Why I love VC17
Every so often this thread comes up...in fact if you search the archives you'll find several of my posts about this stuff. First off, everything Doug and Higgs said is true. VC17 goes on VERY fast. I've put the boat in the water within 15 min. of painting (it probably takes a little longer up north because of the cooler temps). I used sail my boat very rarely and keep it on the trailer the rest of the time, and the paint held its effectiveness even if I han't sailed for almost a year. Most antifoulings can't do that. The paint is hard enough to withstand the rigors of trailering. I've left the boat in warm, nutrient-rich salt water (Indian River Lagoon) for eight weeks and found very little growth, just a few tiny barnacles that I could remove with a plastic scraper. In warm, fresh water (St. Johns River) two coats of VC17 lasted almost three years. As mentioned, the paint dries so fast that touch-ups (bow, leading edge of keel and rudder are a breeze. Here's the trick...stir the paint in the can to get the pigmemt off the bottom and into suspension. Pour into a large clear plastic ketchup squeeze bottle (the Heinz 44 oz. is the ideal size). Cut one corner off copper powder packet and pour it into the bottle. Snap the cap shut and shake to mix. To apply the paint, open the snap cap and squeeze what you need onto your brush or roller. The cap can stay open as long as you're painting, because very little solvent evaporates through the small hole. If the copper powder settles, snap the cap shut, shake for a few seconds, then resume painting. When you're done painting, close the cap and that's it. The paint will stay liquid for YEARS as long as the cap stays shut. You don't even need to clean the brush or roller. Next time you need to paint, squeeze some fresh paint onto the dry brush or roller and apply to the hull. The first few strokes will look like crap, but the brush/roller softens quickly and you can go back over the bad areas in a few minutes. No waste. More tricks. I don't use a boot stripe, I just extended the VC17 about four inches above the waterline. The paint only dissolves below the waterline, so you can touch up quickly without having to retape the stripe. Another trick...You don't have to sand VC17 to remove it. It wipes off with a rag or paper towel dampened with acetone or denatured alcohol. Since the paint is thin, you don't need a whole lot of work to remove it. VC Tar isn't really a barrier coat. It's a primer that provides a good bond for the Teflon-based VC17 and it also has good self-leveling properties. In other words, you don't have to sand the hull to baby bottom smoothness, just sand with 150 grit then apply the VC Tar. It levels itself and leaves a mirror finish, which you just scuff very lightly and apply the VC17. If you need a barrier coat, use Interlux 2000E, West System or some other epoxy (I started with Interlux 1000 and finished with Epiglass. For a barrier coat to be effective, you need at least three or four coats. Warning...the powdered copper can be poisonous, the paint is so thin it will go right through most fabrics to the skin and the solvent is pretty nasty, so be careful not to splash too much of this stuff on yourself. Otherwise, someone might scrape you up with a plastic spatula...Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
