A boat’s performance is determined by the right application of a boat antifouling paint. The growth of coral reefs on the boat’s bottom will compromise the performance of your boat even with new sails, right-tensioned rigging, and a serviced engine.

Boat speed is also compromised when moderate boat antifouling is performed. With then is the best boat antifouling paint, what’s the best way to apply it, and how much prep is needed?

Everything about boat antifouling

Prep work and using the right methods and the best antifouling paint are the steps needed to perform the best antifouling job for your boat. This includes:

Prep work

Inevitably, the thickness of paint applied to the bottom of the boat will deteriorate over time. When this happens, starting from scratch has to be done. This is stripping the paint back to the bare hull.

This tedious task has to be done every four or five years. It’s time to scrape off the antifouling paint from the bottom of the boat when it shows:

The bottom of the boat looks like a moonscape showing craters of old paint
Ragged edges caused by flaking and peeling paint
Easy-to-pop blisters caused by trapped water

The task of applying antifouling paint can be left off for another year when the bottom of the boat does not look too bad. Doing some minimal prep such as surface preparation and keying helps to take in new paint when the time comes.

Stripping off the old antifouling paint need three effective methods, including:

Soda blasting method

Keeping costs down means doing a DIY antifouling job. Soda blasting is a DIY method that has proven effective in removing old paint from the boat’s bottom. Blasting the old paint using a compressor and soda effectively removes it without GRP damage. The epoxy coating remains intact as the compressor effortlessly blasts through layers of primer and paint.

Dry scraping method

The cheapest way to remove old paint from the boat’s bottom is to scrape it off. However, the type of scraper used makes all the difference.

Bahco scraper

A reversible tungsten-carbide blade is the design of the Bahco scraper. The material provides a sharp blade capable of shaving the paint off. Considered the most effective scraper, the Bahco scraper comes in small and large sizes. Opting for the large size is better for the knob on top feature. This feature allows you to apply more force while scraping.

Flat-bladed scraper

Lifting off paint flakes is easier using a flat-bladed scraper. However, the scraper is not meant for heavy-duty scraping as it tends to gouge or dig into the gel coat.

Electric scraper

Using an electric scraper makes paint scraping a cleaner and easier job. Some models can be attached to a vacuum cleaner to make the job less dusty and messier.

Triangular scraper

The triangular scraper can easily scrape through layers of old paint. However, frequent sharpening has to be done to make it an effective tool.

Applying antifouling

Sandpapering the surface should be done after scraping off the old paint from the boat’s bottom. Using a lot of water helps to prevent sandpaper clogging. Priming the hull is recommended before applying antifouling paint. The primer ensures the proper adherence of the paint to the boat’s bottom.