Best Anti-fouling Paint for Alaska Outdrives?

[AKJOB]

I had a problem with barnacle and slime growth last year on my outdrive (even though I was running it once a week or more). There are several paints on the market that are okay for painting aluminum, and I'm trying to figure out which one will work best for our area. I get a little green slime and lettuce, but I think it's the barnacles that slowed me down the most. I'm convinced it cost me 1-2 knots by the end of the summer and made the engine work harder. Any thoughts/suggestions on good outdrive paints and prep appreciated.


Thanks guys,

[potbuilder]

What about the bottom of the boat? if you have growth on the drive then you have to had growth on the bottom?? Look at the label of the drive paint and get the one with the highest amount of poison!! Maybe bottom paint for a aluminum boat would have more poison in it than the drive paint? bet a quart of boat paint would be cheaper than a little bottle/spray can of drive paint??
OR
just pull the boat out on a trailer or stick it on the grid once a month and clorox the bottom and drive, clean and simple.

[smtdvm]

Barnacles

Barnacles are a pain. I have tried the clorox on them without much success. We seem to have a wave of barnacle growth here in S.E. about June or so, then much less trouble through the rest of summer. Get enough of them on the hull and they will really put on the brakes. My brother berths in Valdez all summer and says he's never had any barnacle growth there. I generally blast them off with the pressure washer but a big infestation on the hull usually takes scraping unless you have a lot of time to spend pressure washing. I have had good luck keeping them off with Trilux 33 on my aluminum hull. I agree, must be the poison and unless I can find a reason not to, will paint my outdrive with the same.

[AKJOB]

Drive Paint VS hull paint

Thanks guys,

I've got the hull paint figured out (glass hull, so lot's of paint options). However, my understanding is that you can't use the same paint on the outdrive as you can on the hull because the copper content of the paint can ruin the outdrive. So, I'm looking to combine a standard bottom paint on the hull with an outdrive friendly paint for the drive. Just trying to reduce the barnacle factor to the extent possible.

Thanks,

[potbuilder]

Clorox won't do much on barnacles but sure works good on grass & slime. I'd still go for a quart of good bottom paint for a aluminum boat and paint the drive with that, 2 good coats, and i bet 99.9% of the barnacle problem will go away. Mix in a can of cayenne(sp) pepper with the paint, lots of lobster guys back east used to do that and thought it kept the 'nackles down.

[Blue Thunder]

I also have a glass boat with a Volvo out drive. What ever the new out drives are made of they say to be careful with what you use for anti fouling on them. I do not know why. For the last 2 years I have used a product made by Interlux. It is Trilux Prop & Drive paint. #5499 clear, which is not totally clear, leaves it with a milky finish. This comes in a spray can and is easy to apply, tape off zincs, all cylinder shafts, go over out drive lightly with a scotch bright pad and then use whole can on out drive. Spray boots, hoses and all. I keep by boat in a slip in Homer and used to have a problem with the barnies, until I started to use Trilux. No barnies at all, but do get a little of the green slim. I got the stuff from Fisheries Supply out of Seattle. They did ship it UPS, I do not know how and at normal shipping cost.

[bhollis]

I also use Trilux--black in my case--on my outdrives. Can be purchased in spray or cans. Keeps off most of the barnacles and growth, but needs to be touched up every year. Well worth the trouble, though.