Barnacles

[Alden68]

What is the best way to remove barnacles from a bronze prop and what is the best way to keep barnacles from attaching themselves in the future?

Thanks

[Fstbttms]

A small scraper will knock the barnies off your prop. Only sandpaper or a grinder will remover their "holdfasts" (the white, calcarous discs left behind.)

As far as keeping your running gear clean in the future goes, I have yet to actually see this stuff in action, but "PropSpeed' is supposed to be da bomb.



West Marine: PropSpeed Product Display

[ebs001]

PropSpeed is awefully expensive - about the same price as a new prop. I've read that lanolin works quite well but I have no indication how long it lasts.

[Sailormann]

Saaw a blurb in Canadian Yachting magazine about something called "Maxwax". They have a website Corrosion Technologies Corporation The blurb says that it was developed as a

"corrosion inhibitor but recently boaters in New Zealand are having excellent results using MaxWax as a marine growth inhibitor. The coating is flexible, won't crack or lose its resiliency and marine growth just can't gain a foothold. It is non-toxic and biodegradable."

Have never seen or used it personally, so can't vouch but it may be something to investigate further.

[T37Chef]

From Petit...using it this year for the first time, so far (2 months) so good.


http://www.petitprod.com/fileshare/p...ds/1179320.pdf

Pettit Marine Paints - Browse Catalog

[captlar]

The story with the permanent marker goes this way - yards servicing props and writing pitch in marker noticed marine growth did not form where they wrote. I don't have any first hand info, but it is a cheap try assuming your boat is not in the water.
We use a painters scraper with different curves, but our favorite is a hard plastic kitchen spatula with round end. We use it on inflatable as well and it clean's em up quick and does not dig into fabric. If you winter haul, leave the holdfasts until spring - they dry out and pop off more easily.

[Alden68]

Thanks for the input. I've heard the marker trick.....I wonder.

Maybe I'll try that pettit marine product.

Thanks again.