What do you add (to improve) your bottom paint?

[MedSailor]

I've heard all kinds of stories of things you can add to your bottom paint to make it last longer. Things like cayenne, prescription antibiotics, prescription antiparasitics (Ivermectin), depleted uranium, ground up voodoo dolls etc.

I did actually go with the Cayenne theory once and decided to up the voltage and added a bottle of "Dave's Insanity Sauce" split between 2 cans of paint. It did make it 5 years before needing paint again....

Anyone have any evidence for additives scientific or otherwise? My North Korean contact isn't going to be able to get me the weapons-grade plutonium before I haul, so I need to get creative.

MedSailor

[MarkSF]

How about Budweiser? That's completely undrinkable, probably lethal to sea life.

[Capt. Gary Randall]

add a boat and water........

[Lake Superior Sailor]

I would hate to add something and have to start over, I just got done fixing my screw-up.I used two different brands and had it all fall off! Pick a company and stick with it! ...Dale

[chef2sail]

Nothing Ultima 60 works fine as is

[Stumble]

I am personally of the opinion that the paint manufacturers that spend millions a year researching bottom paint are probably doing a better job of it than I would. So I just follow the directions. Every now and then I have added a few flys, a mosquito or two, and once a cockroach to the mix however.

[MedSailor]

Originally Posted by Stumble

I am personally of the opinion that the pain manufacturers that spend millions a year researching bottom paint are probably doing a better job of it than I would. So I just follow the directions. Every now and then I have added a few flys, a mosquito or two, and once a cockroach to the mix however.

Geez! You guys are no fun! I'm definitely going to add something to mine in the name of science and research. Maybe the placenta of a virgin, the eyes of a blind newt or a hairball from my cat "Demon".

As for the millions in research, there is actually a scientific journal by the name of "Biofouling" The journal of bioadhesion and biofilm research. Really. Biofilm


Here is a good article from the lay press on some of the newer additives:
Monitor: Reducing the barnacle bill | The Economist

I love that the University of Texas was researching an additive made from cannabis derived THC and Cayenne. What a great use of your research dollars. Perhaps the barnacles got really hungry and ate too much cayenne?

In all seriousness though the research for Ivermectin looks pretty good to me. See for yourself:
Multi-seasonal barnacle (Balanus improvisus) prot... [Biofouling. 2011] - PubMed - NCBI

A coating that prevents barnacles forming colonies - University of Gothenburg, Sweden

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...41642243,d.cGE

MedSailor

[copacabana]

My ex-mooring neighbour used to make his own bottom paint with epoxy resin and copper filings (copper oxide?). He claimed to get about 10 years with it. The thing is though, he used to dive about every month to scrub his hull to "activate" the copper again. I'm going on my third year with my bottom paint and I also have to dive every month to scrub the bottom. Go figure...

I think adding more copper to the paint might help. In the rich waters where I moor, you really only get 6 months from bottom paint before you have to start manually cleaning your hull.

[chucklesR]

I add elbow grease.

You would think that someone would come up with a film thin layer of copper you could just epoxy on.
Seriously, multiple layers over the years of 60% copper based paint that sheds off. Why not just step back 200 years and do a copper platted bottom - or better yet copper/nickle?

Sort of like a gold leaf application (with copper), set in epoxy?

[algee]

I tried stirring in a small package of a weed preventer powder that was highly recomended by a friend. Somehow it clumped up and the whole bottom looked like 20 grit sandpaper. I had to sand it all off and buy more paint to redo it! Not one of my better days. My friends comment was " I never saw that happen before"