Hi! My dealer and I are having this contest, you know the kind 
about painting the prop shaft and prop. He’s already done it, and insists it’s "always done that way." I say no. I want the paint removed. The vessel is a 2000 Hunter Passage 450, the prop is an Autoprop. The Autoprop dealer (A&B Marine) recommends not painting but using their "Anti-Fouling Goop," a greasy lanolin compound. I have had to scrape the barnacles off the prop personally, so I know that bottom paint does not retard marine growth here in SW Florida. The Goop "seems" to work. It’s not been tried on a clean prop over an entire season. Comments? I love the books, videos, CDs and am amazed with MaxSea, especially the weather routing. Keep sailing! Errrr…… Boating!!!!!! Regards, Drew D
Hi Drew: I have tested many paint systems on props over the years and not found one that works. In fact, some of the paint usually falls off in a short time leaving a rough, inefficient finish on the prop. So, I agree with you, take it off. I’d love to know more about your "goop", what it is, and how it works. Steve
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 30, 1999)
