How can I tell that my bottom paint needs repainting

[dohenyboy]

Got the bottom painted on one of my boats in April. Trinidad paint, applied by boatyard A. Boat is in Newport Beach Harbor. At that time I could see that the old paint was chalky, looked real dried out.

Last month the cleaning service (divers) called me and said that the paint was "dead" and I should ask the boatyard to redo it or get my money back. cleaning service are friends of boatyard "B" it seems, because as soon as divers started cleaning the boat I got sales calls from boatyard B soliciting bottom job.

Hauled out the boat at A this morning. Boatyard A said they would redo it if it were defective. Boat had not been cleaned for a month. Paint looks fine to me. As soon as it was taken out of the water, boatyard worker sprayed off the gunk and it came right off. Boatyard manager was there with me and said, looks perfect to me.
So how can I know who is telling the truth?

[sailingdog]

Do you have photos??

Is there anything growing on the bottom of your boat?? If not, and the only thing you're washing off is slime... then it is likely that the bottom paint job is fine. It wouldn't surprise me if the divers were shilling to try and drum up business for their friend's over at Boatyard B... and are probably getting a referral fee or kickback.

[TrueBlue]

How can I tell that my bottom paint needs repainting

The surest (and most obvious) test I know of is . . . when sea critters appear to stake their claims and take up residence on your bottom.

[dohenyboy]

thank you, there is only slime growing. So it looks like I need to find another diving service.

[sailingdog]

It depends, if you used Trinidad SR, which has an algicide additive to help prevent slime formation, and you're getting heavy slime it might be a sign of a problem. But, it really depends on two things: 1) Where you keep your boat, 2) how long has it been in the water.

[Fstbttms]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

It wouldn't surprise me if the divers were shilling to try and drum up business for their friend's over at Boatyard B...

Me either. We hull cleaners are notorious sleaze bags.

As others have mentioned, simply find another dive service. Mention nothing about this incident and see what they report about the condition of the paint. Trinidad is an excellent anti fouling and since Yard A stepped right up to deal with the problem, it seems that they are a reputable outfit and probably did a good job applying it, making your diver's story unlikely.

[landlockvasailor]

I used T-dad on two boats in the Chesapeake. One stayed in the water for three years of which one year in slip. Yank it, power washed to find only slime. The guy down the dock used the same, with the opposite results. No one could figure until a gentleman from VIMS (Virginia Institute of Marine Science) down the road at Gloucester, Point, VA.

Since I was in deeper water and it turned over more often, then the soup was not as active. So, could it mean that one could use a bubble system off season to keep the movement. He looked at me like I was nuts.

Tom
http://landlockedvasailor.blogspot.com/

[capttb]

I keep my boat just a little downcoast from you, the slime growth in August was pretty extreme because our water temps were so high. I get exactly 3 years out of the Trinidad paint in our waters. Not sure if he works Newport but I can recommend Miguel from Ocean Diving Services, unlike most divers, he's 100% honest. Just teasin' Fstbttms !

[sailingdog]

Fstbttms-

My statement wasn't a generalization about all hull cleaners... just a comment about this particular case and situation.

Originally Posted by Fstbttms

Me either. We hull cleaners are notorious sleaze bags.

As others have mentioned, simply find another dive service. Mention nothing about this incident and see what they report about the condition of the paint. Trinidad is an excellent anti fouling and since Yard A stepped right up to deal with the problem, it seems that they are a reputable outfit and probably did a good job applying it, making your diver's story unlikely.

[Fstbttms]

Originally Posted by capttb

unlike most divers, he's 100% honest. Just teasin' Fstbttms !

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Fstbttms-
My statement wasn't a generalization about all hull cleaners... just a comment about this particular case and situation.

Hey, let's call a spade a spade. We've all been around boats long enough to know there are a lot of flaky characters in the boat maintenance biz. Hull cleaning lends itself to this, since much of what a hull cleaner does is not easily visible to the boat owner.