Pettit Prop Coat Barnacle Barrier 1792

Does anyone have experience with brushing on Pettit Propp Coat Barnacle Barrier? I am looking to purchase my supplies for this year and found that the spray cans have doubled in cost since last year at an average price of $38 per can. The 1-Gal price is around $115 and seems to me, would cover much more surface area and I would expect it to last a couple of years. I usually use 4 cans of the spray kind to cover rudders, trim tabs, and shafts.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you,
John

I think most folks just use Rustoleum cold galvanizing spray, it's the same stuff and available from any hardware store for less than $10 a can.

I tried cold galvanizing and was not impressed. May try bottom paint next time.

I use the cold galvanize primer and then put antifouling bottom paint over it. I'm having a senior moment and can't remembered the name of the bottom paint which is different from the hull paint.





Ted

At 1/4 the cost it may be worth giving a shot.

John

Choices said:

I tried cold galvanizing and was not impressed. May try bottom paint next time.

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What was the problem, heavy barnacles? Does it wear off like bottom paint and Pettit prop coat?

Thanks,
John

lwarden said:

I think most folks just use Rustoleum cold galvanizing spray, it's the same stuff and available from any hardware store for less than $10 a can.

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Yes exactly - that is what we did for many seasons in the northeast areas around LI sound.

I use zinc primer then a coat of hard bottom paint . Not ablative.

I used a "barrier" epoxy coat (Interprotect) on the metal rudder and shoe and then covered with the ablative bottom paint. That worked well for me. There is also a "specialty" anti-fouling paint available for underwater metals that I used on my sailboat saildrive (aluminum saildrive) that worked well. I did use the Petit spray paint on the prop on my Tug. It lasted for about 1 year, and it seemed to prevent most growth on the prop. My beef, however, was that a partial can could not be "held over" for next season (or sometimes even just between coats) as the nozzle would gum up and not spray. I tried many different ways to solve this including soaking the nozzle in a solvent,(inverting the can, etc.) but still had issues. The brush on version may work better???

I have had pretty good luck with Pettit, but the spray nozzles are defective on the current cans, at least as of a few months ago. The boat yard warned me about it, and it was true. Have an air compressor blow gun handy to blow out the clogged nozzle multiple times, or you will never get through the $38 can of paint. I imagine they are working on changing the nozzles if they haven't done so already.

To reuse spray (can) paint nozzles I remove them from the can and shoot brake cleaner or starting fluid through them using the plastic tube that comes with the brake cleaner or starting fluid.

Has always worked well.

Rob

Thanks everyone for the information! I think I am going to try the 1-gallon brush on as I have had good luck with the spray version. But did make 2 trips back to West Marine last year with clogged nozzles.

I will repost with my experience.

I tried the Petit prop coat on one side and regular (Interlux CSC) on the other side.
In Covid I couldn't haul in 2021, but in 2022 I found the Petit side had more barnacles than the non Petit side.

I hauled and refinished the running gear on my woody, twin-engined GB42 every 18-34 months for 29 years, and the best method was to use 50-grit disks to prep the surfaces, followed by two coats Interlux 2000 followed by two coats of a hard bottom paint. The Petit spray was not effective beyond 12 months as it eroded pretty far down toward the prop hubs. As an aside, when I knew the boat would be sitting still for awhile, I dove down and using a rag impregnated with lanoline, smeared the bare prop tips. You'd be amazed how long that will work.

I used ArmorAll for years and it gave me good service.

I buy the plastic bottle w the squirter like window spray. Sand the prop blades on both sides. Use acetone to clean. Apply AA with the squirt bottle and then use a small paint brush ti work it out evenly. Then keep people from touching the blades w the AA on it.

I haven’t tried other methods like perhaps baking it on ect. Always ran an 18” dia. 3 blade at 900rpm.. prop speed over 99% of the time.

We boat in the Northeast and spend about 4-5 months cruising. The prop is left uncoated and the rudder and prop cage annually coated with a coat of ablative bottom paint. At haul out, a power wash cleans the prop and other parts with no problem. A friend we travel with has a very similar tug and had his prop coated with Prop Speed and was no cleaner than ours after a power wash.

I've been using Petit black widow on my running gear for a few years. Things stay clean where the paint actually stays on. But despite a couple of different primers, I keep having issues with the paint just blistering off in spots. So this year I painted all of the running gear with the same Micron CSC that's on the hull. That stayed adhered fine on the trim tabs, struts, and rudders prior to the black widow experiment, so hopefully it'll do fine.

Prop RPM is definitely a factor in what coatings will work well. Both in terms of adhesion and shedding any growth. Prop RPM for my boat is 470-500 at slow cruise, 1250-1320 at fast cruise. 22" diameter props.

I was down the boat this weekend and painted the under metal, props, shafts, trim tabs, and pickup screens. I do like the paint much better than the spray cans. The weather was not optimal, 62 degrees and windy, gusts up to 25mph. I used a 1' fine 4" roller, it worked great. Definitely applied a much thicker coat as compared to the spray cans.

When I said that I could purchase 1 gallon of the Pettit Prop Coat for $115, I was way off base, it was $115 for a quart, but I still think this is a better way to go. I guess I won't really know how well it works until I pull it out in the fall.

Thanks again all for your input!