Bottom Paint

[sab30]

Can anyone tell me what bottom paint to buy and where. Im looking for a good quality paint for a decent price. It is for a 36ft Monohull (blue hull) that will sail 100% in the Pacific NW (Wash and BC)

Thanks

[sailingdog]

I would talk to the people in your marina, they can tell you what works in that area.

[ahab211]

I've always used Interlux VC-17. It is between $30.00 to $45.00 a quart and is mixed with a copper coloured powder supplied with it. It applies with a thin coat, protects well, lasts and is what most of the boaters in our area of the Great Lakes use. It is available online using a google search or at most major marine suppliers. Good Luck

[blt2ski]

Ablative paints are pretty popular with some folks. Some at my marina, mostly the racers, like hard paints, as they can wipe the hull down before a race. My boat came with an ablative, i have kept the same as it has been from orig owner! I may strip and go hard next time around, to gain a bit o speed when racing.

I got 2 yrs out of the last "micron" bottom, OO said he got 3 yrs. I think 3 would have worked last time, but decided to take boat out for new thru hulls, so made sense to plan on paint at the same time!

marty

[firehoser75]

I sail out of Point Roberts, Washington, so I do most of my boating in the same area as you are asking about.
However, the various types of bottom paint have pros and cons (as do most everything to do with boating). Hard paints will give you a little better boat speed, and can be easily "wiped off" prior to a race to gain the best possible boat speed. These hard paints will build up over the years and will have to eventually be removed (stripped off) and you would "start over". Ablative paints tend to slowly "slough off" over time, and are somewhat "soft" compared to hard paints. You may lose a little bit of boat speed compared to hard paint (but the speed loss should be almost neglible). Due to their properties, ablative paints basically "wear off" over time, and therefore do not build up in thickness and if managed properly year to year, you will not have to strip it off. However, if your boat doesn't get much use, then ablative paints are probably not the right one for you, as boat movement is necessary for the paint to "do its best work" keeping the undersea critters off your hull.
When changing from one type of paint to another, you should consult with the paint producer as there can be incompatibilities, and the new paint may not adhere properly. Pre-painting preparation is vital in these cases.
Personally I use Petit Horizons, an ablative paint and have been very happy with it's anti-fouling performance for the last 4 years. If you use an ablative, paint the first coat in one colour, and cover this with one or two coats of a second colour. When you can see the first colour showing through, it is in need of a new paint job.

Hope this helps with your decision,
Tom

[teshannon]

I've had great luck with Petit Trinidad.

[mentalfee]

We have been using Petit Trinidad SR and have had great results over the past few years. We made it 4.5 years before there was any growth beyond some slime. We hauled at exactly 5 years and had some very light hard growth on the south facing side where the jack stand pads were.

We are also in the PNW moored in Seattle.

[Fstbttms]

Originally Posted by ahab211

I've always used Interlux VC-17. It is between $30.00 to $45.00 a quart and is mixed with a copper coloured powder supplied with it. It applies with a thin coat, protects well, lasts and is what most of the boaters in our area of the Great Lakes use. It is available online using a google search or at most major marine suppliers. Good Luck

VC-17 is freshwater anti fouling paint only. Not suitable for use in saltwater.

Petit Trinidad is the best stuff out there, IMHO.