Ablative Paint

[BobM]

When my boat was surveyed last season the surveyor suggested skipping bottom painting to let it wear down a little. I painted anyway, just a single coat of Pettit Hydrocoat, mostly because the previous owner used up some old bottom paint leaving her with a dark blue keel and a light blue hull. She was new to me and, ridiculous as it sounds, I wanted her to to be all one color.

The question is, obviously I'd like to avoid stripping the bottom, but is this idea of letting the ablative wear down a pipe dream? I am thinking about just painting a one roller wide swath at the water line and at the top of the rudder and then letting it go for a season, perhaps hiring a diver if need be to scrub once.

Thoughts? Should I plan to bite the bullet and strip it?
In that case I'd probably wait until the season after next as my season was way to short in 2008 (lost 6 weeks due illness and a death in the family and I'd like to get her in the water early this year.

Thanks,

Bob

 

[Rich Stidger]

Well, I used to put two coats on my 40' sailboat every other year using 6+ quarts per coat. After trying several different brands of ablative paint, I came to the conclusion that the cheapest worked as well as the most expensive and none of them worked very well the second year.

After years of this regiment I had too much paint on the boat, so I began to sand aggressively each year and after 3 years of spring-time sanding, I now have the bottom paint down to a reasonable thickness.

Each year I roll on one very thin coat of WM CCP ablative paint. I use a 3/16" nap roller and the entire bottom uses just one gallon of paint. In the fall at haul-out, I do have a few spots that I can see through but minimal growth. Most importantly, I do not have heavy build-up each year.

I've asked the paint manufacturers rep's if the paint needs to be applied at different thicknesses for a sailboat vs a powerboat, and have received blank stares or an answer that inspires no confidence. It would seem to me that a hull traveling at a higher speed should wear the paint off faster, thus a sailboat should be fine with just a single thin coat.

That's what I do; works for me. Your mileage may vary......

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Bob
What you intend is precisely what most of us do here as well - only sand when it starts to get objectionably rough, touch up where needed and around the leading edges where it wears faster and not get too anal about bottom paint unless you plan on racing.

There was a recent discussion here regarding the loss of efficacy of so-called single season bottom paints when left to dry out upon a winter haul. To make a long story short, I spoke with a few of the common paint mfgs regarding their recommendations on repainting as stated on their web sites and printed directions on the cans and as a result of those conversations, it seems unnecessary as long as there is sufficient paint remaining from the previous job. There is a slight loss of efficacy but in our climate, it's trivial.

Life it too short to spend it polishing and painting more than absolutely necessary

 

[Tim R.]

I also do a single thin coat of ablative every year after sanding(just to rough the surface). I do 1 bottom cleaning in August and my boat is in the water for 7 months. It comes out looking the same at the end of every season with little or no paint build up. I do have a little buildup along the waterline which I will sand more agressively this year.

 

[rpell1@msn.com]

My experience....

Prior to my buying my new '91 Mark II, I sailed a 22 Chrysler for over 15 years. I started using high quality ablatives when they were introduced and have found that I could easily get away with up to 3 years without re-painting. This last time lasted to the start of the '08 season which lasted the full 3 years. Outside of the occassional unavoidable "chip", the bottom was perfectly clear of barnacles and only had a minimal amount of slime.

I aslo alternate colors, (e.g. red, black, red, etc.) which alerts me to when the latest coating is wearing through. In the NY area, we are lucky to have the cold waters of late Fall, Winter and early Spring retard any growths. So, we are really only dealing with 7 or 8 months of warm waters.

I hope this helps.

Ralph

Bob
What you intend is precisely what most of us do here as well - only sand when it starts to get objectionably rough, touch up where needed and around the leading edges where it wears faster and not get too anal about bottom paint unless you plan on racing.

There was a recent discussion here regarding the loss of efficacy of so-called single season bottom paints when left to dry out upon a winter haul. To make a long story short, I spoke with a few of the common paint mfgs regarding their recommendations on repainting as stated on their web sites and printed directions on the cans and as a result of those conversations, it seems unnecessary as long as there is sufficient paint remaining from the previous job. There is a slight loss of efficacy but in our climate, it's trivial.

Life it too short to spend it polishing and painting more than absolutely necessary

 

[alexco38]

color of bottom paint

Just a dumb question. What difference does it make if the color is not uniform under water so long if it prevent stuff from growing.

 

[Tim R.]

It has been scientifically proven that marine growth is more attracted to boat hulls that have 2 different shades of the same color.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

It has been scientifically proven that marine growth is more attracted to boat hulls that have 2 different shades of the same color.

All the empirical data contained in scientific papers written by marine growth attests to the fact they prefer beige.

 

[Blitz]

The between years

So for those users who use ablative paint and paint every other year, what is your SOP for the between years? Do you do anything like lightly wet scrub the paint before you launch in the spring? Is any specific prep recommended or needed besides the presuure wash that the yard did when you removed the boat in the fall?

 

[Maine Sail]

Bob,

Hydrocoat is one of the "relaunchable" ablatives!! So yes it can sit on the hard for long periods and be re-launched with minimal to no loss of efficacy.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Some ablatives are unfortunately NOT re-launchable. Usually the ablative paints branded as copolymer ablatives can be re-launched as well as products like Hydrocoat. The one exception, at least in the Interlux line, is Micron 66 which can be re-activated by washing it and lightly rubbing it with a Scotchbrite pad before launch. You can actually avoid this step and re-activate it by actually sailing it a good deal before sticking her on the dock or mooring. One of the cool things about 66 is that it ablades in salt water without having to actually run or move the boat. This is a big benefit for the dockside/condo boat crowd..?

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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Non copolymer ablatives, at least with Interlux paints, generally have a max out of water time of 60 days. It is important to note that at 60 days on the hard it has lost considerable efficacy when compared to say just 10 days out of the water.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Many of the non copolymer ablative paints, (excluding hydrocoat and a select few others) will in a sense "dry out". This means the active binders, that create the "ablative" properties of the paint, if left out of the water long enough stop working. Storing the boat out of the water prevents some ablative paints from leeching copper and stops the ablative characteristics of the product.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]With a true re-launchable ablative you are best to not apply a coat every season unless it actually needs it..
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[/FONT]

 

[dvideohd]

sometimes you have and odd view of things..

I am bottom painting today (CPP)... I pondered how it is that marine growth could read scientific papers - and further - how, just like people, they prefer two tones over the single tone.. (black Model Ts?).

something to think about....

-jr

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I am bottom painting today (CPP)... I pondered how it is that marine growth could read scientific papers - and further - how, just like people, they prefer two tones over the single tone.. (black Model Ts?).

something to think about....

-jr

Marine growth can't read scientific papers - they write them:dance:

 

[seadaddler]

Warmer Climate

What's up where are all the warmer climate sailboaters????
I guess they are all out sailing today,its really a nice boating day for sure,I just came back from passing Charlotte Harbor and a lot of sailboats were out.
But any way we know up north bottom paint and growth doesn't seem to be bad,but what about Florida,I am sure they are not all out sailing today.
I know if my boat wasn't on the hard waiting for bottom paint, I would be out sailing for sure.
How cold is it up north I am leaving Sunday for NY and will do XMAS with family and than real quick come back to Florida and paint the bottom and do some sailing
Nick.

 

[RAD]

Nick..

"How cold is it up north I am leaving Sunday for NY"
Snowing and its cold here in NY, have you been dreaming of a white Christmas?

 

[Rick D]

Re: Warmer Climate

Warm climate? Not sure if SoCal qualifies, but FWIW, we generally use a hard epoxy, often Trinidad, and have a regular dive service. Typically get three to four years out of a decent job. Not many DYI yards left and we are transitioning to no-to-low copper paint in the next few years. I think most of them are hard paints too, but we'll see what the gov'mt will bring us.

 

[Maine Sail]

Re: Nick..

"How cold is it up north I am leaving Sunday for NY"
Snowing and its cold here in NY, have you been dreaming of a white Christmas?

12.6 F here on Casco Bay right now and snowing about an inch an hour of champagne powder. Can't say about NY. I don't think ablative paint will dry today....

 

[Tim R.]

12.6 F here on Casco Bay right now and snowing about an inch an hour of champagne powder. Can't say about NY. I don't think ablative paint will dry today....

Skis went into the shop today for tuning to be ready for our New Years ski trip. I guess I should have waited until Monday. Too much to do tomorrow anyway but the slopes will be prime.

 

[seadaddler]

Bottom paint today

We can bottom paint here no problem.
I guess I'll be checking the weather up north.
My wife wants to stay here in warm sunny Florida and no snow.
Nick

 

[RobG]

Hey RAD

Wasn't it you who posted a couple of years ago that you used a water based (non VOC) bottom paint and had good results? I currently use Micron CSC and want to go a non VOC direction.
Thanks.

 

[Ron20324]

Bob, Rpell's advice is to be remembered. Use contrasting layers of paints. I started with red, then green. When the green wears off, the red shows and I can just touch up that area and not the whole bottom- causing buildup.

A happy hour conversation last night made us wonder... has anyone tried using a high water-pressure machine on the bottom UNDERWATER?... Also, instead of putting a tarp OVER the boat in the water, put one under it and pump the water out so as to dry the hull over the winter?... Or putting a baggie over the prop in the off-season?... No response or thanks needed, this is just to keep you awake tonight thinking about it...