The rule you quoted pertains to textured surfaces and polymers. I'm just looking for an anecdote about somebody soaping-up their hull, based your assertion that this used to be common practice. But maybe it never actually happened.
What to coat the boat bottom for speed?
- Thread starter McIntoshUSA
- Start date
Just to give everyone a chance to get their two cents in, this substance will repel water. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo93WhfFdrU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo93WhfFdrU
If my memory serves correctly I saw it in Newport on Ted Turner's Boat - 'Courageous' 1977?
Some of that crew and his later AC boat attempts were co-workers of mine so I got to see such up front and personal. The rumor then was, Captain Outrageous always 'soaped' his 5 meter and FD boats, classes that he absolutely dominated.
Some of that crew and his later AC boat attempts were co-workers of mine so I got to see such up front and personal. The rumor then was, Captain Outrageous always 'soaped' his 5 meter and FD boats, classes that he absolutely dominated.
So, doing a little digging, it appears that soap is a polymer (something of which I was unaware) so therefore the quoted rule is prohibiting soap as a speed enhancement.
I stand corrected.
Soap cleans (it's primary job) because it is a surfactant; it breaks down surface tension of water. As such it reduces the friction between water molecules. When used on hulls, this also allows much longer laminar flow at the boundary layer next to the hull before the flow becomes turbulent. That's faster. And illegal.
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The bottom of my boat appears clean. You can see in the 2 attached pictures. The white part of the hull is very smooth. The light blue looks clean but it is actually a little rough to touch. Also when I touch the blue it likes to rub off onto my hands a little.
So should i wet sand the light blue paint of the hull or leave it? Does it rubbing off on my hands mean it needs to be repainted or is the wet sanding all it needs?
Thanks Mike
So should i wet sand the light blue paint of the hull or leave it? Does it rubbing off on my hands mean it needs to be repainted or is the wet sanding all it needs?
Thanks Mike
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You probably have an ablative paint that was rolled-on, hence the "rough" texture (probably more accurately described as "orange peel".) Ablatives are by nature, soft paints that will come off when rubbed. It does not mean that you need new anti fouling paint. You need new paint when the existing paint becomes ineffective.
That bottom looks perfectly fine for race day. It sounds like you have an ablative paint. Google it. When you don't have any rubbing off on your hand, then it's probably time to re-apply, if ablative is what you want. Lifting the boat out of the water makes your bottom maintenance much easier!
Yes. Remember hard and smooth. Ablative is neither. The best possible bottom is just gelcoat. But that only works if you dry sail.
If you paint, the best choices are VC17 for freshwater or VC Offshore Regatta (aka baltoplate). Offshore in particular gets burnished to a VERY SMOOTH surface as it's final preparation.
Nobody serious races with ablative paint.
The typical club racer is not going to notice any difference in boat speed between an ablative paint and a hard paint. Further, there are ablative paints that "serious" racers use (Interlux Micron 66, Pettit Vivid etc.) That said, in low-fouling freshwater, as Jackdaw noted, Baltoplate or VC 17 are good choices. It should be noted however, that both are vinyl paints and are likely incompatible with other paints (assuming something else is currently on the bottom.)
If you want to improve your boat speed, change your prop to a folding or feathering prop. The fixed 3 blade prop has more drag than the ablative paint you have on the bottom.
After that, a hard paint will be faster than a soft ablative paint.
New sails and good crew work will improve performance more than switching bottom paint. Of course new sails and a new prop are more expensive than a couple of gallons of bottom paint, but they last longer.
If you're lucky you can get good crew that brings their own beer.
The bottom line (no pun intended) for almost every casual sailor/beer can racer out there is; as far as boat speed goes, it doesn't matter what anti fouling product you use. Keeping that anti fouling product clean is what matters. A clean bottom, good sails and crew work are what are going to make you fast.
Again, no appreciable difference in boat speed between ablative or hard paints for almost everybody reading this.
Again, no appreciable difference in boat speed between ablative or hard paints for almost everybody reading this.
sounds like you never raced or worked for a racing crew who are concerned with every tenth of a knot of boat speed.
...said the man with a fifty-foot crab crusher.
I service many, many racers. From the racing once-yearly 100-year-old wooden schooner to the Friday night beer can enthusiast to more high-end, full-on race programs. And I guarantee that at the lower end of that spectrum (like we are discussing here), choice of anti fouling paint is the least concern, as far as boat speed goes. Unless you are going to spray on a hard paint and burnish it, the difference between hard and ablative is negligable, if not completely undetectable. Most boat owners are not interested in going to those lengths.
As far as anti fouling paint goes and racing, for the average racer, this boat maintenance professional's advice is to apply a paint (regardless of type) that has good anti fouling properties for your area, clean it before racing and then concentrate on tactics, crew work and sails.
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Indeed... I figure that the average SBO 'racer' gives away more time at one start then their paint choice costs them all season.
To quote you, "phuuul eze"....said the man with a fifty-foot crab crusher.
I service many, many racers. From the racing once-yearly 100-year-old wooden schooner to the Friday night beer can enthusiast to more high-end, full-on race programs. And I guarantee that at the lower end of that spectrum (like we are discussing here), choice of anti fouling paint is the least concern, as far as boat speed goes. Unless you are going to spray on a hard paint and burnish it, the difference between hard and ablative is negligable, if not completely undetectable. Most boat owners are not interested in going to those lengths.
As far as anti fouling paint goes and racing, for the average racer, this boat maintenance professional's advice is to apply a paint that has good anti fouling properties for your area (regardless of type), clean it before racing and then concentrate on tactics, crew work and sails.
You made the generality. Sorry if you don't like my boat. I'll sell it and buy what u prefer