Smear biocide on knotmeter propeller?

[Trog]

Greets,

I have my Kings Cruiser out of the water (Los Angeles) for a good bottom cleaning and topsides repaint. I also took the opportunity to replace the VDO Sumlog knotmeter skeg and propeller, attached to the hull below the bilge curve.

It's smooth white plastic. Should I prime and paint with biocide? Or, as the yard suggests, just leave it as exposed plastic?

[John E Hardiman]

Since you said skeg and propeller, I'll assume it's an old mechanical SumLog. So no, I wouldn't paint it, but coat it with a thin coating of waterproof white grease to make the biofouling easier to get off later.

BTW, VDO neither makes or spares the mechanical sumlog anymore so get all the parts (props and cables) you can lay your hands on.

[Trog]

Originally posted by John E Hardiman:
Since you said skeg and propeller, I'll assume it's an old mechanical SumLog. So no, I wouldn't paint it, but coat it with a thin coating of waterproof white grease to make the biofouling easier to get off later.Yep, it's a nice old mechanical.

Wouldn't greasing it up just make the bottom paint flake off all that much sooner? Seems to me it would need to be painted on as good as a glove, since any nick that comes along would start it ablating and peeling away. And since I can't imagine creative ol' mother nature doesn't have some underwater nasties that will like plain ol' plastic just fine, it seems to me it should be painted with a biocide, regardless what my yard thinks.

BTW, VDO neither makes or spares the mechanical sumlog anymore so get all the parts (props and cables) you can lay your hands on.Understood. I was extremely lucky to run across a brand-spanking new skeg and prop unit as it is. I just had a new cable made and now I need to replace the plastic meter lense and it'll be good as new. :D

[ 08-18-2005, 08:27 PM: Message edited by: Trog ]

[Trog]

Here's a silly question fer ya'...

If a propeller propels something,

and an impeller impels something,

what the hell do you call it when it is being propelled/impelled by its surrounding medium?

A turbine?

smile.gif