[DougSabbag]

Hi folks!
Well, my wife and I spent a week sailing from Portorosa / Sicily amongst the Aeolian Islands last week and I noticed that the boats there - even the old fishing boats - seemed to have very clean hulls, below the water line!

So, I did a little investigative work, and found that many in that area use a marine antifouling paint called Nubian / Bora which has the description:

"Copper-free type antifouling suitable for all types of hulls, even aluminium or aluminium stern drives. This antifouling is ideal for both motor and sailing boats. Containing PTFE Cup 52 permits hulls to move faster on the water reducing friction to a minimum."

I visited a boatyard where boats were recently hauled and their hulls looked GREAT.... though I had no idea how long it had been since their previous haul out.

Now, I also don't know if the waters there just don't create as much growth as we have experienced in either Floridian or New England waters, but the condition of the vessels' hulls I saw, were a lot better than what I see "over here".

Though I had a language challenge talking with the boatyard workers, everyone seemed sold on the "Nubian Marine Paint" products, and that is what I saw in use - empty cans, posters, tons of supplies of them - in the 2 boatyards I visited.

Doing an online search for "Nubian Marine Paints" I found both a Facebook page for them and a company selling these products: CEFTRADING . com (follow the logical path to the paints).

So, has anyone used these European antifouling products; and, or, is the amount of growth a lot less in the Med than over here???

Very interesting ......

 

[Kostis]

I cant help you with your question BUT, the med is very salty. Stuff doesn't just grow on boats there because of the quantity of salt. It kills a lot of organisms. I know that because i have been diving since i was a boy and the hulls are always more or less clean. Even on boats they have no idea what paint is.

 

[DougSabbag]

I cant help you with your question BUT, the med is very salty. Stuff doesn't just grow on boats there because of the quantity of salt. It kills a lot of organisms. I know that because i have been diving since i was a boy and the hulls are always more or less clean. Even on boats they have no idea what paint is.

Mr. Kostis, Thank you very much for posting this information!

From my point of view this is amazing information. I had never heard about the different rate of growth on hulls in the Med., as opposed to the Atlantic ocean.

Considering we are moving our boat to the Med next year, this is wonderful news!

WOW!

 

[Kostis]

When i moved to the states i could not believe that there was the rainforest growing under the hulls. But the information i gave you, you have to double cross is since it is an estimation. I am not a sailor. I want to be one, so please double check. It is true though about the salt.

 

[celenoglu]

Mediterranean is the desert of the seas. Evoporation rate is very high and the amount of fresh water feeding the area is very low which means lowamount of nutrients in addition to high salt content.

If you do not have enough marine life it is unlikely for them to attach themselves to a place full of antifouling.

 

[Coquina]

Or....it could be TBT. Back when Sears bottom paint had loads of TBT it would keep a boat spotless all year and any other boats nearby too. Sea life would die just from LOOKING at it from across the creek. Could be why it is banned now

 

[tommays]

All I know is there is a pretty big difference in fouling depending based on how well clams and mussels grow as there food loves bottoms