dinghy bottom coating results

huguley3 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-06-2009

Anyone have any feedback on how well the dinghy bottom coating products like repelin work? I cruised through here and the internet and could not find anything about them except from the aurora marine site that makes it.

It takes about a week or so here and the bottom of my inflatable is pretty well covered in grass and quite a few barnacles have a good start in life. I know nothing is going to keep them off completely and I am planning on storing it on deck while underway so would like something that does not shed onto the deck too badly. Or if it does shed does not leave to much of a mess to clean up.

CaptKermie · #2 (**permalink**) 08-07-2009

Wow! one week and that is all it takes? Must be a healthy growing environment.
I am in the PNW and have used Aurora's Repellin several seasons and now ran out. We do not get the kind of rabid growth you experience here so it is hard to judge. It works to some extent as it does inhibit immediate growth but does not stop it like bottom paint does. After a few weeks growth does get a foothold and I have to haul the dinghy and clean it. I have a soft bottom with inflatable keel & hi-pressure floor. The use of Repellin and similar products does make cleaning easier but they do not entirely eliminate cleaning, they just make it less frequent. I tried another product in tandem with Repellin this season and the two combined worked to prolong the antifouling properties longer and also made my first cleaning very easy, I hope there is still some left on the bottom after cleaning otherwise I will see growth next time I look. I cannot remember the name of the second product at the moment due to a brain fart but I will check when I get home tonight and see what it is called and post it. Experience has showed me that even though those types of products are not 100% they do help the situation by slowing the growth and making the bottoms easier to clean when the time comes.
I will post again tonight with the other product name.

huguley3 · #3 (**permalink**) 08-07-2009

Its crazy how fast it builds up. I bought a bait bucket and hung it into the water and in no time all the holes were clogged with growth and it looked like it had a wig on when I pulled it out. Next time I clean the bottom I will have to try and get a better idea of the rate of growth and then compare it after applying bottom protectant.

I am not expecting it to be a miracle cure but cleaning the bottom of the dinghy once a week would get pretty old. If I can get it to every 6 weeks I think I can tolerate that. The high price for davits is looking more and more worthwhile.

CaptKermie · #4 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009

OK the other product:
marine tex Boat Armor
Easy On Bottom Coating
This stuff is a cleanable barrier system and environmental alternative to antifouling paint. It goes on like a flexible wax coating and stays on, needs to be removed with a strong cleaner. It provides ease of cleaning and is mostly for fresh water and intermittent salt water applications.
I think I put this on as my first coat then added the repellin over top. It worked for several weeks and when time came to clean there were few barnacles, only the odd little guys and not too much slime. I cleaned it once with a green cleaner and put it back in the water but I suspect the cleaning removed the repellin. The two coatings worked well in tandem but I had no more repellin left after cleaning so now I am going to see how the Easy on works on its' own.

huguley3 · #5 (**permalink**) 08-26-2009

Just pulled the dinghy out to get it cleaned up. I ordered some of the repelin stuff so I will find out how well it works and report back.

Here are pics. This is a bit over a month of being in the water.