not hard a/f.

I had a ceramic coating applied to the props of a high speed EC. Only had the coating on for about a year before the boat was put on the market so I can’t provide definitive results, but it appeared to be holding up well.

It was also reported by others on a similar string that basic old Rustoleum worked well.

BruceK said:

It`s a bit unfair to rule out anything but Prop Speed without test comparisons.
There is the ebay listing for the Japanese competitor, not a lot cheaper but some, and Japan products are usually good.

I did use Prop Speed, I think the boat was faster, even with fresh a/f, it stayed clean and shell free for 18 months. We reluctantly went back to hard a/f,after advice that in our new marina area which is shallow in spots,if you had a prop touch mud it might destroy PS but not hard a/f.

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There are many competitors. However, it's not unfair to say one will stay with what they've been using and has been working for them and will not consider the other products at this time.

The ones I'm aware of include Propglide, Propgold, Proparmor, and Pettit's Prop Coat. There are yards using Propgold in South Florida but seems like fewer than were as Propspeed has been more aggressive. The main reason yards were using it was that it was more profitable for them.

As to what it does for speed and efficiency, I think that would vary widely on boat and location. I believe if you take the worst case and compare a high performance boat with Propspeed vs. one without which has set 10 or 11 months in South Florida waters they would meet those numbers. We don't know as we get bottoms cleaned regularly and have always had Propspeed. What we do know is that we exceed the boat builder's speed numbers and we don't experience any drop off over the course of a year. So, we're pleased but no blind sample to measure against.

sunchaser said:

What is an actual trawler? On my trawler (or not) I've used prop speed for a decade. Divers I use say they can tell which boats use it and which don't.

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Any of the working boats I have seen, tugs, trawlers etc (ours is an ex working prawn trawler) use Jotamastic or similar to spot prime the hull and fully coat the prop and other appendages then paint everything with the chosen antifoul.

https://www.jotun.com/ww/en/b2b/paintsandcoatings/products/jotamastic-87.aspx

Been almost two years since we came out.
Visual inspection a few weeks back with hookah had mostly antifoul showing and what was growing came off easily enough.
No decrease/increase in speed noticeable.

Of course work boats are moving and we rarely sit in one place for more than a week and none of that would be in a marina.

My friend and boat builder,he does most of the timber work on my boat tried a new coating on his boat recently. It was a trial as they were trying to get him to change over.
He did the trip from Brisbane to Hobart, checked the props and most of the coating was gone. He is not changing over. I usually get 2 years out of a prop speed coating and it does not matter how much or little I use the boat.

I get three years, and it still looks good for another couple when she comes out, but we don't do a high mileage. But that's why I use it because we don't go out a lot, and the old hard anti-foul gave out and was covered in barnacles in a year. We don't use it to gain a mite of speed - irrelevant to our use - durability for mine.

Tidahapah said:

My friend and boat builder,he does most of the timber work on my boat tried a new coating on his boat recently. It was a trial as they were trying to get him to change over.
He did the trip from Brisbane to Hobart, checked the props and most of the coating was gone. He is not changing over. I usually get 2 years out of a prop speed coating and it does not matter how much or little I use the boat.

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Good practical test, any idea which product was tried?
Yours and Peter`s posts, raise the usage effect. I was told regular use was necessary to "spin" the developing barnacles off, my experience too was disuse didn`t matter.
Responses suggest more experience of PropSpeed in Aust, though Tom in PNW has used it for 10 years. Maybe the need comes from shell growth in our warmer climes.

BruceK said:

Good practical test, any idea which product was tried?
Yours and Peter`s posts, raise the usage effect. I was told regular use was necessary to "spin" the developing barnacles off, my experience too was disuse didn`t matter.
Responses suggest more experience of PropSpeed in Aust, though Tom in PNW has used it for 10 years. Maybe the need comes from shell growth in our warmer climes.

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PropSpeed used more in Fort Lauderdale than probably all of Australia combined and has been for years. Similar reasons for popularity due to warm water and heavy growth.

BruceK, no can't remember what the other product was but doesn't matter as i will stick to Prop Speed , have been using it for well over 10 years now and wouldn't do it any other way.
Have used all the other systems previously, hard anti foul, AP 4 etc, etc none were successful especially if you laid up for a month or so.Being a timber boat I haul out every 12 months especially here in tropical waters , give the antifoul a quick lick and check for worms and as long as the yard people don't stuff it up Prop Speed every 2 years.