Sonihull Ultrasonic Antifouling Install

I finally pulled the trigger on an ultrasonic antifouling system.

I've been a dealer for Sonihull by NRG Marine - PYI is the US distributor and Ultra-SonicTec. I was unable to sell a single unit of either system because of buyer skepticism and no testimonials from PNW boaters.

The Sonihull uses two transducers and costs $2,250.

The Ultra SonicTec uses four transducers and retails for $2,500.

The two transducers in the Sonihull has higher output than the Ultra SonicTec and are good for boats up to about 50 - 55 feet.

I've been talking to both companies for about 4 years and never got any definitive report of results.

At the Pacific Marine Expo held last week in Seattle, PYI who distributes the Sonihull in the US out of Lynnwood, WA made me an offer I could not refuse. The offered me a discount better than the usual and Phil Quartararo from PYI guaranteed that the system will keep my bottom clean or he will give me a 100% refund.

So I bought the two transducer Sonihull Duo and will be installing it on Sandpiper, a 40 foot, 13' beam, FRP, single engined displacement trawler next week.

I will monitor the results and post pictures.

Sandpiper does not get barnacles but gets covered in green slime and grass constantly. Even while cruising. I'm hoping the Sonihull will keep the slime from attaching to the bottom.

Wish me luck!

For more information on Sonihull - pyiinc.com
For Ultra-sonicTec - ultra-sonitec.com/

Well, good luck, I hope it works for you. I too am skeptical but it will be good to get an honest report.

Greetings,
Mr. S. +1 on the skepticism. Does the company have any data on how it may affect the local whales? https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...-using-sonar-that-harms-dolphins-and-walruses

The CleanAHull product (Australia) works very well for me in Olympia. When I purchased my first unit about 5 years ago, I put the four transducer model on my Nordic Tug 32 and the results were better than expected. When I moved up to a 37 a year ago, I put the same product on and the results are very good. I understand that different regions have different water chemistry and different issues so my results speak only my product, my boat and my location. I look forward to your updates.

My product says to run 24/7 so it is a small battery drain while on the hook. I asked about whale impact and was told that they power output is so small that the sonic effect barely extends past the hull.

Waterford said:

The CleanAHull product (Australia) works very well for me in Olympia. When I purchased my first unit about 5 years ago, I put the four transducer model on my Nordic Tug 32 and the results were better than expected. When I moved up to a 37 a year ago, I put the same product on and the results are very good. I understand that different regions have different water chemistry and different issues so my results speak only my product, my boat and my location. I look forward to your updates.

My product says to run 24/7 so it is a small battery drain while on the hook. I asked about whale impact and was told that they power output is so small that the sonic effect barely extends past the hull.

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Great positive report. Any reason you chose your product over other manufacturers?

Reason I'm curious is that I sell that brand too and had difficulty choosing between it and the Sonihull. The desicion maker was price and and my past experiences with PYI, who happens to be located in the PNW.

Ground flat spots and glued in the mounting rings for the transducer.

Chose a spot above the prop and rudder to keep those clean.

The forward transducer is near the bow thruster.

The two transducers are approximately 24 feet apart. The transducers have a coverage radius of 20 to 25 feet so the two overlapping coverage should keep the center area clean.

I had difficulty finding ideal locations to mount the rings. They perform better in the center of an unbraced section of bottom. Tha analogy is that striking the center of a drum makes more noise than striking toward the edge. Sandpiper has heavy stringers on the bottom approximately 24" apart making it difficult to find the ideal spot.

The Sonihull comes with epoxy and Vaseline. The vaseline is applied to the threads inside the mounting ring to prevent the epoxy sticking to the thread. The mounting ring has a groove on the underside to keep the epoxy from reaching the transducer area.

It is crucial that the mounting spot be perfectly flat so the face of the transducer makes 100% contact with the bottom.

I used a 36 grit sanding disc on a grinder to obtain a flat spot.

I have always found the water in Great Lakes Marinas to be quite warm. Even on rivers. So my boat always grows slime, more heavily on the side which gets more sun.

Almost all Great Lakes boats use some type of ablative paint. The slime really washes off easily with a pressure washer.

I have never noticed any ill effect of the slime on my boat. It really has no top speed to be compromised and it certainly does not effect handling.

In 35 years of fresh water boating I have never seen a boat lifted mid season for a hull wash. Occasionally you will see someone pulled up on sand or in shallow water doing a little brush cleaning but nothing more.

I guess I don't see the need for ultrasonic hull maintenance. Just one boaters opinion..

pete

Pete Meisinger said:

I have always found the water in Great Lakes Marinas to be quite warm. Even on rivers. So my boat always grows slime, more heavily on the side which gets more sun.

Almost all Great Lakes boats use some type of ablative paint. The slime really washes off easily with a pressure washer.

I have never noticed any ill effect of the slime on my boat. It really has no top speed to be compromised and it certainly does not effect handling.

In 35 years of fresh water boating I have never seen a boat lifted mid season for a hull wash. Occasionally you will see someone pulled up on sand or in shallow water doing a little brush cleaning but nothing more.

I guess I don't see the need for ultrasonic hull maintenance. Just one boaters opinion..

pete

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You would think differently if your boat was on salt water and the state is trying to make copper bottom paint illegal.

syjos said:

Great positive report. Any reason you chose your product over other manufacturers?

Reason I'm curious is that I sell that brand too and had difficulty choosing between it and the Sonihull. The desicion maker was price and and my past experiences with PYI, who happens to be located in the PNW.

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I reviewed the products that were on the market at that time and was finally influenced by the two guys from CleanAHull at the Seattle Boat Show. One was an engineer and he was able to discuss more of the techie stuff I wanted to know. And they gave me a pretty good discount.

Waterford said:

I reviewed the products that were on the market at that time and was finally influenced by the two guys from CleanAHull at the Seattle Boat Show. One was an engineer and he was able to discuss more of the techie stuff I wanted to know. And they gave me a pretty good discount.

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Yes, I talked to those guys at the Seattle Marine Expo a few years back. They signed me up as a dealer but I was not successful at selling them because of my skepticism. If they had used your success as a positive review of the product, I would have installed them on my boat. All the testimonials they furnished were from warm water regions. None from the PNW.

How much do you boat in the winter? Moored outdoors or boathouse?

Curious minds want to know.

The mounting rings have been glued in and cured for two days.

To insure perfect flat surface contact of the transducer to the hull, aluminum discs are included with the kit. A small dab of epoxy is placed on the underside of a disc and placed into the mounting ring. The transducer is coated with vaseline and screwed into the mounting ring. The transducer exerts pressure on the aluminum disc forcing the epoxy on the bottom of it to spread into any gaps, creating a solid contact with the mounting surface.

Will let the epoxy cure for several days before wiring the transducers and turning the system on..

The epoxy normally cures overnight but current temperature inside the boathouse is 40 degrees and the surface temperature of the inside of the hull is around 47 degrees. To be on the safe side, I have heaters running in the compartments where the transducers are mounted and will allow the epoxy to cure for several days.

syjos said:

Yes, I talked to those guys at the Seattle Marine Expo a few years back. They signed me up as a dealer but I was not successful at selling them because of my skepticism. If they had used your success as a positive review of the product, I would have installed them on my boat. All the testimonials they furnished were from warm water regions. None from the PNW.

How much do you boat in the winter? Moored outdoors or boathouse?

Curious minds want to know.

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In winter months, we make an occasional outing but do not cruise again till April or May. The boat remains in an uncovered slip. We've had problems with mussels growing in the thru-hulls over the winter but mine have remained clear since installing the unit.

Mussels and barnacles - solve those little bastards and I'm in!

I believe [nearly] everything once it's proven... beyond a doubt!

I have heard from a mega yacht type engineer that ultrasonic systems are getting better.

psneeld said:

I have heard from a mega yacht type engineer that ultrasonic systems are getting better.

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Now, I feel better!

Just pointing out that old tech and toy boat tech may need a review of what is on the market now.

I was skeptical till RickB sent me some links awhile ago.

Greetings,
Mr. ps. "...till RickB sent me some links..." I thought he was "scraping paint".

There is a ton of scientific research about ultrasonic antifouling technology available online with positive results. But most testing are conducted in laboratories.

Ultrasonic transducers are used on many commercial ships with positive results. But the transducers are huge, put out hundreds of watts of energy and they are mounted to steel hulls which is a better conductor of vibrations than FRP.

Ultrasonic transducers are utilized in a variety of commercial applications. Most common application are protecting sea chests, bucket strainers, box coolers, intakes and piping for dry plate cleaners and the intake of desalination plants. Those are manufactured from some form of metal.

But for the pleasure boating industry, there is a dearth of research or reviews. Nigel Caulder started a test of the Sonihull in "Professional Boatbuilder" magazine a few years ago by documenting the installation on his boat. There has not been a follow up, which has me wondering?

I'm still skeptical but have purchased and installed the system. I'm having a diver clean the hull next week for a clean start of my test. I go on a tidal grid every year in June so will be able to see if the Sonihull is effective at preventing slime or not. The hull is always completely covered with green slime by June, but no barnacles.

Simon,
At what frequency have you renewed bottom paint? And with what type, hard or ablative?
This will be a big switch for us moving from the river to POYC. I have a wet suit and hookah setup, thinking about diving at some interval. It's a bit cheaper.
Keith

kabyak said:

Simon,
At what frequency have you renewed bottom paint? And with what type, hard or ablative?
This will be a big switch for us moving from the river to POYC. I have a wet suit and hookah setup, thinking about diving at some interval. It's a bit cheaper.
Keith

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My last haulout was in 2010.

At that time, Sandpiper had 34 years of hard bottom paint on it's bottom. The bottom paint was falling off in sheets from the weight. The paint looked like it was 3/8" to 1/2" thick!

I scraped off the bottom paint to gel coat. When done, I had 4 garbage cans of scraped bottom paint that was so heavy, a fork lift was required to pick it up. Since I was down to the gel coat, decided to epoxy the bottom, even though Sandpiper did not have any blisters. The epoxy provides some benefits beside blister protection. It seals the gel coat from water intrusion and provides a primer/tie coat for the bottom paint. The first coat of bottom paint is applied to a still soft epoxy which binds the two together. I used Interlux Interprotect 2000 epoxy system.

I applied one coat of red Interlux Micron Extra ablative bottom paint and 4 coats of blue Micron Extra over the epoxy. After 9 years, the first red coat of bottom paint has not become visible yet.

I don't get barnacles on the hull at all. I get some barnacles on the bow thruster and a few spots on the keel shoe which is encapsulated in Interprotect 2000 and epoxy.

The biggest issue I experience is green slime and grass. I get the hull cleaned in June before we leave. By the end of the two month cruise, the bottom is covered in green slime. I get the bottom cleaned again in October. The slime also grows while the boat is in the boathouse, but not to the same extent as outside.

I was going on the dry grid at the YC every year to clean and paint the prop. Now that the grid is deemed unusable, I'm looking at different prop protecting schemes.

Not being able to use the grid really made the decision to try the Sonihull easier. If it keeps the prop clean, it would be worth the price.

On the next haul out, I plan on switching to Pettits Ultima SR40 or 60 Dual Biocide. Even though the Extra has prevented barnacles for 9 years, I will try the Petitt. Most ablative paint would last 9 years with 5 coats.

My goal is to go as long as possible between haulouts. Haulouts are expensive, time consuming and a lot of labor required in a short time period. I do my own bottom work. Every haulout require pressure washing, which washes away bottom paint that costs a couple hundred dollars per gallon. Wash away one coat - apply two.

syjos said:

Great positive report. Any reason you chose your product over other manufacturers?

Reason I'm curious is that I sell that brand too and had difficulty choosing between it and the Sonihull. The desicion maker was price and and my past experiences with PYI, who happens to be located in the PNW.

Click to expand...

I'm finishing a large refit in Ensenada south of San Diego and will splash this spring, then probably head to PNW, then south through Panama Canal and ultimately to Florida. Color me skeptical impact on galvanic corrosion is one question), but if you'd like to discuss a running test boat in a multitude of North American waters, might be interesting. Via PM

syjos said:

I've been a dealer for Sonihull by NRG Marine - PYI is the US distributor and Ultra-SonicTec. I was unable to sell a single unit of either system because of buyer skepticism and no testimonials from PNW boaters./

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Personally, testimonials are interesting but wouldn't get me over the line. If they did, I'd own an Algae-X. Everything I can find about ultrasonic anti-fouling is anecdotal. What would be interesting is to install the an ultrasonic system in one of two hulls of a catamaran and compare over time, preferably a few Cats in different parts of the country. Would definitely get my attention --- and a good shot at a $2200 order. If only Practical Sailor were still at their peak.....

I will be documenting results with pictures during my Sonihull testing.

I put Sandpiper on a tidal grid twice a year. Once in June before the summer cruise and again in October.

The grid trip in June 2020 will reveal how Sonihull did or not do.

I'm still skeptical about ultrasonic antifouling. If it works, why aren't boat manufacturers installing them? And ferries, work boats etc.

Stay tuned.

Sonihull

I’ve heard good things. Anyone have experience to Share

I installed the Australian brand, Clean-A-Hull on my Nordic Tug 32 several years ago with great results. I was so impressed that when I moved up to a NT 37, I did the same. In each case, I installed more transducers (4) than the manufacturer recommended for that size. The results on my boats, in my waters, have been excellent. Remember that you must start with a clean hull and you must run them 24/7, even while cruising. I am still using an ablative bottom paint. I have a friend who installed Sonihull on his NT 42 with very good results, also in Puget Sound.

Thank you. I went with 4 transponders too. Boat bottom is being painted this week and these will go in within a day or two of splash.

I'm a dealer for both Sonihull and Ultra-SonicTec. The Ultra Sonic Tec is the US distributor for Clean-A-Hull.

I installed the Sonihull on my boat last December. I sold two more Sonihulls to clients.

I am doing a long term test and will be posting results for the three boats

Look at "Sonihull Ultrasonic Antifouling Install"

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s32/sonihull-ultrasonic-antifouling-install-47771.html

Subscribing

John

Sonihull Ultrasonic Anti-Fouling system used by Dutch MoD

From Marine industry news:

https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/sonihull-ultrasonic-anti-fouling-system-used-by-dutch-mod/

BY GINA GROOM JUNE 3, 2020, 10:48AM

“ Sonihull Ultrasonic Anti-Fouling system used by Dutch MoD
Lamers System Care recently installed the Sonihull Ultrasonic Anti-Fouling system on 11 landing-craft vessels for the Dutch Ministry of Defence, to keep them free from algae, weeds and other biofouling.
The Royal Dutch Navy, along with its worldwide fleet and personnel, is committed to maritime safety and the protection of the marine environment. With sustainability in mind, the Ministry of Defence chose Sonihull’s ultrasonic system to provide an environmentally safe solution for the anti-fouling of its landing craft.
A Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) is a small vessel designed for the transportation of vehicles or personnel. The type MkV (c) can transport up to 35 fully equipped personnel. The LCVPs are stationed in a protected nature reserve. As a result, anti-fouling coatings that contain toxic chemicals cannot be applied to the ship’s hull in case harmful substances end up in the nature reserve’s water.
Because traditional biocide-based anti-fouling can’t be used, the ships’ hulls are colonised by algae, weeds, barnacles and other biofouling very rapidly. This growth on the LCVPs results in increased fuel-consumption, reduced speed, damage to the hull, and reduced lifespan of the vessel, which is not desirable.
The Sonihull ultrasonic anti-fouling system creates microscopic ultrasound-induced cavitation on the surface of the vessels. This disrupts the first stages of the food chain, without damaging the surface being protected. The action prevents the build-up of algae, slime and bigger, more complex organisms on surfaces where biofouling is not wanted. The system is silent and the movement of water on the protected surface also prevents the adhesion of juvenile barnacles and mussels.
Each of the LCVP units has one Sonihull DUO system, which consists of a control box and two transducers. The transducers are installed on the inside of the vessels to protect the hull from fouling. Instead of the standard composite transducer rings that are glued in place, aluminium mounting rings are used. The rings are bonded to the aluminium hull using a 2-part epoxy resin. The Dutch Ministry of Defence opted for aluminium rings so that it is possible to weld them to the hull if they ever need to be re-located.
The control boxes are connected to both the 220 VAC (shore power) and the 24 VDC, so that the systems remain active 24/7. Due to the extremely low energy consumption (7.2 Watt per transducer), this has no significant impact on the vessels’ energy management.”