DIY Coppercoat

[boomerangben]

I am looking for any tips and tricks to help me with my first foray into applying Coppercoat. My BRE has never been antifouled but the time has come to get it done. I will need to sand, clean and then apply. I think (unless the measuring tape lies) the boat will just fit into the garage and plan to jack her off the trailer so that I can get best access to the bottom and do it in the dry.

I will be working solo but unsure of whether I will be able to do the whole hull in one for or whether I should just plan doing one side at a time. Also, should I do the rudder, centre board and inside the casing? (Both rudder and centred board are stowed in the up position when not actually underway).

Any advice will be gratefully received.

[Philip L]

I have only done a small patch of copper coat repair to my centreboard on our BC23.  It was a warm day but I was surprised how quickly it dried and you have to put the next coat on while it is slightly tacky to give a good chemical bond between coats.  As you will be mixing and measuring, I am guessing it will be a bit adventurous to do the whole hull in one.
The Swallow Yard copper coat the centreboard.  Even while retracted, I expect that some of the leading edge is sat in the water and prone to fouling.  It is a good product to work with and has been really effective on our boat

[Sea Simon]

My BRe was copper coated from new by Swallow. It included the whole board and all of the inside of board trunk. Not the rudder, always moored lifted, it stayed clean.
You can/will get fouling in the splash zones inside the board case if the conditions are right. It happened to me...even WITH coppercoat some small mussels grew (we have a mussel farm locally, and the damn thing are everywhere...hotly followed by Pacific Oysters, tho not on boats YET!)

As my boat spent a lot of time moored afloat in a very high fouling  area, it found it necessary to also coppercoat the bilge sump and the outboard well. Easy enough to do, but daunting because of the cost! You need to be very organised, and work quickly. Temperature/humidity are critical. No question, imho, one side at a time!

Wrt fouling...I also used to add a splash of Jeyes fluid or bleach to the ballast tank if it was to be left filled for some time.

I also tried coppercoat on the lamnellae flaps, and that was a waste. It didn't  stick, too flexible. Also didn't  really stick to the black plastic  (polyethylene?) Flap Clamping frame around the well. Both foul heavily with barnacles, hereabouts.

I also have copper coat, from new, on my BC 26.  Generally it seems to work well here, especially  for a trailer sailer which is very messy and awkward to antifoul yearly when overwintered on a trailer. Generally works well.
The copper coat on the twin rudders started to give up (10 years old, tried sanding "livening up" last year) so I antifouled with Seajet Emperor (supposedly their best £150, 2.5 ltrs) and even with three coats this has proved no better! Needs scrubbing now, not yet 3 months afloat!

[boomerangben]

Thanks for the advice. Definitely a one side at at time job

[jackbadstock]

I have just copper coated my BR 20. I was nervous about doing it as the materials cost nearly 500 notes. I live in Dorset so dropped into the factory unit where I received excellent advice from the helpful staff. They knew the BR 20 and supplied 4 packs of copper, resin, hardener and thinner, plus two roller handles and 8 rollers. It is important to use the rollers recommended  don't do cheap, or spoil the ship for a happeth of tar as my Grandad said.
Follow the good advice on YouTube.  Choose a warm day when it won't rain for 36 to 48 hours. It was about 24 c. When we did the boat. I was helped by my son. My boat was also clean underneath. I gave a sand with orbital sander plus some hand sanding and washed down. I then made up one batch in a tub used new roller trays did not over mix and applied starting at the front working back. We did one side each. It starts to thicken so you need to get it on in 45 mins to one hour. I was disappointed with the first coat, it didn't seem to cover, large patches of white showed through, I thought I had fallen on my face. Don't panic, keep to the script. Waited for it to go tacky, 45 mins or so. Then second coat started looking much better, third coat all covered, final coat superb.  Apply thin coats  this is very important. You are recommended not to use a brush but where the Hull folds and turns in certain areas I did  seemed okay, I could not reach certain areas otherwise. Used one set of rollers per coat each, replaced mixing pots each time  used two or three paint trays. I left a small batch of solution over which I used to cover the areas I could not reach when it was in the boat yard jacked up. The four pads that support it. Back on the trailer I could easily get to these parts.
Bullet points. Choose warm day, apply thinly, prepare to take all day, two persons do a side each, if on own only do one side at a time.  Do not skimp, use plenty of the proper rollers, do not try to use the same trays pots and rollers a second time. A great finish I am well pleased. You get plenty of good advice from the makers.

[boomerangben]

Thank you Jack, that's really useful. If I waited for a 24 deg day here, I'd never get it done, but I have got the boat in the garage, jacked up and ready for prep work. I think I might have the opposite problem of it taking too long to go off with lower temperatures and less ventilation with it being done inside. Did you clean the hull with ISO propanol before applying the first coat?

[jackbadstock]

Hi Boomer,
Thanks for your message, glad I was helpful. Bearing in mind my Hull had never been antifouling all I did was sand with the orbital and hand sander and then wash down. It seems to have adhered well, but I would not discourage you from using this solution. If in doubt about the temperature check with copper coat in Blandford, as I said they are very helpful.
Kind regards
Jack