Dear family and friends
I need suggestion what to use to scrap my boat. It has copper cote on it. The idea is to expose the new copper so must be something sandpaper like.
Any suggestions welcome.
Thank you
From the website...
Eventually, usually after several years, the surface may benefit from being lightly abraded with a fine grade of "wet and dry" paper or a burnishing pad to expose fresh copper.
Sounds like a job for 3M Scotch-Brite pads. I'd start with the blue pads which are very fine ( 1000 grit ). If they take too long, use a coarser pad like green or red. Good idea to wear gardening gloves or they'll take the skin off your fingers. They feel harmless but they're not. 
Serb, I'm guessing we are talking about a haul out as opposed to in water. So after hitting it as hard as you can with the pressure washer, don't be scared to put the effort in as it will save a lot of sanding. As to abrading copper laden epoxy I would start with a selection of wet & dry paper and a sanding float. Your not trying to get a coffee table finish so I would see how it cuts with an 80 grit, have some 60 & say 120 on hand as well. Keep a hose running on the sanding and a bucket to keep the paper fresh as well. I guess what you want to see is the flecks of shiny copper, and not the substrate. And all the while thinking I'm glad I don't own a 60 footer !
Thank you guys. It will be no blast. I will beach the boat 2m deep beach low tide, drop the anchor at the front and anchor at the back so boat can not move and try that a Scotch pads as recommended. Honestly I have never seen that much grown around Woolwich (Sydney Harbour). According to my calculations I will be able to clean the boat on my knees almost. In two hours it will be clean as. By then sea will slowly rise and I am gone . I don't want to pay 300-500 bucks every 4 months for diver..
once the bow is done I can move the boat 180 degrees (the stern towards the beach) and clean the stern as well as prop and change the zink anode. I hope it will work and save me some money in the future
Select to expand quoteSerb1980 said..
Thank you guys. It will be no blast. I will beach the boat 2m deep beach low tide, drop the anchor at the front and anchor at the back so boat can not move and try that a Scotch pads as recommended. Honestly I have never seen that much grown around Woolwich (Sydney Harbour). According to my calculations I will be able to clean the boat on my knees almost. In two hours it will be clean as. By then sea will slowly rise and I am gone . I don't want to pay 300-500 bucks every 4 months for diver..
once the bow is done I can move the boat 180 degrees (the stern towards the beach) and clean the stern as well as prop and change the zink anode. I hope it will work and save me some money in the future
Let us know how you go and some pictures of it while the tide is out. Not sure what the EPA will think so I would stop if any official looking boats go past.
Better read below. Can end up expensive exercise in some areas.
www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/aircraft-vessels-military/vessels/marine-pest-biosecurity/biofouling/inwater-cleaning-australia
I would talk to David Burnett from ABS technologies for expert advice on the product, they are the distributors in Aust, see the link I posted above to their website.
Yes if a diver gives it a good scrub it's a lot less noticeable ! And there's no reason the fresh copper can't be exposed by a diver. careening is frowned upon indeed, I dryed out a couple of months ago to do some work on the waterline and the authorities came passed a couple of times which caused some anxiety, it turned out that a Good Samaritan had called up about a vessel aground.
Guys just came back from dive. This was sick. A millions of barnacles, oysters on the rubber. I did rudder and a meter of stern. I almost fainted. Called diver ( Banana sail Sydney person I am dealing with is Martin) to fix this mess. One can not see hull barnacle after barnacle moss like carpet. 240 bucks for diver till November and then out cleaning and checking up on this coppercote.
This was scary to see. I took scotch pads eneded up breaking two spatulas and seriously bender bbq spatula (solids as it could be). I hope hull is not damaged by these shells.
somehow I managed to neglect my boat but did took her for a spin on weekly basis and tried to clean it underwater .
Select to expand quoteSerb1980 said..
Guys just came back from dive. This was sick. A millions of barnacles, oysters on the rubber. I did rudder and a meter of stern. I almost fainted. Called diver ( Banana sail Sydney person I am dealing with is Martin) to fix this mess. One can not see hull barnacle after barnacle moss like carpet. 240 bucks for diver till November and then out cleaning and checking up on this coppercote.
This was scary to see. I took scotch pads eneded up breaking two spatulas and seriously bender bbq spatula (solids as it could be). I hope hull is not damaged by these shells.
somehow I managed to neglect my boat but did took her for a spin on weekly basis and tried to clean it underwater .
Very important to run propeller at least once a week as there is usually only prop speed on this and the shaft rather than antifouling so it gets even worse than the hull.
Personally I have not encountered any local weekend sailor that has had good experience with copper coat recently rather than ablative anti-fouiling.
There can be very long waiting lists for slipping boats in Sydney so maybe book your boat in now if you want it out in November.
No antifouling seems to be working at the moment. The barnacles turned up a couple of months ago like serb said in acarpet all over the hull. My prop is clear so it seems the propspeed is working. Use the boat almost weekly but the barnies persist. Diver booked.
Three coats of Jotun Seaguardian were applied in September 23. It was going well until the barnies showed up.
Select to expand quotetroubadour said..
No antifouling seems to be working at the moment. The barnacles turned up a couple of months ago like serb said in acarpet all over the hull. My prop is clear so it seems the propspeed is working. Use the boat almost weekly but the barnies persist. Diver booked.
Three coats of Jotun Seaguardian were applied in September 23. It was going well until the barnies showed up.
that's interesting, I guess all bays / harbours have their own eco system, I dived on the boat I hauled out oct 22 and other than the prop and a place I knocked some paint off the seagardian was still working ( that's a continuous application of 15l on a 10t displacement )
Select to expand quotetroubadour said..
No antifouling seems to be working at the moment. The barnacles turned up a couple of months ago like serb said in acarpet all over the hull. My prop is clear so it seems the propspeed is working. Use the boat almost weekly but the barnies persist. Diver booked.
Three coats of Jotun Seaguardian were applied in September 23. It was going well until the barnies showed up.
Water has been hot and still is.
Thanks
I have booked Cackatoo island and Roger will look what is going on with coppercote. I hope light sand will do the trick. Today after the race I saw a SEALION. It feels that water is warm and full of food and that makes all these troubles. Winter will slow down barnacles for sure.
Select to expand quotewoko said..troubadour said..
No antifouling seems to be working at the moment. The barnacles turned up a couple of months ago like serb said in acarpet all over the hull. My prop is clear so it seems the propspeed is working. Use the boat almost weekly but the barnies persist. Diver booked.
Three coats of Jotun Seaguardian were applied in September 23. It was going well until the barnies showed up.
that's interesting, I guess all bays / harbours have their own eco system, I dived on the boat I hauled out oct 22 and other than the prop and a place I knocked some paint off the seagardian was still working ( that's a continuous application of 15l on a 10t displacement )
It seems to be the same around this area Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers
Select to expand quotetroubadour said..woko said..troubadour said..
No antifouling seems to be working at the moment. The barnacles turned up a couple of months ago like serb said in acarpet all over the hull. My prop is clear so it seems the propspeed is working. Use the boat almost weekly but the barnies persist. Diver booked.
Three coats of Jotun Seaguardian were applied in September 23. It was going well until the barnies showed up.
that's interesting, I guess all bays / harbours have their own eco system, I dived on the boat I hauled out oct 22 and other than the prop and a place I knocked some paint off the seagardian was still working ( that's a continuous application of 15l on a 10t displacement )
It seems to be the same around this area Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers
we had a freash mid January so that would have pulled the shell growth up a bit, before then it was clear salty, jelly fishy, lots of slime growth that was easy to scrap and it was full of krill, didn't notice them while working under water but when you surfaced & onboard you had 90% cover of the little critters. They hosed off ok & dryed accumulations smelt ultra fishy & made excellent burly. Oh yeah water temp has been warm even in early spring
