Bottom Paint
- Thread starter Redsky376
- Start date
1.- It's not paint. It's a copper-loaded epoxy. As such, it needs to be sanded periodically to bring fresh biocide to the surface of the coating.
2.- I find it to be unsuitable for the fouling conditions found here in the Bay Area. YMMV.
This represents about a year's growth on a Hallberg Rassey 43 in Berkeley, CA.
2.- I find it to be unsuitable for the fouling conditions found here in the Bay Area. YMMV.
This represents about a year's growth on a Hallberg Rassey 43 in Berkeley, CA.
A friend of mine with a C41 is spending a fortune to have a diver veeeeeeery roughly remove the fouling and sand where he can to reactivate the copper. Hauled it once to power wash and sand at even greater cost.
Regrets applying it.
The year after we purchased our 1991 P42 in 2002 I hauled the boat and painted the bottom myself. I applied West Marine brand ablative using a paint roller. That paint job lasted until 2010 when I did the same thing again using the same brand of ablative.
Every year between paint jobs I hired a diver to scrape off a layer of mussels that gathers on the bottom of the keel along with a few barnacles that attached to the prop and prop shaft. He would also install new zincs. The rest of the soft fuzzy stuff that would form on the hull came off with the first sail.
Prep work involved pressure washing the hull then let dry. I used the kind of sanding material builders use on dry wall to level out the dried mud. This sanding material attaches to a swivel pad that screws onto a painter's pole. I used the same pole but with the one inch tight surface paint roller. The purpose of the sanding is to make a light cut in the old paint and feather any rough surfaces.
This a two day job. Hull prep and dry the first day then two coats of paint the second day. The ablative is ready to re-coat in two hours. I figure it will be time to redo the hull next year. My diver will affirm that next month when he dives again.
No comment on this other stuff.
Every year between paint jobs I hired a diver to scrape off a layer of mussels that gathers on the bottom of the keel along with a few barnacles that attached to the prop and prop shaft. He would also install new zincs. The rest of the soft fuzzy stuff that would form on the hull came off with the first sail.
Prep work involved pressure washing the hull then let dry. I used the kind of sanding material builders use on dry wall to level out the dried mud. This sanding material attaches to a swivel pad that screws onto a painter's pole. I used the same pole but with the one inch tight surface paint roller. The purpose of the sanding is to make a light cut in the old paint and feather any rough surfaces.
This a two day job. Hull prep and dry the first day then two coats of paint the second day. The ablative is ready to re-coat in two hours. I figure it will be time to redo the hull next year. My diver will affirm that next month when he dives again.
No comment on this other stuff.
WOW, 8 years?!! I've used the WM, Pettit, and Micron ablatives and the second year I get growth. Either I live in a really bad area or you live in a great area or both.
Clearly neither one of you know what real fouling is 
BTW- anti fouling paints are designed in the factory to give up their biocides over the course of 2-3 years or so. That is not something that can be altered. Still performing at 8 years? Yeah, I don't think so.
BTW- anti fouling paints are designed in the factory to give up their biocides over the course of 2-3 years or so. That is not something that can be altered. Still performing at 8 years? Yeah, I don't think so.
If you check where shelter bay is,
it might make more sense, depending on the tides, and how far back the boat is in the pond, the layer of fresher water on the surface can vary 1 to 3 ft. with very low CO/Oxygen in the water. 8 years is a bit long, But if the boat is not putting on hundreds of sailing miles a year it is possible. however 5-6 is pretty common. Even in Edmonds (straight saltwater) we get 4 years pretty easily with the cooler water with high solids paint.
YMMV,
We are thinking of moving the boat back in to shelter bay for other reasons tho. bigger problem is bad AC systems on other boats.
it might make more sense, depending on the tides, and how far back the boat is in the pond, the layer of fresher water on the surface can vary 1 to 3 ft. with very low CO/Oxygen in the water. 8 years is a bit long, But if the boat is not putting on hundreds of sailing miles a year it is possible. however 5-6 is pretty common. Even in Edmonds (straight saltwater) we get 4 years pretty easily with the cooler water with high solids paint.
YMMV,
We are thinking of moving the boat back in to shelter bay for other reasons tho. bigger problem is bad AC systems on other boats.
Nope. Anti fouling paints simply do not deliver their biocide for that long. It may be that a boat bottom isn't fouling much after 8 years, but its because the fouling conditions are practically nil, not because the paint is still doing its job.
Not to go all engineer here.
Parameters
still water, low 02/ low C02, very little wind,low temp, boats rarely move. all affect the ablation rate.
no one said the paint was specified for 8 years.
I hope no one is offended that some conditions result in long paint life and that copper is still present under the slime. (copper doing its job, no one is claiming the irgarol is present after 8 years)
And just to clarify, No one is recommending that you go 8 years between bottom paints.
nice to have conditions that lower the fixed costs of boating
Parameters
still water, low 02/ low C02, very little wind,low temp, boats rarely move. all affect the ablation rate.
no one said the paint was specified for 8 years.
I hope no one is offended that some conditions result in long paint life and that copper is still present under the slime. (copper doing its job, no one is claiming the irgarol is present after 8 years)
And just to clarify, No one is recommending that you go 8 years between bottom paints.
nice to have conditions that lower the fixed costs of boating
1.- Not all anti fouling paints are ablatives.
2.- Even ablative paints leach copper 24/7/365.
3.- Terry Cox said his paint lasted 8 years. While he may not have felt compelled to haul and repaint for 8 years, had that 8-year-old bottom been magically been transported to a locale that actually has a fouling issue, he would have found out in a hurry just how ineffective that 8-year-old paint had become.
Terry did specify he used an ablative, which is the experience you have called into question
A paint may leach copper if conditions are met, none of which you specified. A universal statement is very unimpressive.
If Terry reported his experience with a paint on his boat, why attack a reported experience with no basis to do so? So they were low fouling conditions, good for him.
A paint may leach copper if conditions are met, none of which you specified. A universal statement is very unimpressive.
If Terry reported his experience with a paint on his boat, why attack a reported experience with no basis to do so? So they were low fouling conditions, good for him.
And what is the water temp today????and July?? I have broken ice while sailing in May! May 3 Stockton Island
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RedSky, I live in Annapolis MD and found that Blue Water Paints Copper ProSCX-67 works really well on the Mid to Upper Bay. I put a couple of coats on and I'm good for two to three years.
I know Jamestown Distributors carries the paint. Good luck
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=55756
I know Jamestown Distributors carries the paint. Good luck
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=55756
How about a boat painted with ablative paint that is only in the water 4 or 5 months of the year, any idea how long that should last ?
I'm thinking about using Micron Extra as I am in mostly in salt water but some of the rivers we go into are fresh. Our Micron 66 cornflaked after a couple of weeks on a mooring ball in brackish water.
Bob
I'm thinking about using Micron Extra as I am in mostly in salt water but some of the rivers we go into are fresh. Our Micron 66 cornflaked after a couple of weeks on a mooring ball in brackish water.
Bob