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prop and shaft |
Keeping the prop and shaft barnacle free has been very elusive for me. Yes, I have tried all kinds of special potions, read all kinds of cure alls with lots of hype, but all of this has been to no avail. I have tried a highly polished bare prop, cayenne pepper in the bottom paint, spray paint used on outdrives, transducer paints, STP, tallow and even a few witch's brews I think.
This past season I think I found the best answer. It is not a quick and easy process, but if you look at the photo below you will see the prop and shaft after 7 months in the Chesapeake (with no diving to scrub it). This is just after the normal power wash after haul out. You be the judge.
The procedure I used was one I found in an Interlux paint brochure. Here's the breakdown as I did the job.
1. Sand the prop and shaft bright using a coarse grade of emery cloth.
2. Immediately wipe down with alcohol.
3. Apply one THIN coat of properly thinned Interlux brand Vinyl Lux Prime Wash (Be sure the coat is very thin)
4. Allow Prime Wash to dry at least 1 hour but no more than 12 hours.
5. Apply 3 coats of Interlux brand Interprotect 2000E barrier coat. (follow instructions for time between coats)
6. Apply 2 or 3 coats of a hard bottom paint following instructions for time between coats. (I used Interlux Fiberglass Bottomkote)
You can do all of this in a period of 3 or 4 days and will only have to give an hour or so of your time each day so you can take care of lots of other projects as well. The process seems excessive, but I think the results are well worth it.
Good luck!!