Bottom paint for fresh water

[Bob4203]

I plan on taking the old gal out this spring for a fresh bottom and wax, but I never researched what is the best bottom paint for fresh water use. I usually just buy the cheapest considering the only concern is algae, scum and slime. I have been using the cheapest ablative paint through the years, but maybe not the longest lasting. Whats nice of course is when taken out of the water a pressure wash cleans off the bottom

Price is key as well as longevity, so its would be great to know if anyone sailing year round in fresh water found the magic combo paint (cheap and lasting).

I have to question too if those additives (anti-biotics in a tube for example) to repel growth are proven.

Thanks

Bob
'88 Mark II
Lake Lanier, GA

 

[Sanfelice]

I have been using Hydrocoat on my boats. It is reasonably priced and there seems to deals in the spring with manufacture's rebates. What I like about it is that is water based which makes it real easy to use. It is also an ablative but is much harder. You can brush the waterline and you don't get a lot of color. When pulled the boat only needs minor attention. It is also used by Searay for their factory applied bottom paint. They have come out with a version with a biocide which I haven't any information on but I think I will stick with the regular. I usually leave my boat in for 3 seasons.

 

[mortyd]

rather than rely on an blind forum i suggest you subscribe to practical sailor. among many other good ideas, they sent me to the previously mentioned and excellent petit hydrocoat.

 

[fstbttms]

(Anyone found) the magic combo paint (cheap and lasting)

You defined your search using two mutually exclusive terms- "cheap" and "long lasting." When it comes to anti fouling you paint, you usually get what you pay for.

BTW- Practical Sailor's bottom paint recommendations aren't worth the paper they're printed on, IMHO.

 

[mortyd]

now that you educated us about practical sailor's imcompetent reviews can you enlighten us with some facts?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Every friend I have in fresh water uses VC17. You can do a search on this forum on "VC17" and read for hours. Good luck.

 

[fstbttms]

now that you educated us about practical sailor's imcompetent reviews can you enlighten us with some facts?

I make my living maintaining anti fouling paint and I used to subscribe to PS. When comparing their paint reviews to my every day, hands-on, real world experience, I found most of them to be laughable. Do I have empirical proof? No. But I have the knowledge gained from over 20,000 in-water hull cleanings that tells me I'm right.

All that being said, the Practical Sailor anti fouling paint tests are conducted on the East Coast. Maybe they're accurate for the fouling conditions found there. They are frequently not accurate for the fouling conditions found here.

 

[Stu Jackson]

...All that being said, the Practical Sailor anti fouling paint tests are conducted on the East Coast. Maybe they're accurate for the fouling conditions found there. They are frequently not accurate for the fouling conditions found here.

Matt's right. Another way to say this is: "The ONLY bottom paint that actually WORKS is ONLY the one used by a majority your ACTIVELY SAILING dock neighbors. Ask them."

This advice has been around since they invented bottom paint. Really.

I would add to Matt's post that it's not only east coast vs. west coast. It varies even here in the San Francisco Bay/Delta/Sacramento & San Joaquin River estuary. While some is fresh, some brackish and some salt, that part's obvious. But even in the salt water areas, it varies between Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, Sausalito and the South Bay.

Ask around.

 

[Bob4203]

Thanks for the advice on the VC17 Stu. I will check that out.

Lake Lanier is a fresh water Army Corps impoundment north of Atlanta. I do not know what bottom paint is the most popular here as folks tend to go for cheap; afterall we are not fighting barnacles only slime and scum. I normally paint every five years or more and just scrub off the junk during the summer with snorkel or scuba gear. The racing crowd here might be opting for different formulas. I believe however, that ablative is the best for freshwater.

I subscribed to Practical Sailor when it was first introduced. It was well worth the high cost of a subscription as the comparison studies and product testing was similar to Consumer Reports and yielded excellent results. I was however, on my own with bottom paints back then when sailing in salt water. Its been decades since I have seen a PS.

Appreciate all the responses

Bob

 

[dlochner]

VC-17 is widely used on Lake Ontario. It won't, however last for 5 years. It takes about 2 to 3 cans to do the bottom on my Sabre 30.

 

[mortyd]

you didn't say which ps tests you disagree with, why, and what you suggest instead so the rest of us can save our money.

 

[Stu Jackson]

morty, I think the reason fstbttms didn't is because of what I said in my followup post. There are simply too many variables. That said, your point is well taken from a "logical" POV.

Bob, we have a gaggle of C34s and others in our C34 Fleet 13 on Lake Lanier. Find Dotty Toney or Lance Jones and ask them. Heck, you oughta join that Fleet (has all sizes and kinds of boats!!!) - they even have wine tastings! How veddy, veddy cultured...

 

[fstbttms]

VC-17 is widely used on Lake Ontario. It won't, however last for 5 years.

No anti fouling paint last for 5 years. They just aren't designed to give up their biocides for that long. If the OP can go 5 years between haulouts for paint with the cheap stuff, he probably shouldn't try to fix what ain't broke.

 

[Bob4203]

Stu,
I am aware of the 34 Fleet and I have met Dotty several years ago at the Atlanta Boat Show. We have a large 30 Fleet as well of which I am listed as the "Fleet Commodore" in Mainsheet, despite the fact I was unknowingly volunteered many years ago. The Fleet is inactive! Despite my repeated demands to remove my name, I still am listed! Go figure!?

Back to bottom paints. YES, many here will go years, even beyond five without painting the bottom. The only concern is osmotic blistering, but that is another thread on its own. I have owned six vessles on Lanier over the course of 35 years from 22 to 30 feet, each bottom painted with whatever was on sale or discontinued from my marine store.

It is difficult to evaluate which might have been the best given the temperature fluctuations on the lake that has a direct correlation to biota growth. The only paint that would make sense on a fresh water body (not brackish) would comprise a good concentration of algaecide/slimicide. This is where the antibiotic additive gets my attention. I have used heavy copper paints and even crushed red pepper, but they all seem to have the same end result. Overall, fair! Hence my attitude toward cheap. Now if this was salt water, it would be a whole new ballgame.

Bob

 

[fstbttms]

you didn't say which ps tests you disagree with, why, and what you suggest instead so the rest of us can save our money.

Jeezus, you're like a dog with a bone.

I haven't read Practical Sailor in years. I don't friggin' remember which of their many anti fouling paint reviews I found to be flawed. If you think they accurately quantify bottom paint performance, hey, knock yourself out. I'm not a fan.

I will say this however, I only ever recommend two anti fouling paint products; Pettit Trinidad and Interlux Micron 66. All other paints are inferior by comparison, IMHO.

You understand the concept of "opinion", don't you?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Stu,
I am aware of the 34 Fleet and I have met Dotty several years ago at the Atlanta Boat Show. We have a large 30 Fleet as well of which I am listed as the "Fleet Commodore" in Mainsheet, despite the fact I was unknowingly volunteered many years ago. The Fleet is inactive! Despite my repeated demands to remove my name, I still am listed! Go figure!?

Bob, have you written to Jim Holder?

 

[fstbttms]

The only paint that would make sense on a fresh water body (not brackish) would comprise a good concentration of algaecide/slimicide.

Why? You obviously have extremely low fouling and seem to do fine with a low-copper paint. You aren't going to extend your time between haulouts by buying something with a higher copper content.

This is where the antibiotic additive gets my attention.

I hope you are kidding about adding an antibiotic to your paint. Not cool in any way, shape or form.

BTW- the red pepper thing (and just about any other homespun, kitchen sink additive you can name) is a wive's tale. Completely useless.

 

[Bob4203]

Stu,

I have sent several emails to Mainsheet to be taken off the list to no avail. If you saw the listing it says, "Fleet Reforming". I do not have the time to take on such a role.

"Low Copper Paint" is probably a wise choice considering the low fouling here. I do something I call, "Bow Busting", whenever the boats sits for awhile at the dock which is to either be under power or sail and head as close as possible to large wakes made by these monster power boats here. Yes, we do have 50 foot+ yachts on Lanier. The bow goes up, and when it pounces back down it will remove algal mating off the waterline. Crazy heh? But Effective.

By the way, back in 1985 when I was living aboard my Coronado 35 and cruising the ICW I did add crushed red pepper to my bottom paint. I do not know if it was effective, but it blended with the paint okay. According to the shrimpers in St. Augustine, Florida it was not an old wife's tale at the time!

 

[fstbttms]

You think that commercial fishermen are immune to wives tales?

 

[Bob4203]

Well, the effort required a handful of pepper flakes from a jar in a pizza joint and crushing this in a cup with the end of a screwdriver handle. I cruised over a thousand miles thinking barnacles were burping themselves off the bottom. After all, if I were a barnacle how would a lick of burning powder taste? Ineffective? Maybe, but sure enjoyed listening to the old shrimpers at the dock tell their tall tales.