Best ablative bottom paint for the tropics….

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by w32honu

I long for the days when bottom paint was copper based, toxic, and worked.

Almost every paint named in this thread is a copper-based paint.

[w32honu]

Thanks. I realized my typo after I had posted....

I think we would all agree that bottom paints were far more effective in the past. Simpler too. It boggles my mind the variety of paints. Not all of which are compatible or effective. Christ, there are 14 favors of Triscuits on the grocery store shelves these days...... What is up with that.

Time to go........

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by colemj

Since you asked about the "best" paint for the tropics - if you are talking about the Caribbean, the "best" paint is either Seahawk Islands 44 or Blue Water Paint Caribbean Gold. Those are tin-based paints and illegal in most other places outside the Caribbean. They are also the most widely used paint in the Caribbean.

The OP asked for the "best" paint, so those who want to blast the paints I mention can just hold their breath or go away. I'm not arguing for or against - just stating facts - so don't waste your time.

After those, your more legal good option is really only Micron 66 or Micron 77. All other paints will have problems depending where you are. In the Eastern Caribe, any good bottom paint will probably be OK, and the above mentioned Ameron is a popular less expensive choice - as is Hempel.

Trinidad's is a hard paint with many proponents, but I have also witness it being a poor performer in many Caribe places. It does have the advantage of taking a good scrubbing easily, which you will be doing anyway for most paints in the tropics here.

Through Columbia and Panama in the Western Caribe, Ameron and Hempel fail pretty quickly - although they remain popular choices.

Everyone will have a story about every paint. Paint performance is really boat, area and usage dependent. Spending all our time in the Caribbean, I have been very tuned into paint performance, and can only recommend Micron 66 or one of the above tin-based paints for giving you decent performance overall.

Mark

Let me add my +1 to the others on the Seahawk islands. Surprised none have been BBqed yet for mentioning it....

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by w32honu

Thanks. I realized my typo after I had posted....

I think we would all agree that bottom paints were far more effective in the past. Simpler too. It boggles my mind the variety of paints. Not all of which are compatible or effective. Christ, there are 14 favors of Triscuits on the grocery store shelves these days...... What is up with that.

Time to go........

Thats because , most antifouling , especially those with Tin turned out to be very nasty environmentally. Certainly for me, the environment comes way before the cleanliness of a bunch of yachties "bums" !!!

dave

[MarkJ]

My last one was Seahawk 44 with extra tin and did up to 7 coats on the leading edges to get a two year haul out time... And the damn stuff fell off well under 12 months.

The ONLY part that stayed on was hand brushed areas around the through hull fittings which i didnt put primer on. Hand brushed over primer was crap and all the roller parts crap.

If I use it again i am not gunna hand brush it all onas I will be ther for weeks with a hand hanging down by my knees...

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

Let me add my +1 to the others on the Seahawk islands. Surprised none have been BBqed yet for mentioning it....

OK, I'll step up. Tributyl tin is one of the worst poisons ever introduced to the marine environment and since there are many effective and less toxic alternatives, using a tBt anti fouling paint is akin to dumping your used motor oil down the storm drain. It's simply a crappy thing to do.

[SV Windrush II]

So, I have a traditional caravel planked schooner with Pitch pine bottom that is seamed with cotton and Dolphin bedding compound.

I have re-caulked and refastened her and now ready for bottom coat.
We will be staying in SE Asia. Anyone have experience with my scenario?
I am also concerned about worms, but I have applied a anti-worm sealer to help with that issue.

Thanks!

[w32honu]

Originally Posted by leightonyachts

So, I have a traditional caravel planked schooner with Pitch pine bottom that is seamed with cotton and Dolphin bedding compound.

I have re-caulked and refastened her and now ready for bottom coat.
We will be staying in SE Asia. Anyone have experience with my scenario?
I am also concerned about worms, but I have applied a anti-worm sealer to help with that issue.

Thanks!

In the past a few (2 or 3) coats of creosote was affective as a deterrent to toredo worms. Needs to be applied to bare planking…..from the LWL down. Then apply an antifouling bottom paint.

Might be able to do that in your corner of the world. Not so sure about that around here. Its old school, but effective.

[w32honu]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Thats because , most antifouling , especially those with Tin turned out to be very nasty environmentally. Certainly for me, the environment comes way before the cleanliness of a bunch of yachties "bums" !!!

dave

Dave,

I am with you on this one. I am all for leaving a clean wake. At the same time I still want my antifouling paint to stick to the bottom of my boat and do its magic for at least 18 months or so.

It is frustrating to me that we purchase VERY expensive anti-fouling paint…..

Apply it……

Then cross our fingers that it adheres………

Then cross our fingers and toes that it does what it is supposed to do……

Don't forget to measure temps and salinity….. otherwise we are hosed.

Sounds like a game of charades for the paint manufacturers. And we lose.

[CarlF]

It would be better to dump the used motor oil (in small amounts) as it is quickly broken down in the ocean. Not true of Tributyl tin.

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by fstbttms

OK, I'll step up. Tributyl tin is one of the worst poisons ever introduced to the marine environment and since there are many effective and less toxic alternatives, using a tBt anti fouling paint is akin to dumping your used motor oil down the storm drain. It's simply a crappy thing to do.

I knew I could count on you man, thanks!

Glad you have started to refuse to scrub (what is likely the majority) of your customers boats who come up from Mexico having used this paint.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

I knew I could count on you man, thanks!

Glad you have started to refuse to scrub (what is likely the majority) of your customers boats who come up from Mexico having used this paint.

"Started to refuse"? If I knew that any boat, customer or not, had come into the Bay Area with a tBt paint, I would not only refuse to clean it, I'd alert the authorities. Maybe it's different for you, but I'm not going to give up my convictions and sell my soul for the price of a hull cleaning.

[s/v 'Faith']

Glad to hear it. So you ask your customers then?

Good on you, I respect your living by your convictions, even if I do not share them.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

Glad to hear it. So you ask your customers then?

Of course I ask my customers what anti fouling paint they use, amongst a host of other questions. I need to know what's on the bottom so that I and my divers can be prepared to use the proper cleaning techniques for a given product. We are not the kind of dive service that simply shows up with a snorkel and a scrub brush.

[SV Windrush II]

Im looking at this stuff.
Sea Hawk Tropikote Hard, Modified Epoxy 75% Cuprous Oxide.
Also has Highest copper content in the industry (75.8%)
or the "Tropikote Bioside plus" non-epoxy
What do you think?