I finally uncovered the boat, and put the batteries back in. I'm planning on launching May 4. The only two major things I need to do before I splash are paint the bottom, and wax. My boat is 4 years old, and since we purchased her, I've been applying VC17. This season, the bottom looks good. My question is this: I've been thinking of skipping the painting part...the bottom looks good (except for some touch up work)...what do YOU think? The boat is in the water five months out of the year. My yard manager (who also happens to own a sailboat)says, if the bottom is in good shape, bag the painting and save some money. PS: my boat IS barrier coated.
Question for Great Lakes Sailors
- Thread starter SailJunkie
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Great Lakes bottom paint
I think first you have to decide how much sailing you do, does the boat lie at it's berth Monday to Friday with little use, or are you sailing more than moored. If the boat is on the move it will gather less weed etc. Lying at it's berth it will build up progressively. When I purchased my 272 in 2003 in NJ, the surveyor told me it had 6 to 7 coats of antifouling built up on the hull which was also barrier coated. Moving the boat to Georgian Bay the same year with plenty of useage each season fouling has been minimal and only required the yards washdown each Fall. This year after 5 seasons I will be antifouling for the first time. I expect this to last another 5 years or more and it won't be as expensive as VC 17. If your interest is racing then the paint and polish away to get that extra 0.1 of a knot. Arthur Griffiths
I think first you have to decide how much sailing you do, does the boat lie at it's berth Monday to Friday with little use, or are you sailing more than moored. If the boat is on the move it will gather less weed etc. Lying at it's berth it will build up progressively. When I purchased my 272 in 2003 in NJ, the surveyor told me it had 6 to 7 coats of antifouling built up on the hull which was also barrier coated. Moving the boat to Georgian Bay the same year with plenty of useage each season fouling has been minimal and only required the yards washdown each Fall. This year after 5 seasons I will be antifouling for the first time. I expect this to last another 5 years or more and it won't be as expensive as VC 17. If your interest is racing then the paint and polish away to get that extra 0.1 of a knot. Arthur Griffiths
Great Lakes
Hi Junkie; We sail in N. Lk Michigan and can go 2-3 years between coats. depends a lot on the water temps. the colder the water, the less growth. The longest I have gone with VC-17 is Painting every 3 years. Worst I had was a little extra "slime" at the end of season. That would not have been a problem if I would have give a gentle brushing mid season. Save some bucks and skip this year, see how it looks next year. Fair winds Dave
Hi Junkie; We sail in N. Lk Michigan and can go 2-3 years between coats. depends a lot on the water temps. the colder the water, the less growth. The longest I have gone with VC-17 is Painting every 3 years. Worst I had was a little extra "slime" at the end of season. That would not have been a problem if I would have give a gentle brushing mid season. Save some bucks and skip this year, see how it looks next year. Fair winds Dave
VC 17 vs. Micron
I know a lot of People in the Great Lakes use VC-17 and others use Micron CSC. From the Interlux Boat Painting Guide HARD ANTIFOULINGS – The technical term for these types of antifouling paints is ‘contact leaching’. The paint dries to a porous film that is packed with biocides, which leach out on contact with water to prevent fouling growth. This leaching is chemically designed to release biocide throughout the season, but the amount will steadily decrease until there is not enough biocide coming out of the paint film to maintain fouling protection. Once the biocide is exhausted, the hard paint film remains on the boat. Hard antifoulings do not retain their antifouling ability out of the water and cannot be hauled and relaunched without repainting. One of the main benefits of this type of antifouling is its resistance to abrasion and rubbing. This makes it ideal for fast powerboats, racing sailboats or boats where the owners have the bottoms scrubbed regularly. Most hard antifouling paints can be wet sanded and burnished prior to launch to reduce drag and improve hull speed. For Hard Antifoulings ask for Ultra with Biolux®, Ultra-Kote®, Fiberglass Bottomkote® or Fiberglass Bottomkote® Aqua. For Hard Racing Finishes ask for VC® Offshore with Teflon®, Baltoplate, VC 17m® Extra or VC 17m®. 31 and for the Micron CONTROLLED SOLUBILITY COPOLYMERS or CONTROLLED DEPLETION POLYMERS – These types of antifoulings are partially soluble which means that as water passes across the surface of the coating, it wears down much like a bar of soap would wear away. The physical action of the water over the surface steadily reduces the thickness of the paint at a controlled rate, which results in always having fresh biocide at the surface of the paint throughout the season. For this reason these types of antifoulings have the capability to perform in the areas of highest fouling challenge. Boats painted with Controlled Solubility Copolymers can be hauled and relaunched without repainting since the biocides are chemically bound to the paint film and are only active when in the water. The longevity of these coatings is related to the thickness of the paint. For Controlled Solubility Copolymer Antifoulings ask for Micron® Extra with Biolux®, Micron® CSC or Micron® Optima. Differences Hard antifoulings do not retain their antifouling ability out of the water and cannot be hauled and relaunched without repainting. Boats painted with Controlled Solubility Copolymers can be hauled and relaunched without repainting I'm just putting this out there for discusion, based on what the Interlux say. I'm not reccomending one over the other.
I know a lot of People in the Great Lakes use VC-17 and others use Micron CSC. From the Interlux Boat Painting Guide HARD ANTIFOULINGS – The technical term for these types of antifouling paints is ‘contact leaching’. The paint dries to a porous film that is packed with biocides, which leach out on contact with water to prevent fouling growth. This leaching is chemically designed to release biocide throughout the season, but the amount will steadily decrease until there is not enough biocide coming out of the paint film to maintain fouling protection. Once the biocide is exhausted, the hard paint film remains on the boat. Hard antifoulings do not retain their antifouling ability out of the water and cannot be hauled and relaunched without repainting. One of the main benefits of this type of antifouling is its resistance to abrasion and rubbing. This makes it ideal for fast powerboats, racing sailboats or boats where the owners have the bottoms scrubbed regularly. Most hard antifouling paints can be wet sanded and burnished prior to launch to reduce drag and improve hull speed. For Hard Antifoulings ask for Ultra with Biolux®, Ultra-Kote®, Fiberglass Bottomkote® or Fiberglass Bottomkote® Aqua. For Hard Racing Finishes ask for VC® Offshore with Teflon®, Baltoplate, VC 17m® Extra or VC 17m®. 31 and for the Micron CONTROLLED SOLUBILITY COPOLYMERS or CONTROLLED DEPLETION POLYMERS – These types of antifoulings are partially soluble which means that as water passes across the surface of the coating, it wears down much like a bar of soap would wear away. The physical action of the water over the surface steadily reduces the thickness of the paint at a controlled rate, which results in always having fresh biocide at the surface of the paint throughout the season. For this reason these types of antifoulings have the capability to perform in the areas of highest fouling challenge. Boats painted with Controlled Solubility Copolymers can be hauled and relaunched without repainting since the biocides are chemically bound to the paint film and are only active when in the water. The longevity of these coatings is related to the thickness of the paint. For Controlled Solubility Copolymer Antifoulings ask for Micron® Extra with Biolux®, Micron® CSC or Micron® Optima. Differences Hard antifoulings do not retain their antifouling ability out of the water and cannot be hauled and relaunched without repainting. Boats painted with Controlled Solubility Copolymers can be hauled and relaunched without repainting I'm just putting this out there for discusion, based on what the Interlux say. I'm not reccomending one over the other.
VC-17
Sailjunkie~ My opinion FWIW thinks that you will be ok if you do a scrub on the bottom, mid-summer. I have known folks that have skipped years between applying VC-17. Some continue to go every other year and some have gone back to yearly applications. One common complaint was the build up that occured on the rudder. It might have been related to the amount of exposure to the sun? Give it a shot and find out for yourself and report back in the fall. If you find out if you really needed to paint, you will not have ruined anything. The worst case senario is you will lose a knot or two. If you are time and money stretched a couple of ways to save on both is to just paint the waterline and rudder. The second way is if you use original VC-17, is to by the West Marine version FW-21 at like $27/qt, same stuff. The reality of this spring is that it has'nt happened and when it changes, bam summer is on. Time to do the yard work just has'nt been do-able with what mother nature has been dealing us.
Sailjunkie~ My opinion FWIW thinks that you will be ok if you do a scrub on the bottom, mid-summer. I have known folks that have skipped years between applying VC-17. Some continue to go every other year and some have gone back to yearly applications. One common complaint was the build up that occured on the rudder. It might have been related to the amount of exposure to the sun? Give it a shot and find out for yourself and report back in the fall. If you find out if you really needed to paint, you will not have ruined anything. The worst case senario is you will lose a knot or two. If you are time and money stretched a couple of ways to save on both is to just paint the waterline and rudder. The second way is if you use original VC-17, is to by the West Marine version FW-21 at like $27/qt, same stuff. The reality of this spring is that it has'nt happened and when it changes, bam summer is on. Time to do the yard work just has'nt been do-able with what mother nature has been dealing us.
FW-21
is 43$USD from the West marine website. I bought my VC-17 this year for 38$ Cdn. As is often the case around here at least- there are few bargains at WM
is 43$USD from the West marine website. I bought my VC-17 this year for 38$ Cdn. As is often the case around here at least- there are few bargains at WM
bag it - save the money
Just touch it up. I've been touching it up for 5 years, using everyone's extra paint. My friends lift their noses out of joint because my bottom is every color in the rainbow. I tell them "Only the fish see it!" Only slime in 5 years.
Just touch it up. I've been touching it up for 5 years, using everyone's extra paint. My friends lift their noses out of joint because my bottom is every color in the rainbow. I tell them "Only the fish see it!" Only slime in 5 years.
Good luck launching by May 4th...
I'm a bit jealous. It is snowing in Minnesota today and we still have a foot of ice on Lake Waconia...
I'm a bit jealous. It is snowing in Minnesota today and we still have a foot of ice on Lake Waconia...
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