Any Propspeed users?

Bruce Herrington

Bruce Herrington

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Expensive, but is it as effective as advertised? Substitutes? Alternatives?

Thanks in advance. :-)
 
A friend of mine applied it to his boat's gear a few years ago with good results. But have read mixed results as well.

I'm going the little bit less expensive route and applying Velox in a couple of weeks.

http://www.antifoulingpaint.net/
 
I ordered the Velox just this morning; haulout scheduled 4/3. Your first time with Velox?
 
IN fairly heavy fouling waters of Long Island sound...

In 2009-10 I had propspeed applied and it worked great the first season on. I did not touch it for the second season and I started having issues about half way through our normal 6+ months in the water. Struggled to get it all off and clean the third year and since then I have used 2 cans of cold galvanize paint from Home depot on the shafts and props.
I have longer 2" shafts and 22 Diameter 4 blade props and get two medium coats on each with 2 cans.
I get a full season from those 2 cans and end of year cleanup is easy as well - about 15 total plus labor.

YMMV - Hope this helps
 
quote:
Originally posted by Bruce Herrington

I ordered the Velox just this morning; haulout scheduled 4/3. Your first time with Velox?

Click to expand...

Bruce, yes for me. I purchased it last summer as another friend applied it to his Viking. I thought I would have applied it back in the fall but I didn't. My boat has been in the water over the winter (covered slip) and they just hauled out this morning. Over the next couple weeks, I'm replacing both engines, painting the bilge and doing some running gear coating.
 
I got close to 2 years out of it without fouling and I'm in a fairly high fouling area. At that point my diver said I had a little growth starting on my props/shafts but that he had taken care of it. I said "Oh, how is the propspeed doing?" He blinked at me twice, so that's when I figured out that was the point where the propspeed had been scraped off. :)

Since then I need a good scraping about every 5 to 6 months.
 
Propspeed is recommended for IPS.
But I have heard alot of not so great reviews for the cost.
I use Trilux on my pods and petit barnacle buster on props.
I have had pretty good results with both.
Trilux sloths off like an ablative and the barnacle buster I had no barnacles last year and the stuff barely came off.
Year before I left props shiny brass and they were full of barnacles.

Again, growth is a factor of how often you use your boat. If you run at least once a week you will have no issues no matter what you use.
 
FWIW - We use the boat weekly and do not run only at hull speed and were we are we will get growth with no protection on the props & shafts. In mid summer just a little at 2-3 weeks but pretty heavy stuff by 5-6 weeks.
It is easy to tell as we dive on the boat often ourselves.
Did not touch the props or shafts the past 2 seasons with the cold galvanize spray paint.

Hope this helps
 
I've used it on a lot of boats with good results. Just put it on the boat I'm currently running. The negative results seem to come when it's not applied correctly from what I've seen.
 
Aside from growth protection, has anyone experienced better performance or fuel burn when comparing PS to traditional anti fouling paint.
I currently use rustoleum galvanized from HD it keeps the growth off and its cheap. My boat is slow at 18kts, doubt id see any improvement from PS...?
 
"I've used it on a lot of boats with good results. Just put it on the boat I'm currently running. The negative results seem to come when it's not applied correctly from what I've seen."

From what we have seen the problems begin after the applied propspeed sees temperatures of below 30/20 and 10 degrees when in storage up here in the Northeast. At least on the 3 - 4 boats that we are aware have tried it.

Hope this helps
 
"Aside from growth protection, has anyone experienced better performance or fuel burn when comparing PS to traditional anti fouling paint.
I currently use rustoleum galvanized from HD it keeps the growth off and its cheap. My boat is slow at 18kts, doubt id see any improvement from PS...?"

Once your props are trued and balanced for best performance and correct rpm's can be reached they will achieve the highest efficiency with the least amount of coating(s) on the props as possible.
Traditional primers and anti-fouling paint always has a thicker and less consistent coating than propspeed or galvanizing paints. In general use on boats with our speeds and shaft rpms I have seen very little difference with either coating used. As boat speed and prop speed increases it begins to make a larger difference and I saw some of this with our Higher speed Rib.

Hope this helps
 
quote:
Originally posted by smitty477

"I've used it on a lot of boats with good results. Just put it on the boat I'm currently running. The negative results seem to come when it's not applied correctly from what I've seen."

From what we have seen the problems begin after the applied propspeed sees temperatures of below 30/20 and 10 degrees when in storage up here in the Northeast. At least on the 3 - 4 boats that we are aware have tried it.

Hope this helps

Click to expand...


I only see those kind of temperature numbers in my freezer. :-)
 
The goal for me is to reduce the amount of buildup and possibly haulout every other year instead of annually. Diver looks at it every month anyway and cleans what he can.
 
I used Velox Plus ( smallest primer and finish coat 2-can kit) for the 1st time last year on my 17"D 3 blade I/B props. It worked great and was less expensive and a lot easier to apply than the instructions for Prop Speed indicated. There was a little wear from suspended abrasives in the water column but by the end of the season there was still virtually no growth. Very pleased and will touch up one prop with another easy coat or 2 and the othe prop had the pitch corrected and was stripped so I will (minimum clean,quick light sand, prime and put a few more finish coats on that one. No mixing ingredients and cheap brushed work fine . Much faster than it sounds.

I recommend trying this . Prop speed may last somewhat longer but my understanding recoating of either Velox Plus or Propspeed is wise the 2nd year. I have enough left over in those smallest cans from last year to coat again this year.
 
Yep, The instructions alone for propspeed had me looking at other paints; the price certainly did. Excellent feedback.
 
about every other season I get the latest and greatest pitch at the yard for running gear paint. with all the growth we get here in SE Florida the idea always gets my attention. after many years and many failed attempts I've learned:

A. the bottom has to be cleaned by a diver every 4-6 weeks

B. the diver does not give me a discount for having a spanking clean bottom when he gets there

C. nothing I've tried so far stays on or works in a meaningful way on the running gear for more than about 6 months. (we use the boat regularly)

D. the only one benefiting from the latest/greatest running gear paint up sale is the yard

E. keeping the gear clean is a big fuel savings and well worth the effort when I have the bottom cleaned.

F. I haven't found a better mouse trap yet, but I'm always keen to learn.
 
Hi Smitty

I am not a metal guy, but I assume (and just checking) the "cold galvanized spray" is compatible to Stainless Steel shafts and Nibral props, because if it is, I am on my way to pick up two cans.

Thanks
Ron
 
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