growth on wheels

buzzk · Post by **buzzk** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 1:49 pm

Is any body besides me having trouble keeping their props clean this summer? I'm in NC and have a driver clean my props once a month and that's not enough this year. How do the guys keep your props clean? I guess the water behind my house is warmer and saltier this year. Thanks Buzz

TBonedad · Post by **TBonedad** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:39 pm

This is the bane of my boating existence. I'm in South Georgia and I can't go 4 days and still have perfectly clean running gear. If I plan a trip part of my to-do list is to dive on the boat and clean up the running gear. I haven't found anything that actually works for more than a short time to prevent the growth. Propspeed is probably the best but if the boat sits for a week it loses its effectiveness. In our waters here (muddy, suspended silt particles), running the boat eventually wears the coating down, so we're in a catch-22 situation. Sorry to go on so without answering your question, but I have no solution. Waiting patiently for one to emerge.[xx(]

Miss B · Post by **Miss B** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:53 pm

no joke but I read an article somewhere that said Desinex for baby diaper rash works well if the boat is sitting to keep the props clean. I will try to find it.

captgene · Post by **captgene** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:16 pm

I paint mine. Pimer, 2 coats of Interlux 2000E epoxy. Follow that up with 3 coats of Trilux 33. i do all the underwater metal that way. Intakes, Shafts , Props, Rudders & Tabs. When the water heats up here in S. Fl. I would be under the boat twice a week. I get about a year out of it. A lot of people claim you lose too much performance coating props. That is true to some extent, but I can't see a whole lot of difference, other than I'm not under the boat for at least 6 months. A couple people I know used a new process called Mussel Buster. They have only perfected it for props so far. It's not a paint like Propspeed, but similiar to doing a teflon powdercoat. I looked at it yesterday after 2 months, and there was no growth. Nothing sticks to it. http://www.musselbuster.com/ Gene Dugan Boca Raton, Fl. "Nauti Marie" 1989 33 FBC

alano · Post by **alano** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:05 am

I've used Petit barnacle block for the past couple of years (S. Ches Bay) - it's just a spray on zinc and it's worked as well as anything I've tried over the last 20 years - admittedly haven't tried cold ceramic nor propspeed - but have done all manner of bottom paint systems including red pepper flakes. Once you've shined everything up, it's a 20 minute job and last's a couple months. Just dove on mine 2 weeks ago and the wheels were fairly clean (did them in Nov. after hitting some lumber) although the coating had worn off on the faces and there was some light coral growth there, the shafts and struts were baranacled up but they were done about 14 months before, it really makes knocking them off easy if you dive your own. It seems like your zincs will really last, I assume by coating everything in zinc, the coating acts a big ass zinc? BR, Alan.

CB35 · Post by **CB35** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:13 am

I spray mine with outboard clear paint. The new stuff is not as good as the old tin based. Run you boat often is the other solution.

buzzk · Post by **buzzk** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:15 am

I'm not sure what I'm going to use but I think I'm going to try Propspeed. Buzz

tmarshall · Post by **tmarshall** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 5:47 pm

As big of a pain as it is, I do have the luxury of going to my boat often because I keep it pretty close to my house. I try to go everyother day this time of year for the single purpose of keeping the wheels clean. all I do is start'em up(as you should as often as possible with the CATS) and just bump the engines in gear long enough for the wheels to spin up(just a second)and back to neutral. Let the engines come up to operating temp and shut it down. It seems to be working. Between that and taking the boat for a spin once a week, even if its just a quick run down the inlet to let the engines come up to operating temp and burn the carbon off. Kind of cumbersome but it has worked for me all year, obviously. The Boatyard here has pretty much stopped selling propspeed unless someone asks for it because of all of the complaints. Mechanical agitation(running the boat) is all that I trust to keep it clean. If it sits for more than a week I put the SCUBA on and jump in because I will loose 4 knots in a week to running gear growth. Its much easier to run it often but diving on your boat occasionaly is a good idea, its amazing what you find out under there sometimes.

mistersea · Post by **mistersea** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 6:30 pm

I took my props to the Mussel Buster guys in West Palm Beach last week and will pick them up Monday or Tuesday. I am looking forward to seeing how well the treatment works and will report back after they have sat in the water a while. I like Thom's idea of spinning the wheels at the dock. Robert

buzzk · Post by **buzzk** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 3:01 pm

I haven't done anything to my wheels yet. After the driver cleaned them last I've been running the boat every 3 to 4 days. With the diver coming every month and me taking the boat out more maybe I will not have any more problems. I may have the diver come every two weeks durning the summer and once a month during the rest of the year. Buzz