SafeBoatSkin

DGR · 08 July 2004, 16:02

A simple question to those that have used it - how do you apply it? Do you brush it on and then wipe/polish, or just wipe it on? Can you spray it?

And - how long does it take?

I've looked on their website, but the FAQ doesn't include anything on how you apply it (that I can find anyway). Thanks!!

Dylan...

swginn · 08 July 2004, 17:54

Wipe on in small circles applying as thin a coat as possible. 4-5 thin coats will work a lot better than 1-2 thick ones.

DO NOT POLISH OFF!!

Wait for the wax to dry for 30 mins between coats. As for how long it will take, that depends on how long you can last at a time lying under your trailer without getting backache. I put on 4 coats and will give the boat another one when she comes out of the water in a few weeks to go to Baltimore.

Also, Do not wash the hull with anything other than fresh water (no detergent!!). If you use detergent/ hull cleaners they can strip the coating.

You will need to leave the last coat to dry for 8 hours before it goes in the water.

Any Questions, PM me

timw · 09 July 2004, 11:47

I've just bought 2 bottles ready to go on.

Thanks for the helpful comments about how to apply it.

My boats been in the water about 6 weeks now not antifouled, Thames brackish water, and theres a lot of green slime.

How pristine should I try and get the hull before applying Safeboatskin?

swginn · 09 July 2004, 12:05

Sorry Tim, I don't really have an answer for this one as my hull was brand new when I applied mine. However I would imagine that you should try and get the hull as clean as possible, removing all growth and stains. If you use any chemical cleaning products when cleaning the hull, wash the hull down afterwards using soapy water.

The Jackeens · 09 July 2004, 12:46

Looking at getting this stuff.

Now that you have it on for a few weeks how is it handling the little baby barnicles. I can understand the slim /weed not adering to the wax but would have tought that the wee baby translucent barnicles might attach straight through the wax onto the gelcoat.

Any sign of the little pimples yet ??? Usually difficult ot see but can be felt with the hand.

Paul

swginn · 09 July 2004, 13:25

Paul,

I know the ones you are on about, had to clean thousands off the last boat after a spell of neglect and laziness. No sign of the little sh#ts so far anyway!! So far only signs of any growth are the water mark on the transom, but I was told that this would happen and after simply wiping it with my fingers it has cleaned straight off. The hull cleans itself by water moving over its surface. The smooth surface of the hull limits the grip the barnacles and other crap have and they simply slip off. Due to the fact that there is no water moving past the transom some staining does occur but will clean off using running water and a sponge or your hand.

The Jackeens · 09 July 2004, 14:13

How did you get the little feckers off on the last boat. I,ve tried scrubbing but no use.

P

swginn · 09 July 2004, 15:06

Deck brush, 3 young lads, plenty of fairy liquid and jif bleach (was a white hull!!) and about 3 days!! The 3 days being the important factor!!

Good luck, i wouldn't wish the task on anybody!!

Robert1 · 16 July 2004, 17:23

Paul,

I have just done this task of removing the little 'things' (for want of a much stronger word). I think the key is to start getting them off as soon as the boat is out of the water as they're softer then. Leave them overnight and they harden (presumably as they die?). But, I had a wooden wedge and a pressure washer (for the slime) and I had success in an afternoon. I have handed the boat over to the pros for the final finishing where they will also antifoul it to prevent such a build up in the future.

But, removing barnicles in this way works. Just slide the wedge down the hull and it gets under them and they fall off. Quite satisying too.
Hope this helps,

Robert

codprawn · 16 July 2004, 19:04

Talking of all this just seen an article in MBY from Tony Lee Elliott about a RIB they built with a copper impregnated hull - still clear of growth years later!

swginn · 22 July 2004, 11:09

It works!! Have just taken the RIB out of the water at Crosshaven Marina. This area is well known for its high growth rate. It was in the water for a total of 4 and a half weeks.I will admit that there was some orange-brown staining on the transom and lower parts of the hull. At first I thought that the safeboatskin had failed but a damp cloth removed this and I had the whole boat clean in 10 mins.

It was obvious in fact that the staining was on the wax layer and not the hull. in fact staining is the wrong word to use, it was more like a very thin layer of spilt tea, if that makes sense? Afterwards the hull was as smooth as it was new, 5 weeks ago. Also there was very little growth on the tubes (I coated them as well) which came off with a quick wipe of a cloth. No staining either!!

Just some quick advice. Do not use any detergent when washing down the hull/tubes. You will not need it to clean the hull and it will only remove the protective wax layer.

Powerhosing is not worth it either. It doesn't remove the layer as well as a simple wipe with a cloth will. Also i would imagine that powerhosing would also remove some of the wax layer.

I would reccommend this product to anyone!!

sea cucumber · 23 November 2004, 22:17

The safeboatskin is fantastic.
I wouldnt use anything else. My hull is like new after 8 weeks on the marina.
Its availabe from the ribcentre in cork , Ireland . www.ribcentre.net
The lads there are brilliant and will answer any questions you have .

At last something that really works !!

codprawn · 23 November 2004, 23:50

I have no doubt it works well but as we discussed before it contains Caranuba wax - which is a hell of a lot cheaper than SafeBoat skin. It would be interesting to try some other waxes to see if they perform the same.

DGR · 08 December 2004, 12:06

How long does it take a Barnacle to grow into something that is difficult to remove?

My RIB has been in for about 9 weeks, took her out at the weekend and was a bit surprised by the numbers attached. They aren't difficult to remove (with a non-scratch scourer) - but I'm not sure how much of this is down to the safeboatskin that I used.

The reason for the confusion is that there were bits of the hull that I couldn't treat (i.e. where the rollers were) and I thought it would be interesting to see how it differed between the treated and untreated areas. And it doesn't really.

SO - is SBS actually doing very much?

Dylan...

P.S. By the way, the gunk wouldn't come off with a cloth, or the jet wash, so I've spent the last 2 days under the RIB with a hose and a pan scourer...... and I'm going to finish the job this afternoon......

swginn · 08 December 2004, 12:38

From those pictures, it certainly doesn't look like SBS is workin!! Thats how my RIB would look like after only 5/6 wks in with no SBS. Now I leave with SBS if I leave it in for 11/12 weeks the worst I get is a thin layer of slime that wipes off, but certainly no barnacles!!

It sounds like you mightn't have applied SBS correctly. Did you polish it off?? How many coats/bottles? You would certainly have needed 2 bottles for that size RIB and plenty of thin coats, not two or three thick ones!!

Manos · 08 December 2004, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by sea cucumber

Its availabe from the ribcentre in cork , Ireland . www.ribcentre.net

Expensive @ 80 Euro/bottle

try this link http://www.yachtinguniverse.com/shop/page60.htm at £42.51

Manos · 08 December 2004, 21:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

I have no doubt it works well but as we discussed before it contains Caranuba wax - which is a hell of a lot cheaper than SafeBoat skin. It would be interesting to try some other waxes to see if they perform the same.

Cod one small detail.
There are two types of SAFE products

One is called SAFEBOATSKIN which they claim to be a type of antifouling with antifouling agents in the liquid

AND

The other is called SAFESPEEDSKIN made by the same company has same ingridients as the boatskin but they claim that instead of antifouling agents has other stuff that make the bottom of the hull more slipery and reduces friction in the water thus bot goes faster. This is what it says

SaƒeSpeedSkin® provides all the benefits of SaƒeBoatSkin® but does not provide any antifouling and it goes on to say that ...the real benefit was on the water where we judged the gain to be around 1.5 knots, a real bonus to us! After three heats, we finished 3rd overall against some strong international competition; this was a tremendous result for us and we will certainly be using SafeSpeedSkin(R) in future". Mike Deacon and Dave Deacon

Have a look at this http://www.yachtinguniverse.com/shop/page102.htm near to the bottom of the page.

pettal · 08 December 2004, 23:09

I'd like to use safeboatskin, but it's not very practical for me so any suggestions appreciated.

My boat lives in a marina year round and gets pulled out once a year to have it serviced and cleaned up.

I don't own a trailer so pulling in and out is reasonably out of the question.....unless I pay £20-25 to have it lifted out. I don't have anywhere to keep a trailer so that that idea out of the window.

There is a drying pad in a few of our marinas that I could make use of, but again restricted by tide and time and probably couldn't get enough coats on in time.

I don't want to anti-foul as it slows down the hull and is a right royal pain in the bum to take off and put back on every year. I actually pay someone to do my other boat but that's an old C.I. 22 and not a major problem if the bloke f*cks it up.

I did look at copperbot or whatever it's now called but is a bit bl**dy expensive.

I have previously beached a mates boat and used a fast acting weed killer (a bit nerve racking when your not sure if it will stain the hull or not) and that worked quite well.......although not very eco-friendly!

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

swginn · 09 December 2004, 07:55

http://www.ribs.co.uk/page/hydro

I know it's expensive but its a one off solution. No more antifoul forever!! Eventually your costs in antifoul, getting the boat lifted, paying someone to antifoul it etc would pay for it!! You could always charge other owners in the same situation as yourself to use it so they can antifoul their own hulls.

Its worth a thought anyway!! Get a discount off Laurence!

DGR · 09 December 2004, 09:15

swginn,

I followed the intructions, and put 4 coats on the hull and 3 on the tubes. I used about a bottle and a third - and didn't polish it off (you could see where I'd applied it because against the light, reflections were 'misty').

Maybe it would be better if I could spray it on - at least then if my application was over enthusiatic, I wouldn't polish it off!!

Either that, or the marina water is some sort of fast-growing primordial soup......

I might be better off taking her out every 5/6 weeks and cleaning her off properly as I have this week - although I need to work out why my trailer keeps damaging the hull first......(see other thread...)

Dylan...