[Rhodes22-list] Bottom Paint

Leland LKUHN at cnmc.org
Wed May 2 11:26:18 EDT 2012


When I first got my boat I went with Don Casey's Sailboat Maintenance advice
and used a non-ablative bottom paint, based on a slow-moving sailboat that
wouldn't remove ablative layers and that I was planning on leaving my boat
in the water for two years at a time.  The West Marine sales person gave me
opposite advice even though their website below agreed with Casey:

"Ablative paints (of the non-polymer type) work in a similar way and
minimize the annual ritual of sanding when applying a fresh coat. Best use:
single-season paint for boats that are used often, but are not serviced by a
diver. Not recommended when you want a super-smooth bottom finish and have a
diver maintain it, since scrubbing removes paint and reduces longevity. Must
be repainted if the boat is pulled out of the water for winter storage. All
ablatives of both varieties share the advantages that they can be applied
over most other types of antifouling paints and do not create a paint
buildup.

Hard “Contact Leaching” Paints
If you keep your boat in the water year round you are most likely a
candidate for a modified epoxy paint that prevents growth by leaching
biocides upon contact with water. Contact leaching paint releases the
biocide at a steadily decreasing rate, leaving the hard coating of the
original thickness at season’s end. Higher copper content, rather than the
type of paint binder as with ablative paints, generally means greater
effective performance in this paint type. Modified epoxy paints adhere
tenaciously to most surfaces, and can be applied over most types of paints.
On the down side, they lose effectiveness when the boat is stored out of
water. Best use: range of products from inexpensive single season coverage
(like West Marine BottomShield) up to top quality multi-season protection in
high-fouling environments (such as Pettit Trinidad SR or Interlux Ultra).
Excellent for racing sailboats and fast powerboats, due to its ability to
resist abrasion and be burnished to a smooth surface. Avoid when you don’t
want paint to build up from annual paint jobs."

Looks like both types of paints have improved over the last few years.

If you use non-ablative make sure you get your boat back in the water within
the paint's guidelines or it looses its effectiveness.

Rob's advice to see what other people in your marina who use their boats
similiarly is probably the best.  Unfortunately I notice that my local
marine growth conditions seem to change each year. 

Good luck!

Lee
1986 Rhodes22  AT EASE
Kent Island, MD


-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Lowe, Rob
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 8:49 AM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Brand of paint and bottom paint

Rod,
No one ever responded to your questions.  I don't think there is a good
single answer to your question.  Some people prefer ablatives (I don't, I
tried just on my tiller) and some prefer hard paints.  Any of the better
brands.   The Interlux paints are pretty popular, I "think" that's what Stan
uses.

http://www.defender.com/interlux.jsp

West Marine offers this advice.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/WestAdvisorView?langId=-1&storeId=11151&catalogId=10001&page=Anti-Fouling-Paint

You might see what others in your marina or lake are using. - rob

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