Expert advice

How do antifoulings work?

Antifouling is the most common (and arguably the most important) painting job carried out by boat owners. It is vital to protect your boat through antifouling, as once fouling has a hold on your hull it will rapidly colonise the surface, making it difficult to remove. Applying an antifouling paint will prevent the attachment of fouling organisms, such as barnacles, weeds and slime, to the hull of your boat – a fouled hull can cause serious problems, therefore prevention is much better than cure.

Antifouling paints work by delivering a controlled, steady release of biocide (such as copper) from the paint surface into the microscopic layer of water next to the hull. It is this layer of biocide that stops the fouling from settling. Modern antifouling paints are specifically formulated to release just the right amount of biocide to keep the surface clean throughout the season, without the need to scrub your boat. It’s simple to control fouling, yet the process is a complex one! The paint must be formulated to release just enough biocide to stop fouling but no more.

You can use our Paint Estimator to determine how much paint is required. Just enter the type and dimensions of your boat, the product you're using and the number of coats required, and you'll receive a helpful estimate.

How much paint do I need?

We'll help you calculate how much paint is needed.

What product do you want to paint

What type of boat?

Full bodied craft

Fin keeled racing craft

Medium draft racing craft

What is the underwater area?

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1 x LWL x (B+D) = Underwater Area (m2)

0.5 x LWL x (B+D) = Underwater Area (m2)

0.75 x LWL x (B+D) = Underwater Area (m2)

Abbreviations
LOA = Length Overall
LWL = Length Waterline
B = Beam
D = Draft
F = Freeboard

What application method?

How many coats do you want to apply?

If you put less than the minimum recommended numbers of coats, it may affect the performance of the coating.

To paint a ? x ? x ? ??, with ? coats

You'll need ? litres of

Warning that this tool is an estimator only

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