boatmaster: skills
|
knowledge
|
kit
tried & TesTed
On the water with the best new kit
The moment of truth as Motala
is lifted showing how the
ultrasonic device has worked.
m
P
b
r
Y
o
d
o
u
f the
c
t

m
onth

Motala’
s perf
ormanc
barely dr
e
opped o
ver the
cours
e of the s
eason.

ultrasonic:
The verdicT
ultrasonic antifouling promises a clean sweep but does it
work? We’ve been putting it to the test over the season
THe TeST Bed reduces the frequency of applications needed. they antifouling properties and give us an idea of how much
easy to install, no scrubbing, fewer lifts and potentially normally recommend that you antifoul the boat work the Ultrasonic was doing in relation to the year-
cheaper in the long run – ultrasonic antifouling initially, but that this should last for three or four years old antifouling paint.
certainly sounds an attractive option but does it rather than the usual 12 months. Crucially, the system
actually deliver on those promises? to give a definitive is also claimed to reduce the growth around the stern THe inSTAllATion
answer we put the new ultrasonic antifouling device, gear and tabs, which are a major source of drag and the installation was done by Ultrasonic and took
marketed by Ultrasonic Antifouling in Poole, to the test additional fuel costs. about three hours. It can be fitted with the boat in the
on our storebro 31 Biscay Motala. water but we had it lifted out to carry out additional
the boat is used regularly by our training school THe conTrol work. this also made it easier to decide on the best
and has been based on the Hamble for the past three Ultrasonic advised us that the basic Ultra 10 system position for the transducer. the chosen spot was just
years. We have tried a variety of antifouling paints but with a single transducer (for boats up to 10m) would to port of the centreline roughly half way between the
by far the best results to date have been with sea Jet be sufficient for Motala, mounted inside the hull near two P-brackets. the control box was put on the
shogun antifouling. this has proved pretty good at the props for the best possible effect. bulkhead in the lazarette and the wiring led back to
keeping the hull clean – we just have a thick layer of We decided to stick with our year old antifouling but a power source. the installation was very neat with
slime with some weed and a few barnacles by the end for appearance’s sake we put a layer of fresh sea Jet minimal cabling.
of the season. But it’s no use for sterngear, and a shogun at boot-top level to prevent discolouration. We It’s worth noting that the unit needs to be powered
season’s growth on the props, shafts, P-brackets and also painted a barrier coat of bare primer over a small all the time for maximum effect, so it is wired to both
trim tabs causes a noticeable drop off in performance. patch of the hull below the waterline on the port side. the mains and the batteries and switches over
Whilst Ultrasonic do not claim that their device is a this would act as a control panel so that we could automatically when the shore power is removed. It is
direct replacement for antifouling paint, they do say it monitor what growth occurred on a patch with no extremely simple to use and unobtrusive – it’s too
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