Bottom Paint

[cpenrose]

Whats involved in painting our boat bottom? We need to remove the barnacles too. Also which apint is best,interlux? 35 foot express.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Bottom Paint

ask the people at your marina what works best in your water and for a boat of your size and speed. I assume you are painting over an already painted bottom.

The best tool for removing barnacles is a checkbook.

 

[Mason78]

Re: Bottom Paint

The best tool for removing barnacles is a checkbook.

That is Funny!

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Bottom Paint

I like the ablative paints. Store brands are made by the major manufacturers (Pettit, Interlux), but are a few $ less. It used to be that you would buy AF paint by the copper percentage. Nowadays, the antislime technology is an important factor, and IMO harder to determine paint quality.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Bottom Paint

here's a question: I understand how ablative paints work--they shed their skin and what's attached when you move along at speed. do they also shed for slow (hull speed) boats?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Bottom Paint

Ablative paints do wear away, but only to expose new biocide, not to allow growth to fall off. For a slow boat, you would need a recommendation on an ablative paint. I would consult Pettit or interlux

 

[maicoman]

Re: Bottom Paint

35 foot is a nice size boat and a powerful pressure washer 3-5 gpm should take care of barnacles and ready the boat for painting.A non-ablative botttom paint is what I use each year because like you, my boat is on the blocks in the winter.I use little hot dog rollers on an extended handle so the roller doesn't get too heavy.A few hours and the job is done.I think the product is hydrocoat by Petit and my NJ boat bottom has no issues.

 

[maicoman]

Re: Bottom Paint

I misspoke in my reply,the Petit Hydrocoat is an ablative paint.It works well in Nj waters but I pressure wash and paint each year.I clean the bottom with a poweful pressure washer 4 GPM and also use a rotary nozzle.Any loose paint or barnacles are easily removed.Good luck and happy boating.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Bottom Paint

Maicoman, You could probably get away with painting every 2 years, with that ablative paint. I am currently doing that and live in NJ as well. I need to touch up the waterline and transom every season, however, it only takes a few minutes with a brush....

 

[cpenrose]

Re: Bottom Paint

The boats in NC right now. Were bringing it up at the end of the month. We wanna do the painting before it.

 

[At3]

Re: Bottom Paint

Hey guys, this is my first post, I also boat in nj(shrewsbury river, raritan bay and beyond). I used hydrocoat last season and didn't have very good results in the shrewsbury river. The bottom was fouled by July, had to pull it and have it power washed . I really think it has a lot to do with being docked in the river with constant current and moving water. A lot of guys in my marina had problems with fouling last season too, don't know what paint they used though. If I put it in the same marina I'm going back to micron, nothing attaches to that paint.
Art

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Bottom Paint

Art, I have never used the water-based stuff. I never saw the advantage as I just toss out the brush, roller cover and tray liner, after the paint drys. CSC is a good paint. It might be interesting to compare the copper content of the CSC to the Hydrocoat. Maybe the Hydrocoat has less copper.

BTW - I had some fouling issues in Barnegat Bay last summer as well. Usually I do not have them the first year of the bottom paint. I will paint this year and see what happens.

 

[cpenrose]

Re: Bottom Paint

Done