ABC3 bottom paint source/Test Pilot

[Mike36c]

I'm hauling the boat next week to complete various chores along with a fresh coat of bottom paint. After nine calls over several days to the company's technical department I finally got through. I needed to find out if its compatable with Micron Extra and to find a source in S. FL. They promised to call back with an answer but surprise! no call back Maybe the're just interested in ships..... I still think its worth a test. Does anyone know of a source for the paint? preferably South Florida? Thanks, Mike

[double eagle]

hey mike
what are you trying to use?????
I just did my bottom a month ago ...
stopped at the miami show at the interlux booth to see what was compatable with the micron 44 that was on the bottom ...
he said to use interlux micron 55...then I could go over it with any thing else or more micron 44...reason I did this is that the yard must put on the 1 st coat and wanted to make sure what they used was compatible..
if you write me I'll give you a product to use as an additive that will keep the barnicles off...
friends boat has this and is on 1 1/2 yrs with nothing --no growth--nothing
his boat is in wrightsville beach 9months then marathon fla for 3-4 months
bill
dbleagle58yf@cs.com

[Kerry Alexander]

We had Gulf Coast Marine Ways in FT Myers, FL put ABC on our 50MY.
They use it often. We have some stuff on the bottom after almost a year.
Cost is much less.
Kerry

[Mike36c]

Kerry & Jane, I was hoping to hear folks with ABC3 getting more than one season out their bottom job or at least one complete season. Does the paint control slime and grass well? I've tried several of the top brand paints over the years including hard and ablatives which is on the boat now, they just can't handle the plant and critter growth here in Stuart, FL. I run the boat at least once a week but the ablatives don't self polish as advertised. Please post more details concerning life, adheasion, etc. And was this your first test run?

Bill, please PM me the additive, if it works I'll try it! Mike

[Maynard Rupp]

Has anybody in the warm climates tried VC-17. This stuff has become the standard for all boats here in Detroit. When we haul our boats in fall, they don't really need a powerwash. They will grow in the harber, but because it is slippery, one 20 knot run and all is clean. You must re-coat yearly but there is NO buildup. We love it. Especially the idea of never sanding or scraping again.

[captddis]

Maynard,
I know the fresh water people love the VC. A friend of mine here in St Pete tried it about 10 years ago. After sitting a month in the summer, The whole bottom had to be sandblasted to get the barnacles and paint off! Maybe they changed it, I do not know. I have Micron 66 on about 12 boats including my own. IMHO it is superior and works as well or better than the tin paint.

[Maynard Rupp]

They have changed it alot over the years. The big advantage is that you never have any buildup and therfore no sanding or stripping whatsoever. I will try it on our Hatteras, (actually that is what's on there now), when I re-locate the boat to Miami. We had horror stories here also. These were left over from the old style VC-17. After I used it with great success on our yacht clubs 30' lobster boat, every big boat in Detroit has switched to this stuff. Believe me, after stripping 17 years of Interlux Bottom Coat off that Hat, I never want to use a paint that builds up. If I have to, I will, but some of the guys from here say the new VC-17 works great in salt water areas.