A dozen of the leading antifouling paints are put to the test and rated by MBY in The Solent and the Mediterranean
Seajet 031 Samurai £49.95
031 is a self-polishing paint that can withstand speeds of up to 40 knots. Marketed at the budget end of the market, it has less biocide than some
DURABILITY: 4/5
Although the paint dissolves in water it still requires some movement of water to keep it clean and can withstand speeds of up to 40 knots. Regular high-speed use will see it wear away faster, so is best suited to a boat that isn’t driven too hard for too long.
COLOUR FASTNESS: 2/5
The Seajet started off a very light shade of lilac, despite being called shark grey, but it quickly turned a strong turquoise colour around the waterline when exposed to salt water.
WEED/BARNACLES: 4/5
In all three of the locations there was no sign of any significant barnacle or weed growth, despite some build-up of slime.
SLIME CONTROL: 3/5
The Samurai paint managed to keep the slime at bay on the East Coast, although the growth which was there had formed a blotchy pattern on the panel. There was a slightly thicker build up near the waterline of the Solent panel.
WASH TEST: 2/5
The finger test didn’t remove as much slime as we had thought it would. It was a similar story when we sprayed it down with a marina hose, which cleaned off some of the slime but struggled to shift the hardest fouled areas.
VERDICT 60%
On initial inspection the Samurai paint performed quite well, but despite being a fairly soft eroding paint, which usually perform better in static tests, the fouling which did occur proved resistant to our attempts to wash it off.
