If I use ablative, that means I have to haul out to clean. If I use a hard epoxy, (or whatever ), I can clean in the water. That's the way I see it. Given those circumstances, what type of hard bottom paint that I can clean in the water would you recommend? Or is there something else to consider?
As far as hard paints go, there is nothing available in the U.S. that has better anti fouling properties or durability than Pettit Trinidad, IMHO.
Well, everything is a compromise. But you probably don't have to worry about removing old paint for 10-15 years.
About $4,000-$5,000 for a 40 ft boat depending on paint removal method
, plus epoxy barrier primer, plus new paint. Ablatives self polish pretty well and if you don't over-apply you don't get build-up; avoiding this expense and effort.
Or...just reapply ablative and haul to clean.
For my 27' boat, it was about $4,300 total to get a new bottom. A little more than half was spent to remove the old layers of "hard" paint (not barrier) and repair the bottom after sand blasting.About $4,000-$5,000 for a 40 ft boat depending on paint removal method
Yes, you have to haul and clean the bottom, then scrub the remnants, and paint. Welcome to boat ownership brother!
I don't know for sure but I would guess more ablative is underneath. I don't know if you can distiquish between layers of paint to know when to stop blasting. Anyway, I'm leaning just to put on another ablative coat. Seems like a lot of upfront costs for the hard coat and I'm not sure how long I'll have the boat.
I get ya. I should have been more clear. I should have said...
