For several years I bottom painted my 30' Catalina before Spring launch. Last year it looked so good I decided to bypass the job for a year. As we approach this years launch the boat still looks good and there are no bare patches or any signs of wear in the paint. The bottom is nice and smooth. The boat is on Lake Michigan so the worst I ever see on the bottom at the end of the season is some easily removed slime. I'm reading now that too much paint can eventually lead to a rough and broken surface. Has anybody any proven experience with this. Would you paint this year ? JG.
To much bottom paint
- Thread starter Canukwi
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I have no idea what happens to paint in the winter on the hard, boats we leave in salt year round get 2 coats with a third coat at waterline and leading edges of Petit Trinidad, last 3 or 4 years. We figure paint is needed when leading edges are bare and/or rubbing the paint with your hand produces a cloud.
So, right offhand seems like you should be able to skip a year every now and then.
So, right offhand seems like you should be able to skip a year every now and then.
I use VC17 on my boat (Lake Michigan) the bottom paint still looks good after two years. I'll do a small amount of touch up this year before launch. Mostly the transon hung rudder and around the water line. Are there any other VC17 users that agree?
Thanks for the replies. I think I'm leaning towards bria46. I use VC17 too and it seems to stand up well in fresh water. Maybe a bit of cleanup along the water line and that should do it..JG.
I've skipped bottom painting many seasons. I have a C30 as well. i use Interlux Micron. Most of the time I just touch up here and there. What I do do every season is fill a bucket with MaryKate On/Off and water. I hose the bottom down and then use a deck brush and the On/Off and scrub the bottom. This will clean off any spent paint and activate a fresh surface. It works great for me here on Long Island. Usually every 2 or 3 years I give the bottom a fresh all over coat, otherwise nothing or touch up.
I think every other year is probably fine, you have a short season up there. I would check with the manufacturer of the current paint to see if there is any loss in effectiveness from it sitting out for six months. If not... why bother to paint? You're in fresh water anyway.
Canukwi, I used VC17 for 17 years on a previous boat and discovered that if the bottom was in good shape, a light scruffing with 80 grit on a drywall pole sander to expose fresh copper/antifoulant was as effective as painting every year. VC17 does build up after time and it is not necessary to paint every year. And besides, the amount of growth in the Great Lakes in four months is minimal at best. Save your money for something else and paint your bottom when it needs paint. Good luck and good sailing, Ron
Being in fresh water, you should need to paint less frequent than those of us in salt water. Here's what I've done over the past few years, it can give you something to go on...
After stripping the bottom down to gel coat after I bought the boat (June, 2009), I painted with 3 coats of West Marine CPP ablative, launched on July 2nd (it took nearly a month for me to remove the 19 years of hard paint and prepare the bottom after buying it). I had it hauled a few days before Thanksgiving, and the hull looked fantastic. I did a few spots of touch up last season, mostly to address some "cracks" in the paint. I launched mid-April last season, and hauled the first week of December. When I checked the hull after haul-out I only found one small patch of barnacles (covering a space of maybe 4-5 square inches). I did have some problems with slime last year, but a little uneasy reaching with a soft bristled brush on a long pole took care of that.
When I inspected everything last weekend I could see some spots where the gel coat is starting to peek through, particularly on the rudder.
I just bought a gallon of West Marine PCA Gold (made by Interlux) as practical sailor gave it a pretty good review, particularly on slime prevention. I am going to try and get two new coats on before launching this year, and hope to again go 2 seasons before needing a fresh coat.
edit: if you look at my avatar closely, the dark spots on the bottom are the spots where I touched up, should give you an idea about how little paint was applied the 2nd season.
After stripping the bottom down to gel coat after I bought the boat (June, 2009), I painted with 3 coats of West Marine CPP ablative, launched on July 2nd (it took nearly a month for me to remove the 19 years of hard paint and prepare the bottom after buying it). I had it hauled a few days before Thanksgiving, and the hull looked fantastic. I did a few spots of touch up last season, mostly to address some "cracks" in the paint. I launched mid-April last season, and hauled the first week of December. When I checked the hull after haul-out I only found one small patch of barnacles (covering a space of maybe 4-5 square inches). I did have some problems with slime last year, but a little uneasy reaching with a soft bristled brush on a long pole took care of that.
When I inspected everything last weekend I could see some spots where the gel coat is starting to peek through, particularly on the rudder.
I just bought a gallon of West Marine PCA Gold (made by Interlux) as practical sailor gave it a pretty good review, particularly on slime prevention. I am going to try and get two new coats on before launching this year, and hope to again go 2 seasons before needing a fresh coat.
edit: if you look at my avatar closely, the dark spots on the bottom are the spots where I touched up, should give you an idea about how little paint was applied the 2nd season.
Why do you say that? Anti fouling paints leach copper at a proscribed rate, 24/7/365. To my knowledge, this rate does not change in freshwater. The paint remains effective until the copper is depleted, regardless of where the boat lives.
I've used vc17 on my Beneteau 323 and like the fact that when it comes out of the water in the fall whaty little slime there is, washes right off with warm water and low pressure. No zebra mussels either. I've seen some of my neighbors' smaller powerboats after a few weeks and they are slimy mess with no bottom paint. They spend more time cleaning than I spend in the spring prepping and recoating with vc17. I only need about 3 quarts and a couple of hours.
I could probably skip a year, but it doesn't seem worth the risk of having more prep work next season. VC doesn't build up that much compared to ablatives.
I was under the impression that after a winter out of the water, the antifouling would become ineffective.
I could probably skip a year, but it doesn't seem worth the risk of having more prep work next season. VC doesn't build up that much compared to ablatives.
I was under the impression that after a winter out of the water, the antifouling would become ineffective.
becuse in fresh water you aren't really combating barnicles, just slime... I've heard of fresh water sailors that do not even paint their bottoms, they just use a brush to clean off any slime they get. Most fresh water power boaters I know don't paint their bottoms, the speed will clean enough of the hull.
This might not apply to lakes that have been infested with zebra muscles, I don't have much experience with them, but I know they can and will attach onto just about anything. The bottom paint might stop them.
This doesn't mean a boat needs to painted less frequently. If a boater does paints his hull with anti fouling paint, the paint performs until the biocide is depleted, whether it is used in fresh or saltwater. It does not last longer in freshwater and needs to be repainted just as often as if it were in saltwater.
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