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Is this the ULTIMATE solution for PROP FOULING ?? 😆 | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDER
November 1, 2025 · 2 min · 6K views
What this video covers
Nigel Calder and host Jan Attenstedt address prop fouling, running through the range of solutions sailors have tried and why none is definitive.▶ 0:10 Antifouling paint works on slow-turning, large-diameter props but lifts off high-speed props under load, leaving an uneven surface that degrades efficiency.▶ 1:05 PropSpeed and similar coatings perform well in some environments but inconsistently across boats, with unclear causes.▶ 0:40 Zinc paints show little benefit.▶ 1:42 Calder's current method: polish the prop, heat it, then work lanolin-based heavy grease into the surface while hot — a treatment he reports keeps fouling off for three to four months, covering his summer cruising season.▶ 1:30 Jan Attenstedt notes he simply dives and scrapes regularly, practical only in warm water.▶ 2:09 Both agree that frequent use reduces growth because microscopic organisms knocked off during motoring never establish a foothold; a boat left sitting accumulates progressively harder fouling.▶ 2:18 Diaper cream, tried when Calder had infants aboard, did not work.▶ 1:51 No single solution is confirmed reliable across all environments.
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