My guess is that it could, since the barnacles can cause an asymmetric mass and force on the drive chain.

 

Almost certain barnacles caused the vibration. I've had similar problem. After shaft and prop is cleaned, my engine can even reach max rated rpm.

 

When I first had my boat, I was told it was no use painting antifouling onto the shaft and propeller as is would simply be spun off. I heard tales of lanolin and all sorts of solutions. After the first season with my new expensive MaxProp coming out covered in barnacles, I had it cleaned and burnished and tried lanolin. The next year, I just cleaned off the barnacles and antifouled it. Antifouling paint may not stick on a new burnished propeller blade but it sure sticks on the residue left by barnacles. Since then the antifouling sticks and the barnacles don't.

I read somewhere that scientists are trying to isolate and manufacture barnacle glue, apparently its the strongest known adhesive. It sets underwater too.

 

.... The next year, I just cleaned off the barnacles and antifouled it. Antifouling paint may not stick on a new burnished propeller blade but it sure sticks on the residue left by barnacles. Since then the antifouling sticks and the barnacles don't...

You don't want to put paint on your MaxProp, take the paint off and apply the Pettit zinc cote to the prop, shaft and strut. Three coats and keep it out of the cutlass bearing.

The Pettit stuff works great...if you question my advice speak to the people at PYI PYI Inc. Max-Prop PSS Shaft Seal Seaview Radar Mounts R&D plus you can order the Pettit and a MaxProp grease kit while you are on the phone.

 

I read about and have sprayed my prop and shaft with Zinc Coat from Petit I think. It is supposed to work well from what I read but I have not splashed my boat with it yet so can't report.

 

I wonder if the barnacles get dizzy??

when motoring the last few weeks of the season, the motor, shaft, boat had a vibration when motoring about 2 knots and above. below 2 knots the vibration was gone. i don't have a tach so i don't know what rpm i'm running at. at first i thought it may be the shaft got bent or maybe the cutless bearing got loose.
just hauled the boat on friday and noticed a good amount of barnacles on the shaft & propeller. could this have caused the vibration. i checked the shaft & there doesn't seem to be much if any play.

 

Maybe they see the prop as a funfair ride.

 

looking at it friday, i was thinking of maybe painted them next spring before splashing. i think i'm going to give it a try.

 

Wchevron,

I didn't use to paint the prop.

The method I use is a good considerable amount of vaseline applied every time the boats goes in the water.

The vaseline keeps the barnacles out, as it coats the saildrive with a thin greasy layer..I have up to 6 months barnacle free.

This year, we decided to paint the prop also with saildrive paint (no metals in the paint to avoid dissimilar metals corrosion), and applied vaseline.

Boat's coming out in 1 month for hull washing and cleaning..I will let you know. But after 3 months in the water, I dove and inspected and there were only 2 or 3 barnacles on it..

The vaseline also helps the ones that make it and attach come off easier without bringing the paint with them...that was the original idea with the vaseline, so they don't bring paint with them when pressure washing.

Prop before painting bellow.

Prop with painting AND vaseline bellow.

 

What's that duck doing under Giu's boat!!!!!!!

 

giu
i was first thinking of using vaseline or something equal but i thought after a while of spinning on the shaft underwater it would wear off quickly. thanks for the info on it. i think i'll try the paint and then vaseline this spring.

 

W..I have been using it on the saildrive successfully. up to 6 months no barnac;es or some really small ones..but they come off really easy.

Still, even if only delays 3 days it is 3 days less...

This year we tried the prop, because it rotates so much, and after 3 months, when I dove there was nothing there...

I think that even on rotating stuff it leaves a film...

Let's talk in december..I'll post the haulout for you.

Alex

 

I have used different brands of prop antifouling with very different results, Boero was very good almost 2 years and hardly any growth, Veneziani not even 1 season, Now I am into the second year with Velux and the prop is still very clean. But I'll try the vaseline coating before my next splashing, thanks for the advice Alex.

Mike

 

Nine years ago we moved our boat from a fresh water lake to the Chesapeake Bay. Mid summer we were motoring and the engine kept overheating. We phoned our diesel guy and he said "Bad year for barnacles-call the diver." Sure enough-after a good cleaning the engine ran fine.
We've never painted or used the vaseline trick. Does winch grease do the same thing as vaseline?

 

I've always painted my prop with the same paint I'm putting on the bottom. Never had a problem with it not staying on and barnacles haven't been a problem. Prop is a Martec folder.

 

My prop is a 3 blade Flexofold, described by the manufacturer as: Cast Nickel/Aluminum/Bronze (NIBRAL), high strength, corrosion resistant and 82% copper for anti-fouling. I am not sure the anti-fouling features is working because the prop has to be cleaned every 3 to 6 months to get rid of the barnacles otherwise the motoring speed drops by 1 knot. The boat is in the Med, sailed most days from April to November. Is this to be expected? Any solutions, including anti-fouling and vaseline?

 

And his boat says AFLAC....

 

How could this not cause vibration ?

 

OUch... how come there aren't any on the prop??

 

Pettit Zinc Spray

I have a max prop on my boat for the past 24 years and have tried all sorts of things to keep it clean including a labratory grease which seem to promote barnacle growth rather than deplete it. For the past 10 years I've been using a hard bottom paint, but I do prep it with a underwater primer before application. This includes first sanding the prop, wipeing down with a solvent, then applying interlux vinyl lux primewash and then the primocon primer before the putting a hard bottom paint on. I keep the boat in the Cheaspeake and haul out just every two or three years diving on the boat maybe once a season with minimual cleaning. The boat is used heavily throughout the year only sitting in the slip during the winter months. It is a PITA to prep that prop and I hear that Max Prop is recommending the use of the Pettit Zinc Spray. I am thinking about switching since it seems like a easier application, but I'm not sure if I can get multi season use out of that product. The jury is still out...

 

I have a max prop on my boat ... of the Pettit Zinc Spray. I am thinking about switching since it seems like a easier application, but I'm not sure if I can get multi season use out of that product. The jury is still out...

Three coats is good for a new England season, but I would not think one application would still be good through a second New England season.