Prop Speed Coating

Has anyone had any experience with this product. My boat id in the Sea of Cortez. Crud growds fast and I need to clean props once a month.

There are a few posts on this in the last year. The gist of it is that Prop Speed works well but is expensive. I recall that warm-water users get good results with it. I use it in the cold water of PNW and get 3+ years of zero growth. There are other cheaper alternatives, for up here anyway. I like it because Prop Speed dependably works well, despite its cost. I've used it for 20 years.

I tried it once. The prop was prepped really well and it was applied by my boat yard. It lasted about a year.


David

Darlin
I have used prop speed for many years. It does work. That said, if I were in the Sea of Cortez rather than the PNW I’d use a Hooka set up to clean the entire boat bottom and forget the prop speed.

Just finished painting 28ft bottom and two props with prop speed for $2600. We will see how it goes.

Mark P said:

Just finished painting 28ft bottom and two props with prop speed for $2600. We will see how it goes.

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Wow, you can buy a lot of diver bottom (and prop) cleaning jobs for $2,600.


David

Yeah it's not cheap and that was just for paint The annual maintenance was on top of that! Ouch. But it lasted 2 years. They sanded it down and applied two coats of Pettit bottom ablative paint. I pay about $100 per bottom wash and need to do it about 12-13 times a year. Not in Jan or Feb but twice a month in July aug and Sept. I don't use it enough to keep the critters from growing on it.

Rustolium metal primer first, hard bottom paint next. Boat’s bottom did not require pressure washing

I guess that we are lucky here, I don’t do anything to the props and at the end of the season they just power wash them and they are fine.

Prop Speed:
This is coming out of the saltwater after two years and eight months. Zero growth.

Mark P said:

Just finished painting 28ft bottom and two props with prop speed for $2600. We will see how it goes.

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For a 28 footer why not haul out after each use? That is if you have the right truck and trailer.

I used to haul and store but quite a hassle on a 25 ft years ago. Admiral wants this in water ready to use. This thing weighs 7800 lbs plus fuel 90 gals. Add a trailer and we are 10k in weight. From my years trucking steel to the Midwest I wouldn't pull this with a pickup unless it was a dually and those are big bucks.

Mark P said:

I used to haul and store but quite a hassle on a 25 ft years ago. Admiral wants this in water ready to use. This thing weighs 7800 lbs plus fuel 90 gals. Add a trailer and we are 10k in weight. From my years trucking steel to the Midwest I wouldn't pull this with a pickup unless it was a dually and those are big bucks.

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A 3/4 pickup or Suburban worked just fine for me on short in town hauls hauls. My last SeaRay and trailer weighed in at +10,000 pounds and for a short haul launch and retrieve (boat stored near ramp) our 1/2 ton Suburban was ok. Today's 3/4 ton rigs are impressive for these types of hauls.

Regardless, getting the I/Os out of the water was important for our needs.

Okay folks - update from picture in Post No. 5 above. That picture was taken when props were freshly painted with Prop Speed in November. The picture attached here is about four months later after sitting in salt water 24x7 and some use, as well. Hope this helps.

I had my bottom done before heading to Ensenada. PropSpeed seemed pretty dang expensive, so I went with the Petit Prop Paint for $35/can. 9-months later after 100 engine hours, it's gone. Would have been better to go with bottom-paint. Despite it's cost, PropSpeed will be on my boat when she gets launched.

Peter

I'll be experimenting before launch this season. I'm going to strip the props, rudders, trim tabs, and struts. Then prime and paint with Pettit Black Widow. It's cheaper than Propspeed, should be easier to apply, has some antifouling properties, but is also a very slippery paint. We'll find out how it holds up at the end of the season, but my hope is that it should hold up decently (maybe not quite as well as Propspeed) and should be enough to keep the props and other running gear clean up here in fresh water.

Ideally, I'll pick up a little cruise speed from having less drag on the high water flow surfaces compared to bare props and ablative paint on struts, rudders, and trim tabs. At a 17 - 18 kt cruise, I figure it certainly can't hurt and is likely to make at least a small difference.

Mr. mvweebles: Originally, I painted the outdrive, bottom, and props with bottom paint. Paint on bottom and drive lasted about 18 months, totally came off the props in about 50 hours - though based on your boat, my prop rpms may be higher, and this may have contributed to shorter life. So far, prop speed looks good. The real test comes in a few months when barnacles and growth starts get active.

Mark P said:

Mr. mvweebles: Originally, I painted the outdrive, bottom, and props with bottom paint. Paint on bottom and drive lasted about 18 months, totally came off the props in about 50 hours - though based on your boat, my prop rpms may be higher, and this may have contributed to shorter life. So far, prop speed looks good. The real test comes in a few months when barnacles and growth starts get active.

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I actually had this done in the yard. Prop was removed and cleaned-up to service the Spurs, so prep work was correct in accordance to Petit's instructions.

Basically, I paid $35 for a can of Krylon gray paint I suppose. But hey, at least it was a good side-by-side test for a forum like this. I'm sure at least one person will learn from my experience.

We put prop speed on in nov 2017. By March 2018 it needed to be reapplied. Attached is a picture from this month after prop speed applied for about 2 years now. Our yard said they had problems with it. Maybe application issues or tight tolerances on application procedures and temps etc? Either way they have moved to Coval I believe. Applying this month and will be monitoring over the next few months for sure.

tozz said:

We put prop speed on in nov 2017. By March 2018 it needed to be reapplied. Attached is a picture from this month after prop speed applied for about 2 years now. Our yard said they had problems with it. Maybe application issues or tight tolerances on application procedures and temps etc? Either way they have moved to Coval I believe. Applying this month and will be monitoring over the next few months for sure.

View attachment 99590

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Metal prep and timing of the applications is critical for a good result...so says my yard in Bellingham. I routinely get 3+ years and 4 years seems likely.

Ken E. said:

Metal prep and timing of the applications is critical for a good result...so says my yard in Bellingham. I routinely get 3+ years and 4 years seems likely.

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*nod* that’s what people have told me as well. It will be interesting how the Coval compares. It’s clear and goes on in two coats as opposed to several coats I know prop speed usually takes.

-tozz

So, if it works, it's a great product. If it doesn't work, it's an installation error. I'm guessing no one would sign up to a warranty with any teeth due to finger pointing.

I had PS applied on the prop and running gear at the yard in China, and then 1 year later at a yard in the U.S. when it was hauled out to add a thru hull for a water maker. Both applications appeared to have been done properly, and prep is key. There are a lot of variables as others have noted. Biofilm and Lil’ critters are plentiful in our waters in the summer, and we still get some off season as well. The jury is still out for me as to whether it’s worth it. I am only getting about 9 months in some spots, longer in other areas.

klee wyck said:

Prop Speed:

This is coming out of the saltwater after two years and eight months. Zero growth.

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Wow!

Here's an interesting aside. A guy in our marina in Hawaii was an absentee owner, he would be away from the boat for up to 6 months, or more at a time, generally came out once a year for his 3 month "vacation" in the Hawaiian Islands. He swore by a simple remedy to keep his prop, shaft, rudder, and bronze through hulls absolutely clean for the 6+ months at a time he was gone. He would dive under his boat a last time before putting her to bed for an extended time. He would slather everything metal (except for the zincs) that he could find with a thick coating of Vaseline! I mean really thick. As long as the boat wasn't run, he claimed the Vaseline would prevent any attachment of marine life, slime/algae/barnacles, etc from getting a toe hold. After seeing his prop two times after extended absences, I think it would be worth a try, but only for wintering over, or longer periods of time when NO movement of the boat/prop would be anticipated, otherwise it would eventually wear off with the flow of water. An interesting approach for putting a boat away for long periods anyway!

Interesting, never heard of that. If in a protected Marina with low currents, I can see how that could work. Long distance swimmers in races where wet suits are not used will slather their body in Vaseline to provide a bit of insulation and prevent chaff.

When I purchased my boat six years ago, I spent the money for Prop Speed. I was not impressed with the long-term results. When we left on a one-year Great Loop trip, my props and shafts were simply painted. Eight months later when the boat was pulled for cutless bearing replacement the shafts were clean and the props were bright and shiny, no paint left.

CJ, you cheated. You used your boat! Good for you.

I've always wondered how a couple coats of paste wax on the surfaces would do. Really lay it on and build it up. I'm sure the Prop Speed is a 'special' formula.

Thoughts ??

Solly said:

I've always wondered how a couple coats of paste wax on the surfaces would do. Really lay it on and build it up. I'm sure the Prop Speed is a 'special' formula.

Thoughts ??

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It would likely wear off pretty quickly, especially on boats with higher prop RPM.