Spring haul-out time is approaching and I need to redo my antifouling. Last year I used International Micron Extra which did an OK job but I still had quite a bit of growth by October, especially on the waterline.
Anyone have a recommendation for a good antifouling paint that holds up well in Mallorca’s warm waters? I’m considering trying a hard paint this time since I move the boat quite a bit.
Also — any recommendations for a good boatyard on the island for a DIY haul-out? Somewhere that lets you do your own work without charging the earth.
For warm Med waters, I’ve had the best results with Hempel’s Mille NCT — it’s a bit more expensive but it lasts well through the whole season. Apply two coats minimum, three on the waterline and leading edges.
For boatyards, I use STP Shipyard in Palma. They let you do your own work and the rates are reasonable. The travel lift is well run. Avoid the height of summer for haul-out though — it gets booked up quickly and working in 35°C heat is miserable.
I switched to Coppercoat (the epoxy-based copper system) three years ago and haven’t looked back. It’s expensive upfront — about €2000 for a 42-footer — but it lasts 10+ years and just needs a scrub every few months. Paid for itself after two seasons. I get a diver to clean the hull every 8 weeks and it’s been spotless.
On the charter boats we use International Trilux 33 — it’s hard ablative and works well when the boats are moving regularly. If your boat sits for weeks at a time, you’ll need something more aggressive. STP is good for DIY as Carlos says. Varadero Valencia is another option if you want to combine a haul-out with a trip to the mainland.
Running charter boats in Palma I’ve tried pretty much every antifouling on the market over the last six years, so here’s my take.
For boats that sit in the marina most of the time — which is most of ours between charters — I’ve settled on International Micron 350. It’s a self-polishing copolymer so it works even when the boat isn’t moving much, and in Mallorca waters at 25°C+ surface temperature in summer, you need something that’s actively releasing biocide or you’ll have a garden growing within weeks. Two coats in May and we’re clean through to November usually.
The hard racing antifoulings like VC17m look great when fresh but in my experience they don’t last a full season here unless the boat is sailed very regularly. They rely on water flow to keep clean and a charter boat sitting in Club de Mar for two weeks between bookings will start fouling.
One thing I’d add — whatever product you use, prep is everything. We pressure wash, sand with 80-grit, apply a tie coat if needed, then two full coats with extra on the waterline, rudder, and prop area. Cutting corners on prep is false economy. Also make sure you’re compliant with the new EU biocide regulations — some of the older copper-heavy products aren’t legal any more.
Mid-season update on the antifouling situation — I had my diver do a hull scrub last week and honestly the Hempel Mille NCT is holding up well again this year. A bit of slime on the waterline but nothing a sponge could not handle, and the bottom was clean. Four months in the water at 26 degrees, I am satisfied with that.
One thing I have noticed this summer though — the growth around the prop and shaft is worse than usual. I think the water temperature has been a couple of degrees above normal for August. Anyone else seeing the same? I am considering having the diver come every six weeks instead of eight for the rest of the season.
Carlos, your point about growth around the prop and shaft matches my experience exactly. The Coppercoat on the hull stays clean for months but the prop is a completely different battle — dissimilar metals and turbulence seem to make it a paradise for barnacles regardless of what is on the topsides.
What has worked for me on the Hallberg-Rassy is Propspeed on the prop and shaft, reapplied at each haul-out. It is not cheap for the amount you get and the surface prep is fussy — degrease properly or it simply peels — but it has cut the growth down to a soft slime that the diver wipes off in a couple of minutes. Before that I was losing what felt like half a knot by late summer.
One word of caution for anyone tempted to skip the primer coat: do not. I watched a neighbour in Pollença do exactly that in 2023 and most of it had come off by August.
This is all slightly over my head but I am reading with interest because I know I will need to understand it eventually! Quick question from the complete beginner — is antifouling something you only worry about if the boat lives in the water full time? Our instructor mentioned it briefly but we are learning on school boats so I have no idea what the maintenance side actually involves.
Also Carlos, what does “self-polishing” mean exactly? It sounds like the paint wears itself away on purpose? That seems… counterintuitive?
Anna, good question! Yes, antifouling is mainly a concern for boats that live in the water full time. If a boat gets pulled out after each use and stored on a trailer or in a dry stack, the hull dries out and nothing really grows on it.
But here in Mallorca most serious sailing boats stay on a mooring or in a marina berth from April to October at least, and at 26-27 degrees the growth is relentless. Without antifouling you would have a garden growing on your hull within weeks.
As for self-polishing — exactly right, the paint is designed to slowly wear away as the boat moves through the water. Each layer that washes off takes the growth with it and exposes fresh biocide underneath. So the boat essentially cleans itself a little every time you sail. The catch is if the boat sits still for long periods the outer layer can get saturated, which is why even with good antifouling you still want to sail regularly or get an occasional diver scrub. Another reason to go sailing more often — as if we needed one!
Carlos, thank you for explaining that so clearly! I had no idea the growth was that fast in warm water. Makes sense though — our instructor showed us the waterline on one of the school boats last week and it was already looking pretty green after just a few weeks. I suppose that is Mallorca summer for you.
One more silly question — when you say haul out, does the boat go on some kind of giant crane thing? I have seen those big blue structures in the marina and always wondered what they were.
Ha! Yes Anna, those big blue structures are called travel lifts — basically a giant sling on wheels that picks the boat up out of the water and carries it to the hard standing area. It looks terrifying the first time you see your boat dangling in the air but it is very routine. Most marinas here have one.
The yard at STP in Palma is where a lot of us go. They lift you out, pressure wash the hull, and then you can either do the antifouling yourself or pay the yard to do it. Doing it yourself saves money but you spend a weekend in a Tyvek suit in the Mallorcan sun, which is its own kind of adventure.