Cleaning Ablative Bottom Paint

[Don]

During last winter's layup, I painted my boat's bottom with CSC Interlux ablative paint. Given that I plan to leave the boat in the water this winter, I am considering a power wash job at my marina.Here's my (possibly dumb) question: Can ablative paint be powerwashed? Will any of the coats that I so tenderlovingly applied simply be washed off?I am relatively new at this and would appreciate anyone's advice. Seems the marina could be ensuring their future work here.Thanks.

 

[Paul Akers]

Don't Worry

I've used ablative paint for three seasons now. It gets power washed when it's hauled in the fall. I went two seasons before I saw the teltale signs of my marker coat showing through. I painted a single coat at that point.P.S. I started with 3 coats. One red (as a marker) and two blue.

 

[Tim]

WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR!

If you are going to leave the boat in the water over the winter, there really is no reason to haul, clean the bottom and put it back in the water just to get scummed up again before next season! I would recommend you simply leave it alone (unless you plan to do some sailing during the "off" season) and then have it powerwashed next spring. No, a powerwash will not damage the paint.Tim "TIDE"

 

[Rich Stidger]

I would be careful

If you powerwash and then look at how much "color" is on the ground, you might pause to think about how much paint you are removing.I would use the powerwasher but at the longest distance from the hull that will do the job. Better yet, use a hose and a large hand sponge and only use the powerwasher where absolutely necessary.BTW, I too used Interlux CSC "Improved version" two years ago and this year I found MANY barnicles on the bottom. Almost every 6" on grid. I am very unhappy, and wonder if the new formulation is junk. I never had this problem with the older CSC formula.Rich Stidger

 

[Mickey McHugh]

ACT cleaning

on a 40.5 I used Interlux BottomKote the first year. When I pulled it for shipping it was a bit thin and after the shipyard power washed it, they decided to repaint it under warrant but used Interlux ACT. After 8 months in Long Beach, I shipped it back to Texas and the bottom looked so good that I decided to just wipe it down with a sponge and applied 1 coat of ACT. I do notice some BLUE come off the bottom when I go over the side to wipe her down so I don't think I would power wash unless the bottom looked really bad. Save the money and try a hose and a sponge on a stick. ACT seems to work very well in the hot Texas water. (90 degrees this summer)

 

[Mark]

No Problem Mon

I use ACP 50 and have the bottom power washed every year (in prep for new paint where it is needed). Just the scum comes off. But like a earlier post, if you are leaving your boat in for the winter wait until the spring to pull and power wash My routine is I leave my boat in the water every other winter. The spring following leaving the boat in we pull the boat power wash, then take a hose and green scrubbie to the hull. After that dries we then paint the waterline and leading edge of the keel and rudder and any other place that is showing the signal coat (our first coat on the hull is a different color of ACP50 than the final coat) Power wash doesn't hurt ablative!!Good LuckMark Whitson