Bottom paint epic failure

TomY · Oct 5, 2018

Wow! I'm still in the water and we have the ring of long algae along the waterline (as your photo shows), but the visible bottom looks clear below the ring, less than an inch, of inch long algae.

I've used many different types of bottom paint on the coast of Maine and have settled on Aqua-guard. Without a doubt, it has been the best protection I've found, and it is the easiest to apply.

We stay in the water for 5 months, June through October. We've seen mussel clumps on the bottom of the keel where bottom paint has worn off, but never growth like that. Rockport Harbor is where we moor.

Captain Larry-DH · Oct 5, 2018

Wow! Totally ineffective. I would have cleaned it or hauled mid-season to repaint. Did you use the boat?

The only currently sold bottom paint that’s 100% effective, including slime (in my experience in LIS and southern New England) is Micron 66. (This is a very high growth area, probably due to runoff from fertilizer and other pollution.) Unfortunately, it’s expensive and it will fail catastrophically if you bring it into fresh water just once, so I can’t use it because I occasionally venture into rivers with fresh or brackish water.

I’ve been using Petit Hydrocoat the past few years. It’s water based and effective against hard growth but does get some slime; which requires a diver to wipe it every 6 weeks or so. That costs $150 each time so it works out to about $25 per week and I can tolerate that.

Edit: Hydrocoat is a multi season ablative, but in my experience it loses effectiveness about halfway into the second season, so I add a single refresh coat every spring.

Joe · Oct 5, 2018

Geez... do you really need to post 12 nearly identical pictures to make a point? Maybe go with the hard shell paint next time.

garymalmgren · Oct 5, 2018

THAT IS FOUL!!

Don S/V ILLusion · Oct 5, 2018

I doubt it's the paint as we used the same Interlux CF when in RI without problems. It's more likely how it was applied.

Justin_NSA · Oct 5, 2018

Didn't sail it enough. Ablative paints can be less effective if your boat remains idle for extended periods of time, which denies it that self-cleaning action provided by water movement.

Jackdaw · Oct 5, 2018

Justin_NSA said:
Didn't sail it enough. Ablative paints can be less effective if your boat remains idle for extended periods of time, which denies it that self-cleaning action provided by water movement.

That's what I was thinking.

Justin_NSA · Oct 5, 2018

Along that thinking process, maybe an ablative is the wrong kind of paint for you sailme88.

nat55 · Oct 5, 2018

Good harvest! Seriously though, I'm not ready to go copper free no matter what the paint guys say. I get hauled next week and I am curious to see my bottom after using Pettit Hydrocoat SR.

Captain Larry-DH · Oct 5, 2018

I'm surprised they set it on the stands before power washing. Boatyards around here power wash it in the slings (over a catch basin to control the runoff) then they block it with stands in the final spot.

Terry Cox · Oct 5, 2018

Wow! We bought our 1991 boat in 2002. Did the bottom my self with two plus coats of West Marine brand ablative. We are active sailors, but nothing like your pictures have we ever experienced even though we keep our boat in sea water year around.

Each year I have a diver scrape mussels off the flat bottom of the keel and a barnacle or two from the bright work and some light green fuzz (he does not touch that stuff) on the hull that comes off with each sail. Redid the bottom in 2011 and again this past spring 2018. Still use the same bottom paint, but never have we had anything like what you show even after seven years between bottom jobs. No recommendations here other than perhaps trying a different antifouling bottom method.

Joe · Oct 5, 2018

I've had a diver take care of my boat's below waterline surface once a month since I've owned it. I always use a hard shell type paint... since it stays in the water year round... so the diver's effort won't remove the paint prematurely. The first year or so a simple sponge or piece of carpet to wipe off the algae is sufficient. More aggressive action may be needed if the white worms show up. As the biocide's become leached out of the paint over time the diver will need to scrape the harder stuff off.. and this is when you start planning your next haul out. The diver will give you a regular condition report and check your zincs and through hulls.

For a 27 foot boat I pay $40 per cleaning but it pays off in not requiring yearly haulouts... once every 5-6 years is sufficient. When I do haul out I will have the diver come the day before, since the stuff comes off easier when it's still wet..... that's why they power wash the bottom immediately after lifting the boat out of the water and still in the slings.

Even though the growth that was shown in the myriad of pictures is massive... a competent diver would have removed it easily.... now you're looking at a major PIA.

I think some people misunderstand what a bottom paint does.... in my experience it will inhibit, or slow down, growth. It will not prevent it...the boat's bottom still needs attention. Just not as much as if it were bare nekkid.

Don Lucas · Oct 8, 2018

sailme88 said:
Filling in the blanks to some of the questions. I never sail enough, this season was only 32 days...
The application was in total protocol with Interlux ( including 4 barrier coats). Interlux trouble shooter said he thought it due to the warming of the waters. If the water in Maine are too warm, this paint should NEVER be sold south of Deleware...

sounds you are getting the blow off!

garymalmgren · Oct 8, 2018

Oh I see. No problem with the paint or application.
It is the water!
So what would the solution be?

This is a classic case of a supplier or manufacturer avoiding responsibility.
Next time buy Chinese!

gary