So much for a coat or two of paint

[jim rosenthal]

Powerboat Reports used to do a multi-year test of bottom paints, in three areas of the country: New England, mid-Atlantic, and Florida, as I recall. What works in one area frequently does not in another. And testing in three areas, while useful, still doesn't allow one to pinpoint what bottom paint would work best in YOUR area- whoever "you" may be.

However, modern bottom paints are a lot better than what they were years ago. When tin compounds were taken out of bottom paint by law, the remaining copper paints didn't work very well. They fouled easily. The manufacturers have improved them over time and they now work better than the tin paints they replaced. The best advice on picking a bottom paint seems to be asking boatyards and DIYers in your area and find out what works for them. The big players seem to be Pettit, Interlux, Awlgrip, and Seahawk. I'm sure I've left someone out. As I've posted in other threads, Seahawk has done very well on my boat in the upper Chesapeake, and has not required recoating for three years now. And my boat is not in an area which has a lot of current, and she does more than her share of sitting, for as long as two weeks at a time. Your mileage may vary, needless to say.

I would absolutely use an ablative paint as Ddis said. Why pay to remove paint that no longer works, later on? Let it remove itself at no extra charge.

 

[Avenger]

One word of warning. It's a Hatteras, you don't know what you're going to find under all of that. This all looked fine until we stripped it:

 

[yachtsmanbill]

I know its tangerines and cumquats, but I despise pettit products as well. On my aluminum boat, theres basically two choices (unless you wanna use green paint) and thats Interlux Tri-Lux and Pettit alumaguard.
I use pretty much all I-lux products now, and rarely have a problem, and they also have fantastic customer support. Painted my cabin one year and it flattened overnight with some humidity issues. They replaced the whole system "next day" for free of charge, no questions asked! Every can of pettit A-guard Ive ever opened up had a 1/4 can of solids in crystal form at the bottom, impossible to re-mix without grinding! Pettits response? "So what..."
Stick with Interlux products. PERIOD. However, on the Hatteras, being in fresh water, Ive used the cheapest W.M. stuff at $59/gal on sale with good results. Semi hard paint, I guess, and with the bottom like previously shown, lasts well. I run at 10 mph and merely take a chisel and scrape whats loose off and recover. Works for me. ws

 

[Boatsb]

Dave I remember the first time I sprayed the 33 and had the smoothest bottom I had ever seen. That was a big change back then. The 66 is the best available and when working with a customer it's hard to sell them on seahawk at a higher cost when Micron is the known name brand.

The Seahawk people have been after us to change for 2 years now but I can't justify the higher price.

 

[captbuddy]

I also used the SeaHawk ablative and I'm on my 2nd year and looks really good.
captbuddy

 

[saltshaker]

Dave I remember the first time I sprayed the 33 and had the smoothest bottom I had ever seen. That was a big change back then. The 66 is the best available and when working with a customer it's hard to sell them on seahawk at a higher cost when Micron is the known name brand.

The Seahawk people have been after us to change for 2 years now but I can't justify the higher price.

What are you paying for the Micron 66? I'm about to have the bottom done and the price for the Micron 66 was the same or higher than the Seahawk.

 

[saltshaker]

Anyone ever try Blue Water Marine Copper Pro SCX 67 Boosted Ablative Paint? Claims to be better than Seahawk and Micron 66. Gallon cost about $40-$50 less.

 

[motoryacht lover]

I found some paperwork on the boat and the price was $110.00/ft +/- 10%(price did not inc any blister work if found). I had the work done at Owl Creek Boat Works in Alva, FL. (just up the Caloosahatchee from Ft Myers). I had another price from Cortez Cove Marina in Bradenton, FL that was about a 1000 higher. Cortez Cove was going to put on 4 coats of barrier coat. I to was concerned about the number of coats of barrier coat and it is not the coats but the millage (thickness) of the paint. So it is no difference if you get the propr millage in 3 or 5 coats. I am no expert but that is what I was told. I can't remember but I might have spoken to a factory rep about this. I mostly boat in NC and VA but the last 2 years I have kept the boat in FL and have found yard work to be cheaper down here.

 

[the kuz]

Anyone ever try Blue Water Marine Copper Pro SCX 67 Boosted Ablative Paint? Claims to be better than Seahawk and Micron 66. Gallon cost about $40-$50 less.

We have used it the last two bottom jobs - lasts at least 2 years here in the Chesapeake. Very good results - some brown scum build up starts on the sunny side waterline late in the second year but ablates off if you run once a week. Going on third year and may not paint this year. No barnacles - very happy will use again next time. Bob K

 

[saltshaker]

We have used it the last two bottom jobs - lasts at least 2 years here in the Chesapeake. Very good results - some brown scum build up starts on the sunny side waterline late in the second year but ablates off if you run once a week. Going on third year and may not paint this year. No barnacles - very happy will use again next time. Bob K

Thanks!

 

[captddis]

Dave I remember the first time I sprayed the 33 and had the smoothest bottom I had ever seen. That was a big change back then. The 66 is the best available and when working with a customer it's hard to sell them on seahawk at a higher cost when Micron is the known name brand.

The Seahawk people have been after us to change for 2 years now but I can't justify the higher price.

I got talked into using Seahawk Cukoat on my Bertram. It was the worst s--t I have ever seen! My black bottom turned white with barnacles. After calling them on their warranty that there would not be any barnacles for a year, they bitched and moaned and blamed the yard. Finally gave me more paint and I painted it myself. Still grew barnacles at the water line between monthly cleanings.

May be better now. YMMV!

 

[GJH]

I have had an excellent year with Cukote in a very high growth environment. My diver likes it a lot. Was using a Pettit ablative in the preceding years, though we were cruising full time so not an exact comparison. Turns out my old yard in Baltimore that I used to use has switched over to Cukote too. So that's my story...

 

[captddis]

I have had an excellent year with Cukote in a very high growth environment. My diver likes it a lot. Was using a Pettit ablative in the preceding years, though we were cruising full time so not an exact comparison. Turns out my old yard in Baltimore that I used to use has switched over to Cukote too. So that's my story...

Hopefully they improved it. The yard I use do not use Seahawk, but other yards use only seahawk. A friend just put Cukote on his Hatt because it was cheaper than the Micron. I will keep an eye on his boat.
I am almost three years on my bottom, I will haul on 4/18 and will post pictures.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

I use the cheapest fiberglass bottom kote I can find zero growth.....

Mind you I launch in November and haul out for the summer in April or May...lol...

It's cheap though and saves me a load of work...

Here in the PNW I have to use trilux 11 being aluminum hulled, barnacles on running gear at annual haul out which I do every year in June and our water temp rarely gets over 70

 

[OBXTucker]

Well, after a few conversations with those I'd consider experts, we decided to patch up what's already there and paint over top. The hull cleaning and scrubbing of running gear has gone well. They'll begin painting on Monday.

Here's a look at the running gear. Perfectly balanced, wheels spin freely (one more project dodged!!):

 

[jim rosenthal]

Good for you. Go boating, and worry later. Excellent thinking, a method I employ frequently. Not that there's much here to worry about.

 

[captddis]

Are you going to enlighten us as what the real experts said? Just slop more Trinidad over the flaking paint?

 

[67hat34c]

Dont see why you cant get away with scraping loose stuff and painting. You are not looking for speed on LRC so cant see how some divits in the paint will hurt anything. However one day the big job will have to be done.