Bottom Paint

Dec 19, 2006
5,809
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
hanging from anti fouling to a hard bottom paint.
My new diver for the last year is a great guy spending one to two hours cleaning my
bottom every month and my antifouling is coming off sooner than in the past so some of others sailors using same diver have also changed to hard bottom and so I am doing the same
Nick
 

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Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
We can't legally scrub soft paint in the water here. In 2021 we won't even be able to use copper bottom paint. I find it interesting that anyone can clean it in the water. How much toxic paint do you suppose gets transferred to the water in your harbor. It sounds like hard paint would be much better in areas where you need to manually scrub the bottom in the water.

Ken
 
Dec 19, 2006
5,809
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
Most sailors use ablative because they are afraid of build up over the years and hard bottom would be much better for our water in harbor.
Takes me 5 minutes to get out into harbor and so I get a lot of water movement at my dock
and our harbor is a mix of the gulf and the peace river.
Nick
 
Feb 26, 2011
1,428
Achilles SD-130 Alameda, CA
I find it interesting that anyone can clean it in the water. How much toxic paint do you suppose gets transferred to the water in your harbor.
Studies show that very little copper is committed to the water column via in-water hull cleaning activities. The number runs around 5% of the copper that gets into the water from anti fouling paint comes from hull cleaning. Which means 95% of the copper comes from passive leaching of the biocide, which happens 24/7/365. And that includes both hard and ablative paints.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
Do you mean the paint is wearing away or you're finding chunks missing? I had ablative come off in chunks on a rudder that wasnt prepped properly
 
Apr 21, 2014
184
Hunter 356 Middle River, MD
Your bottom looks good :laugh: I just took mine down this spring to the gel coat because of an adhesion issue and too much paint build up, royal PITA...
Do you have a barrier coat under it and did you remove all the ablative paint before painting the hard?
Jeff
 
Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
Studies show that very little copper is committed to the water column via in-water hull cleaning activities. The number runs around 5% of the copper that gets into the water from anti fouling paint comes from hull cleaning. Which means 95% of the copper comes from passive leaching of the biocide, which happens 24/7/365. And that includes both hard and ablative paints.
Do you have those studies handy? I'd love to see our copper ban repealed. It was put in place based on some study in California but nothing in our local waters. And it only applies to recreational boats.

Ken
 
Feb 26, 2011
1,428
Achilles SD-130 Alameda, CA
Do you have those studies handy? I'd love to see our copper ban repealed. It was put in place based on some study in California but nothing in our local waters. And it only applies to recreational boats.
You do not have a ban on copper- yet. The implementation of that legislation has been pushed back a year while the powers that be rethink the wisdom of doing it at all.

You'll have to Google the studies to which I referred. I don't have links.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
while the powers that be rethink the wisdom of doing it at all.
This is Washington. They may just be rethinking how they can get more money out of the boat owners... But I would like to think you are more correct.
They also may have a bit of an issue. There is not enough paint in the area that is not copper based.
 
Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
The attached article on bottom paint may be of interest. Suggest discussing bottom paint choice with your local boat yard. In San Francisco I put on 2 coats of Interlux ultra-kote hard paint and get 3+ years of service between haul outs to repaint and the hull cleaning divers like it because the hull is easy to clean.
 

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Feb 26, 2011
1,428
Achilles SD-130 Alameda, CA
The attached article on bottom paint may be of interest. Suggest discussing bottom paint choice with your local boat yard. In San Francisco I put on 2 coats of Interlux ultra-kote hard paint and get 3+ years of service between haul outs to repaint and the hull cleaning divers like it because the hull is easy to clean.
No offense, but the boatyard is the last place to get good advice about which anti fouling paint to use. They're experts at painting boat bottoms, not maintaining them once they're back in the water. The boatyard only sees your boat's hull once every few years or so and has zero idea of how well your anti fouling paint has been performing in the interim. The boatyard's interest is in selling product, frequently one on which they have gotten a good deal, regardless of how well it may (or may not) suit your particular anti fouling needs.

The best resource for this kind of information is your hull cleaner. He or she sees every anti fouling paint product available in your area doing its job day in and day out, in real world scenarios. Your hull diver knows what works and what doesn't and gains nothing by recommending to you an inferior paint.

BTW- this hull diver never recommends Ultra-Kote. Not when Pettit Trinidad is available and on the shelf right next to it. :thumbup:
 
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Feb 26, 2011
1,428
Achilles SD-130 Alameda, CA
Do you have recommendations for warmer water bottom paints???
There are only two paints I ever recommend: Pettit Trinidad and Interlux Micron 66. They are the best paints you can buy, IMHO. But depending upon where you do your boating, YMMV. Again, talk to your diver.
 
Aug 22, 2017
1,609
Hunter 26.5 West Palm Beach
There are only two paints I ever recommend: Pettit Trinidad and Interlux Micron 66. They are the best paints you can buy, IMHO. But depending upon where you do your boating, YMMV. Again, talk to your diver.
Unfortunately, I am my diver, so I only know what is happening on my boat.

Thank you for the two recommendations.
 
Feb 26, 2011
1,428
Achilles SD-130 Alameda, CA
Unfortunately, I am my diver, so I only know what is happening on my boat.

Thank you for the two recommendations.
Well, I know a lot of Florida divers swear by Sea Hawk products. I have never come across one that was worth a damn, but I'm not in FLA. :p
 

ToddS

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Sep 11, 2017
248
Beneteau 373 Cape Cod
Well, I know a lot of Florida divers swear by Sea Hawk products. I have never come across one that was worth a damn, but I'm not in FLA. :p
"never come across one" Sea Hawk product...
or
"never come across one" Florida diver...
?
;)