DO ANTIFOULING AGENTS DIE WHEN BOAT IS OUT OF THE WATER

Skipper August 13, 2014 Ask The Skipper

Thomas Nielsen asked:

DO ANTI-FOULING AGENTS DIE WHEN BOAT IS OUT OF THE WATER ie. outboard rig in and out the water; sometime in for a week and out for month. Will anti-fouling agents work and for how long?

Answer:

For your convenience, I’ve highlighted the hyperlinks. Click on the hyperlink to get more information about the selected product.

I’m not sure how to answer your question.

If you’re referring to our VS721 Bottom Coat, it is not a wax but a polymer and it does not contain ANTI-FOULING AGENTS or biocides or toxins of any kind, instead it contains our proprietary VS721 polymer. It works as a fouling release agent because it’s so slippery. It does not degrade in the atmosphere so you can put your boat in and out of the water as you wish.

Anti fouling paints normally work by their ability to kill marine growth in the general vicinity of the boat. Most use cupric oxide as their biocide but some may contain zinc or other compounds. The half life of these toxins are quite long and remain in the environment long after their useful life. So, anti-fouling agents do not die. The issue with some anti-fouling paints is that when exposed to air the chemical properties at the surface change and are no longer toxic so they no longer provide their intended purpose of killing off marine life in the water surrounding the boat. The surfaces can often be revitalized by scrubbing or sanding the surface to expose fresh biocide. This is not true of all anti-fouling paints so you should check with the manufacture of the particular brand you plan to use.

Thank you for your question

Captain Aurora
Richard Kittar