In climates where one takes the boat out in winter, what paint works for this "multi-season" approach? Those in Maine, Chicago what do the yards recommend? And what works?
We get a power wash every year upon haul-out. Maybe it takes a little paint off , but there’s still plenty left above the warning coat.Also do people power-wash ablative at layup time - or anytime for that matter.
I've used micron 66 in brackish water, but I don't pull it out. 3 years was not a problem for me. This is in Puget Sound so we only get a very thin layer of ice in the marina in the winter. I have also used Micron CSC with the same results. One time I tried micron CF And that was a big mistake. Within 9 months I had a beard that would not scrub off and had to redo the bottom. And that stuff was expensive at the time.In southern New England I've used either Micron CSC or Pettit Hydrocoat (not Eco) for the past 20 years. Both perform about the same, but Hydrocoat is less expensive and water-based, so that's my standard go-to. Long Island Sound and Rhode Island and Cape Cod areas primarily. LIS is the highest growth area I sail -- it's more polluted the further west you go towards NYC, and with all the discharge from suburban lawns and golf courses it's a very nitrogen-rich environment for growth.
Like @TomY and @Scott T-Bird , the boat will have a thin growth at haul-out, with a few small barnacles (especially around the propshaft and underwater fittings). It gets wiped by a diver at least twice during the summer season, usually around late July and again in August.
It's SOP for the yards to include power washing with fall haul-out.
One season I tried Micron 66, and it was amazing. No need for a diver, and the bottom came out clean without any slime. However, it was so soft it would stain any lines that touched it if they went in the water, and it is saltwater ONLY (it is likely to deactivate and lose adhesion to your hull if it comes in contact with fresh water even once, so no trips upriver). It's also very expensive, but that's offset by diver costs.
As for multiseason, I've tried it with Micron CSC and Pettit Hydrocoat, and I'd say it's "1.5 season": Even though paint remains, it is less effective in the second year. So I just add a single coat annually (not two coats).
Whatever product you choose, it should be an ablative paint. Hard paints typically cannot withstand exposure to air.In climates where one takes the boat out in winter, what paint works for this "multi-season" approach? Those in Maine, Chicago what do the yards recommend? And what works?
VC17 is a hard paint, that gets mixed with a bag of copper powder…very popular up here on the Great Lakes where we haul out every winter…Whatever product you choose, it should be an ablative paint. Hard paints typically cannot withstand exposure to air.
You freshwater sailors sure love that stuff. Thankfully it is no longer available in California.VC17 is a hard paint, that gets mixed with a bag of copper powder…very popular up here on the Great Lakes where we haul out every winter…
There are at least 8 products in the Micron line. Which do you use?i've used nothing but interlux Micron for 40 years.