VC17 in saltwater

[Minnewaska]

I'm transporting a boat from freshwater to New England. How long can it remain in saltwater before it must be repainted? What if we have a diver clean it monthly, would we get away with this season, so we can have it stripped and repainted with an ablative over the winter?

[ebs001]

I have always read that you can't use VC17 in salt water but this winter I met a fellow who has been using VC17 for years and said it worked fine. The best place to pose this question is to Interlux directly. VC17 is a real pain to remove so if you can avoid it till you have lots of time it would be a good way to go, ie just leaving it on. It certainly won't ahrm your boat but it may not keep growth off your boat and that might. As I said check with Interlux.

[zz4gta]

I don't know anyone who uses VC17 in salt water who doesn't need to dive every week. There is very little anti fouling properties in it. New England's short season and low fouling you might be able to get by for a season, but I'd dive every week for the first month to make sure you don't have hard growth. Then dive 2x a mo. and then once a month if all is well.

On the Cheasapeake, much warmer, VC17 doesn't work real well. People just use it b/c its hard and smooth.

[Minnewaska]

VC17 is clearly not for a saltwater environment, I'm just trying to find a way to delay the inevitable. It will have to be ground off, they an epoxy undercoat, then a proper ablative all to be done in good weather. Read... downtime. Not just for me, but the yards are too busy for it right now as well.

I'm just looking to see if I can get away with it until mid-summer, or even better, end of season.

Diving once per week, if that were necessary, would be cost prohibitive. I might as well lay it up and get it over with.

[hazmat17]

I'm running VC17 on my Freedom 28 moored in the Merrimac River in Newburyport. Not my first choice, but it came with the boat last year & I'm loath to go thru the removal process and nothing will stick to it, not even VC17 offshore. Per interlux VC17 is for "low fouling" saltwater. While I didn't get a chance to inspect the hull before they power washed it last fall, I can say that I didn't notice any significant growth.

Where in New England are you? I think Water temp will play a large role in how well it will work. Also interlux recommends 2 coats for salt water per season vs. 1 for freshwater.

I'd recommend slapping at least 1 fresh coat on it for now & go sailing.

interlux compatibility (PDF)

VC17m website click at the bottom for product data sheet

[Gary M]

I have never removed VC17 but it should not be a big deal, it goes on so thin that there is very little build up.

You might be able to remove most of it with a solvent. Perhaps Alcohol or a little less friendly acetone.

It is a copper based paint so it should have reasonable properties in salt water. It is great here on the great lakes.

[preservedkillick]

I removed a "never splashed" coat of VC17 from my boat last spring before putting it into saltwater and it came off very easily. I used Franmar Soy Strip and it came right off. Not a big project. The stuff (at least on my boat) was very thin.