[MedSailor]

My friend has had Pettit Vivid paint recommend to him for his new (to him) J120. Reasoning is that it's slicker/has less drag than other paints and copper is on the way out in WA anyway so since he's stripping the bottom to bare gelcoat now, he won't have to do it again in 2018 when copper paints are outlawed.

Lots of questions here.... Is it any good? Is it really better for a racing application? Is copper paint really going to be outlawed in 2018?

MedSailor

 

[chip]

I think there's Vivid (with copper) and Vivid Free (without copper.) I used Vivid Free on my previous boat and liked it well enough, but I think it's been discontinued:

Vivid Free
This product has been discontinued. Use Ultima Eco or Hydrocoat Eco as its replacement.

Normal Vivid contains copper, as far as I know.

Also, I don't think either of them produce a racing finish out of the gate. There's a documented process for burnishing Vivid with compound to give it a racing finish, but that's an extra step and requires an extra coat of paint. I'm not sure whether or not Vivid Free could be burnished. I certainly didn't try it on my boat.

 

[TakeFive]

Vivid has copper. It's in the form of cuprous thiocyanate, whereas most other copper paints have cuprous oxide. I'll leave it to others to say whether cuprous thiocyanate is more or less dangerous to the environment than cuprous oxide.

Pettit classifies Vivid as a hybrid paint, and it tends to be harder than ablative paints, and burnishable. So it can be argued that Vivid may ablate less than normal ablatives, which might reduce the amount of copper introduced to the environment. But in my experience, the paint softens over time, so by the second season it's acting pretty much as a soft ablative.

I would assume that if a copper ban is enacted, it would eliminate Vivid from consideration in the are covered by the ban.

 

[Minnewaska]

I used Vivid as it was compatible with Vicid Free, if I decided to switch. Guess that plan is over. We've liked the paint. Make a grey out of white and black.

While its billed as a multi season paint, I rough sand and single top coat each spring.

 

[jimrafford]

We used Vivid on the previous boat. Had to clean the bottom weekly. Slime built quickly. We're not racing but I can't stand the look of a dirty bottom.
Jim

 

[Minnewaska]

We used Vivid on the previous boat. Had to clean the bottom weekly. Slime built quickly. We're not racing but I can't stand the look of a dirty bottom.
Jim

We have had slime, but what do you use that doesn't slime? We've never had anything other than slime on Vivid. Very easy wipe down.

 

[Fstbttms]

Is copper paint really going to be outlawed in 2018?

Sort of.

RCW 70.300.020
Antifouling paint containing copper.

(1) Beginning January 1, 2018, no manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, or distributor may sell or offer for sale in this state any new recreational water vessel manufactured on or after January 1, 2018, with antifouling paint containing copper.

(2) Beginning January 1, 2020, no antifouling paint that is intended for use on a recreational water vessel and that contains more than 0.5 percent copper may be offered for sale in this state.

(3) Beginning January 1, 2020, no antifouling paint containing more than 0.5 percent copper may be applied to a recreational water vessel in this state.

RCW 70.300.020: Antifouling paint containing copper.

 

[MedSailor]

Sort of.

RCW 70.300.020
Antifouling paint containing copper.

(1) Beginning January 1, 2018, no manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, or distributor may sell or offer for sale in this state any new recreational water vessel manufactured on or after January 1, 2018, with antifouling paint containing copper.

(2) Beginning January 1, 2020, no antifouling paint that is intended for use on a recreational water vessel and that contains more than 0.5 percent copper may be offered for sale in this state.

(3) Beginning January 1, 2020, no antifouling paint containing more than 0.5 percent copper may be applied to a recreational water vessel in this state.

RCW 70.300.020: Antifouling paint containing copper.

Thanks for the bad news....



MedSailor

 

[blt2ski]

Sorry med,

That is OLD news, been out for something like close to two years now.

Did your friend buy the J120t that is in seattle, or a different one?

marty

 

[MedSailor]

Sorry med,

That is OLD news, been out for something like close to two years now.

Did your friend buy the J120t that is in seattle, or a different one?

marty

He bought the one in California. Surveyed like a new boat. Basically it was very, very lightly used, never raced and professionally maintained. Should be fun to see what she can do! She'll be called "Wild Blue". Watch out for us on the water.

MedSailor

 

[jfdubu]

I've been using vivid for 8+ years. First on my J28 now on my Express 35. I love everything about it but the price. I club race with some weekend racing just for the fun of if, and win my share of the races. I don't burnish the paint. Doesn't make sense to me to paint it on and sand it off. My bottom gets cleaned 2-3 times a season and there have been times when the diver stated "didn't really need it. There was one time when the bottom was covered with barnacles but they just wiped off.
This is in Narragansett bay, can't say how it will work in the PNW.

John