Best bottom paint???

C

Curt

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Jun 6, 2010
92
Catalina Capri 22 518 Buffalo
Happy new year everyone,
I did try to search the forum for info but came up with nothing. Possibly my lack of ability. In any event it is mid winter and cold in Buffalo so I was pondering my spring projects and one is to paint the bottom of Chingaletta. I do it every year and always wonder if I am using the best product available. Our boat is moored in the fresh water of Lake Erie and is used as a day sailor. What is the best (subjective, I know) bottom paint to use. First and foremost has to be ease of application. The West Marine ablative paint I used last season went on like glue.

The manufacturers information I read the more confused I get. So first hand experience is always best in my book. Collectively there are hundreds of years of experience available on this forum alone. What say ye? As always, thanks in advance for the helpful input as well as the wise cracks.
Cheers, Curt
 
Justin_NSA

Justin_NSA

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Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
If you already have bottom paint, first and foremost will be knowing which ones are compatible with it unless you plan to remove or prime it and start over.
 
Davidasailor26

Davidasailor26

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May 17, 2004
5,069
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Justin_NSA said:
If you already have bottom paint, first and foremost will be knowing which ones are compatible with it unless you plan to remove or prime it and start over.
Click to expand
Agree, and since you used an ablative last year for the most part you'll be stuck using ablatives going forward until you strip it all down. There might be a couple of exceptions but generally hard paints can't go over ablatives. Having said that many ablatives can provide multi-season protection against fouling, so especially in fresh water you might not need to do anything this spring depending on current quality.
 
S

Sanfelice

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Jan 21, 2009
256
Catalina 30 Lake Perry, KS
I keep my boat in fresh water and pull every 3 years and my lake does freeze so similar to Erie. I have been happy with Hydrocoat which is water based. Easy to apply. It is an ablative paint but is very hard and will do well on a trailer. Slime will powerwash off and a light scuffing with coarse drywall screen and ready to paint again after washing down. It will go over just about any previous paint.
 
B

BillL Capri 22

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Jul 18, 2013
44
22
I've been very happy with the results from VC17 in cold fresh water, fast too.
Probably gotta start with epoxy or gel coat though, so no fun removing your previous years' ablative.
 
fstbttms

fstbttms

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Feb 26, 2011
1,428
Achilles SD-130 Alameda, CA
BillL Capri 22 said:
I've been very happy with the results from VC17 in cold fresh water, fast too.
Probably gotta start with epoxy or gel coat though, so no fun removing your previous years' ablative.
Click to expand
Not "probably." Vinyl paints are not compatible with anything else but vinyl paints, which the OP does not have.
 
Warren Milberg

Warren Milberg

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Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
I, too, have been very happy with Petit Hydrocoat. Water-based, easy to apply and clean up, long-lasting, and can usually be bought on sale at West Marine or other outlets. Works for me.
 
jssailem

jssailem

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Oct 22, 2014
21,084
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I asked my boat diver about bottom paint. He said he had just dived on a boat that the paint was incredible. Called Intersleek 1000. Said the bottom had 5 months growth. The barnacles could be flicked off, with his finger, as he ran a cloth across the paint. Then he could rub the remaining rim of the shell and it would float away leaving a bright shine surface. It was as if nothing had been there. He has never seen such a product.
No idea where one can buy it or how much, but the owner told him it was pricey.
Might be an option for the adventurous.
 
C

Curt

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Jun 6, 2010
92
Catalina Capri 22 518 Buffalo
I have always used an ablative paint, there was a left over can in our first boat and I just stuck with it. The boat is in the water for the entire season so I assumed the ablative was the best solution to bottom fouling. . As always, I thank everyone for their input. I will now go back to school for a degree in chemical engineering to fully understand all the manufacturer's data :)

Cheers,
Curt
 
Meriachee

Meriachee

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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
What's interesting about Intersleek is that it doesn't appear to be a known quantity, the people at Steveston didn't know and hadn't heard about it, and none of the usual supply houses seem to list it.
 
fstbttms

fstbttms

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Feb 26, 2011
1,428
Achilles SD-130 Alameda, CA
Meriachee said:
What's interesting about Intersleek is that it doesn't appear to be a known quantity, the people at Steveston didn't know and hadn't heard about it, and none of the usual supply houses seem to list it.
Click to expand
Intersleek is a very well known quantity. It is an Interlux product that has been on the market for years. It is not an anti fouling paint but rather is a foul-release coating. This means it works not by releasing biocide into the water like traditional anti fouling paints but by being too slippery for fouling growth to readily attach. Here are the caveats:

1.- The product is very expensive.
2.- It is difficult to apply and requires specially trained yard personnel. Further, it can contaminate other nearby bottom paint projects.
3.- Most yards are not interested in applying it, so much so that Interlux has stopped marketing it to recreational boaters.
4.- It is easily damaged. A unknowing hull diver can destroy the coating in a single cleaning.
5.- Because it does not actually retard fouling growth, it must be cleaned very frequently.
 
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jssailem

jssailem

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Oct 22, 2014
21,084
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@fstbttms thank you for the information. I looked and it was evident that it is not a popular product as finding it or information about its use was limited on the web. Your information matches with the comments I heard from my Diver. He was surprised by the way barnacles brushed away with a swipe. Sounds like it has specific usage and likely not meeting the general boating usage.
 
Meriachee

Meriachee

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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
fstbttms said:
Intersleek is a very well known quantity.
Click to expand
Yeah I didn't mean to suggest it's an obscure product, it seems to be relatively prevalent in the industrial side, and that probably does mean expensive.
 
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