Bottom paint

[seagle]

What is the best bottom paint to us in the bahams and why?

 

[shipwreck66]

Trinidad has one with a high copper content and very hard, supposedly will last 4-5 years in that environment but I can't recall the name offhand. I previously used VC Offshore in south Florida area but have been told Trinidad now offers a better product. The high copper content will retard biological growth on the hull, which you will definitely have a lot of around the Bahamas. This question will probably turn into one of those Coke or Pepsi debates, so be prepared.

 

[TFrere]

Don't know if it works yet but a friend of mine just mixed cayenne pepper in his bottom paint on the final coat. He heard from some local fishermen that it works better than any other bottom paint in keeping the bottom clean from barnicles.

 

[RichH]

I use Micron Extra which is especially good vs. hard growth fouling in S. Florida and the Bahamas, Turks, and further south 'down the islands', etc. because it retards slime growth ... the hard growth attaches first to the slime.

For any bottom paint in these waters a regular use of a 'squeegee' on long pole to knock off the slime will help against the accumulation of hard growth and sponges, etc. A good squeegee wont remove hardly any bottom paint.
In these waters, many are only painting the 'first few feet down' with (expensive) Micron-Extra and 'any' copper bearing paint below that.

Keeping the boat 'moving' and not anchored for long periods of time is the 'real' best method for keeping the hull from 'growing'.
Applying the bottom paint as smooth as a 'babies ass' helps to 'release' the slime when the boat is 'moving'.

Prop Speed or Petit "Zinc Rich Barnacle Barrier" for the prop and running gear protection.

 

[Benny17441]

In the Bahamas they are able to use products that are not permitted in the US.

 

[fstbttms]

Don't know if it works yet but a friend of mine just mixed cayenne pepper in his bottom paint on the final coat. He heard from some local fishermen that it works better than any other bottom paint in keeping the bottom clean from barnicles.

A wive's tale. Complete bullsh*t.

 

[fstbttms]

Trinidad has one with a high copper content and very hard, supposedly will last 4-5 years in that environment but I can't recall the name offhand. .

Trinidad is the product name. Pettit Trinidad. 4-5 year lifespan is essentially impossible, however.

I previously used VC Offshore in south Florida area but have been told Trinidad now offers a better product. The high copper content will retard biological growth on the hull, which you will definitely have a lot of around the Bahamas. This question will probably turn into one of those Coke or Pepsi debates, so be prepared.

VC Offshore is a low copper, teflon paint. I can't imagine it works worth a damn in Florida's high fouling waters.

And again, Pettit is the manufacturer. Trinidad is the product name. There are few (if any) higher copper content paints available in the U.S.

 

[Gunni]

I had zero hard growth on my bottom this year - Pettit Trinidad as a hard base coat and two coats of soft ablative Hydrocoat on top of that. The only barnacles were on the boot-stripe where it dipped below the waterline.

The propeller zinc paints were worthless. The prop was covered by barnacles in 8 months.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Pettit's highest content antifouling is Trinidad as before mentioned and Interlux' is Ultra. But, you should check out Interlux' Micron technology which has some longevity results due to the release of biocides over a period of time. So, you save money and also do not get paint build up through the years like the before mentioned products. I wrote an article about this and posted it in this forum last year. I am sure you can find it if you dig for it.

 

[fstbttms]

Pettit's highest content antifouling is Trinidad as before mentioned and Interlux' is Ultra. But, you should check out Interlux' Micron technology which has some longevity results due to the release of biocides over a period of time.

All anti fouling paints leach their biocide out at a proscribed rate over time. This is how they work, regardless of whether they are hard or ablative. However, while the Micron line of ablative products are excellent anti fouling paints (Micron 66 in particular), one should not expect the same useful lifespan with them as with hard paints like Trinidad or Ultra. Ablative paints, while needing the same kind of cleaning frequency as hard paints, just can't stand up to the cleaning in the same way. Here in the Bay Area, a properly maintained Trinidad bottom will last 3+ years. Micron 66, about half that.

 

[seagle]

Thanks for your thoughts on Bottom Paint!