antifouling paint for floats/zebra mussels

[surferjoe]

In Manitoba where zebra mussels are prevalent floats have to be painted with a health Canada approved antifouling paint if you want to leave your plane in the water for more than 12 hours.
I've used an International aluminum primer (Primocon) over the previously painted floats and Trilux II antifouling but it's a little soft and wears where the ropes rub on the floats and where the floats rub on tires/bumpers.
Is this requirement common in other areas with Zebra mussels and what are you guys doing to deal with it?

[valleyboy]

As silly as this sounds has anyone looked into a line-x coating. I know it's tough because guys do use it on the bottom of skis will it repel zebra mussels is the question. Talk to the guy and maybe he could help and a treat a small piece of aluminum and see what happens. I know it's tough and slippery and works great an skis to make them slide well.

cheers

[valleyboy]

dbl post

[surferjoe]

The paint legally has to be a proper antifouling paint registered with health canada as such. There are big fines for non compliance. Antifouling paints contain copper or zinc to prevent attachment of organisms including vegetation. Used on sailboats and other big ships

[Meatservo]

The paint legally has to be a proper antifouling paint registered with health canada as such. There are big fines for non compliance. Antifouling paints contain copper or zinc to prevent attachment of organisms including vegetation. Used on sailboats and other big ships

Well there's two distinct kinds: poisonous and ablative. Copper is toxic to the creepies, which is how copper-based antifouling works. Ablative antifouling works the way it sounds: by slowly sloughing off, taking the organisms with it. The soft stuff the original poster mentioned, that gets worn away by his ropes and tyres, sounds like an ablative anti-fouling coating.

I suspect the chemical antifouling would be better for a floatplane, but like you say there's environmental and health considerations.

[surferjoe]

The paint legally has to be a proper antifouling paint registered with health canada as such. There are big fines for non compliance. Antifouling paints contain copper or zinc to prevent attachment of organisms including vegetation. Used on sailboats and other big ships

Well there's two distinct kinds: poisonous and ablative. Copper is toxic to the creepies, which is how copper-based antifouling works. Ablative antifouling works the way it sounds: by slowly sloughing off, taking the organisms with it. The soft stuff the original poster mentioned, that gets worn away by his ropes and tyres, sounds like an ablative anti-fouling coating.

I suspect the chemical antifouling would be better for a floatplane, but like you say there's environmental and health considerations.

I don't think you can use copper antifouling on aluminum floats. The Akzo Noble (international paint) rep told me to use Trilux II for aluminum.