Middle River, MD bottom paint recommendations

RichH · Oct 27, 2009

Micron CSC is the most popular in this area. However, in mid summer when the water goes above 80 deg.F you will still need to scrub the hull about every two weeks, unless you are slipped in an area that has good water flow. Above 80 deg. F and in any area that doesnt have good water flow you will build immense slime .... and the barnacles will attach to the slime and then the hull. The alternate is to actually sail the boat regularly so that the ablative paint will actually ablate.

The best for prop and shaft protection is either Propspeed or Petit Zinc Rich Barnacle Barrier ... both for barnacle protection.

Paul Mermelstein · Oct 27, 2009

I've been using Petite Trinidad Pro with good results. I have a diver clean the bottom about 3 times a season. He reports that the bottom looks pretty good. BTW, I sail all throughout the Bay, about every 2 weeks on average.

luvitt · Oct 28, 2009

i used to live in bowleys quarters and my boatyard always used micron csc on mine. never had much growth. i lived on Frog Mortar creek.

Warren Milberg · Oct 28, 2009

I moslty sail in the brackish mid-Chesapeake maybe 45 miles from Middle River. My goal with bottom painting is (1) I don't want to have to sand much, or at all, (2) I don't want to spend more than $100/gal, and (3) I don't want much paint build-up. I've found the annual West Marine CPP fits the bill, as does the multi-season Petit Hydrocoat. Either would work over a modified hard epoxy that is well adhered. While slime build-up does occur, hard growth is not a problem.

fifedog · Nov 1, 2009

Manny, my marina owner (who also sold me my H27) primarily uses 2 brands. Pettit Trinidad and Micron CSC. He painted my boat's bottom Micron CSC black, and put it in the water last August. We hauled it out in July, and I was expecting the creature of the black lagoon to be clinging to it. Surprisingly, there was very little crud, and no more than a hundred barnacles (many around the prop and shaft). It may be $200 a gallon, but well worth it.
Another guy (who races on Wed nights), one pier over, used the new Vivid paint, and his hull was all crudded up...after 3 months in the water.

RichH · Nov 1, 2009

Warren Milberg said:
I've found the annual West Marine CPP fits the bill, as does the multi-season Petit Hydrocoat. Either would work over a modified hard epoxy that is well adhered. While slime build-up does occur, hard growth is not a problem.

Interesting. Up in the upper bay (Worton Creek) I had a slight to moderate barnacle problem with Micron CSC this year (not a problem in past years), but my boat didnt move much during July and August. The boat in the next slip used CPP and had 1+ barnacle per square INCH - the entire underwater surface was almost totally encrusted, sponges too.