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A couple of years ago, I nearly lost the season: my propeller fouled so heavily it resembled a mace, moving the yacht at 1.5 knots instead of five. Only an urgent lift-out and clean saved the situation. I decided never to leave it unprotected again.
Last year, I decided to try Hempel Silic One, and the season went perfectly. But at November’s lift-out I saw worn patches, with one blade completely bare. At Düsseldorf Boat Show, a Hempel representative explained that slight wear was normal; a bare blade wasn’t.
Repairing the damage
Hempel Yacht’s brochures section has a detailed guide to repairing Silic One. Damaged areas need the whole application process repeated, with each new layer slightly overlapping the old.
Once the weather suited — at least 10°C, less than a month before launch — I followed the instructions for Hempel Silic One Propeller Kit:
1. Sanded the propeller with an 80-grit pad, removing oxidation and old coating.
2. Wiped with alcohol immediately afterwards.
3. Before the metal could oxidise, applied the first Hempel Light Primer epoxy coat, thinned no more than 20%, and left at least eight hours.
4. Applied the second Light Primer coat, thinned no more than 5%, overlapping sound areas slightly. Left four to six hours, no more than eight. Used excess primer for sealing the joint between keel and hull.
5. Applied Hempel Tiecoat, also overlapping. Left sixteen hours, no more than forty-eight.
6. Finished the whole propeller with Silic One.
7. A day later, covered it with a bag against hull-paint splashes.
Useful details
• Two or three days overall, but under thirty minutes of actual work. Each coat must go on before the previous one cures fully.
• Material use is tiny: one kit lasts several seasons. Mixing small quantities of two-part primer is the challenge. I use 5ml medical syringes and plastic cups: usually 5ml base and 2.5ml hardener are enough.
• Out of water, Silic One dries and loses protection in about a month, so the propeller needs a fresh coat each season. This winter, though, Hempel introduced Hempel Infinity, which reactivates the old coat. Apply overnight, wash off in the morning. I plan to try it next season.
Materials and costs
• 1 × €80.00: Hempel Silic One Propeller Kit
• 4 × €2.50: brushes
• 2 × €0.10: plastic primer-mixing cups
• 4 × €0.10: wooden stirring sticks
• 4 × €0.15: 5ml medical syringes
• 1 × €1.00: 80-grit abrasive pad
• Alcohol and cloth, always aboard
Total: €92.20
Now I can look forward to the season without nasty propeller surprises.
#maintenance
Last year, I decided to try Hempel Silic One, and the season went perfectly. But at November’s lift-out I saw worn patches, with one blade completely bare. At Düsseldorf Boat Show, a Hempel representative explained that slight wear was normal; a bare blade wasn’t.
Repairing the damage
Hempel Yacht’s brochures section has a detailed guide to repairing Silic One. Damaged areas need the whole application process repeated, with each new layer slightly overlapping the old.
Once the weather suited — at least 10°C, less than a month before launch — I followed the instructions for Hempel Silic One Propeller Kit:
1. Sanded the propeller with an 80-grit pad, removing oxidation and old coating.
2. Wiped with alcohol immediately afterwards.
3. Before the metal could oxidise, applied the first Hempel Light Primer epoxy coat, thinned no more than 20%, and left at least eight hours.
4. Applied the second Light Primer coat, thinned no more than 5%, overlapping sound areas slightly. Left four to six hours, no more than eight. Used excess primer for sealing the joint between keel and hull.
5. Applied Hempel Tiecoat, also overlapping. Left sixteen hours, no more than forty-eight.
6. Finished the whole propeller with Silic One.
7. A day later, covered it with a bag against hull-paint splashes.
Useful details
• Two or three days overall, but under thirty minutes of actual work. Each coat must go on before the previous one cures fully.
• Material use is tiny: one kit lasts several seasons. Mixing small quantities of two-part primer is the challenge. I use 5ml medical syringes and plastic cups: usually 5ml base and 2.5ml hardener are enough.
• Out of water, Silic One dries and loses protection in about a month, so the propeller needs a fresh coat each season. This winter, though, Hempel introduced Hempel Infinity, which reactivates the old coat. Apply overnight, wash off in the morning. I plan to try it next season.
Materials and costs
• 1 × €80.00: Hempel Silic One Propeller Kit
• 4 × €2.50: brushes
• 2 × €0.10: plastic primer-mixing cups
• 4 × €0.10: wooden stirring sticks
• 4 × €0.15: 5ml medical syringes
• 1 × €1.00: 80-grit abrasive pad
• Alcohol and cloth, always aboard
Total: €92.20
Now I can look forward to the season without nasty propeller surprises.
#maintenance
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