Bottom Paint

[downwinder]

Which bottom paint is the best for ocean water?

[JPA Cate]

downwinder,

The short take on this is that it varies by what kinds of growth are worst in your local waters, so the answer varies by geography as well as availability.

Suggest you talk to people at your marina or in boatyards and ask them what results they have had with their bottom paint.

Then, based on that, start talking to paint suppliers. Ignore the ones who BS you. Try to find out which product they sell the most of in your area. How long is it good for?

The more people you ask, "what went wrong with your last paint?" the more opinions you'll hear, and then you'll start to form one of your own.

Ann

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by downwinder

Which bottom paint is the best for ocean water?

For my money, you can't do much better than Pettit Trinidad SR.

[jcapo]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

For my money, you can't do much better than Pettit Trinidad SR.

How often do the boats you clean that have Trinidad SR on them haul and paint?

[S/V Illusion]

Making declarative generic statements like xxxxx is the best bottom paint is both misleading and uninformed.

If we define 'best' in terms of efficacy, the best depends on local ambient conditions for most people. If you are a cruiser never staying in the same general area, best is defined as a hard paint capable of withstanding long periods underway.

If we define 'best' in terms of value and benefit, a whole other set of considerations apply.

Obviously, the person asking such a broad question has no understanding of the variabilities. Giving a declarative response only provides a disservice to them.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Making declarative generic statements like xxxxx is the best bottom paint is both misleading and uninformed.

If we define 'best' in terms of efficacy, the best depends on local ambient conditions for most people. If you are a cruiser never staying in the same general area, best is defined as a hard paint capable of withstanding long periods underway.

If we define 'best' in terms of value and benefit, a whole other set of considerations apply.

Obviously, the person asking such a broad question has no understanding of the variabilities. Giving a declarative response only provides a disservice to them.

Absolutely!!!

I sat in the Everett Marina with new bottom paint for a year and acquired just a green slime. I re painted with the same stuff just before I left for Alameda. Now 10 months later I had growth and creatures so thick I couldn't see the prop. But the zincs lasted longer. Go figure!

It really makes a big difference on the environment.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by jcapo

How often do the boats you clean that have Trinidad SR on them haul and paint?

With proper maintenance (meaning cleaning every two months), a Trinidad bottom will provide good anti fouling performance for 3+ years. That's here in the Bay Area. YMMV.

[jcapo]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

With proper maintenance (meaning cleaning every two months), a Trinidad bottom will provide good anti fouling performance for 3+ years. That's here in the Bay Area. YMMV.

Definitely varies for me. My 18 month old Trinidad needs weekly cleaning. Go two weeks and I have close to 1/4 inch of soft growth with barnacles on that growth. The soft growth does come off fairly easily. I've been between North Carolina and Florida for that 18 month period. Bottom paint used to work better than it does now but we all know that.

[barnakiel]

I think the one loaded with most particles of lead, cuprum and biocide is the best.

You can judge them by their weight.

b.

[deluxe68]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

With proper maintenance (meaning cleaning every two months), a Trinidad bottom will provide good anti fouling performance for 3+ years. That's here in the Bay Area. YMMV.

We got 3 years out of our Trinidad bottom in Point Richmond/Alameda. We were having the hull scraped every two months.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Making declarative generic statements like xxxxx is the best bottom paint is both misleading and uninformed.

To an extent, you are correct, IMHO. But if there is a more effective, longer lasting anti fouling paint than Pettit Trinidad, it has yet to pass under my hands (and we're talking about 25,000 hull cleanings over a 20 year period.) True, I have no experience cleaning boats in the Carribbean, or South Pacific or even Florida, but it seems to me that the best is the best, regardless of where it used. If you were to drop LeBron James onto a basketball court anywhere in the world, he is still going to be the best player on the parquet, regardless of who else is out there.

I think when you open the anti fouling paint discussion up to lesser products, there is room to argue which is better and where. But (again, based on my limited experience ) Trinidad is the LeBron James of anti fouling paint. If somebody has comparative evidence (and not just an ax to grind against Trinidad) proving otherwise, I'd be happy to hear it. TbT-based paints should not be considered, IMHO.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

To an extent, you are correct, IMHO. But if there is a more effective, longer lasting anti fouling paint than Pettit Trinidad, it has yet to pass under my hands (and we're talking about 25,000 hull cleanings over a 20 year period.) True, I have no experience cleaning boats in the Carribbean, or South Pacific or even Florida, but it seems to me that the best is the best, regardless of where it used. If you were to drop LeBron James onto a basketball court anywhere in the world, he is still going to be the best player on the parquet, regardless of who else is out there.

I think when you open the anti fouling paint discussion up to lesser products, there is room to argue which is better and where. But (again, based on my limited experience ) Trinidad is the LeBron James of anti fouling paint. If somebody has comparative evidence (and not just an ax to grind against Trinidad) proving otherwise, I'd be happy to hear it. TbT-based paints should not be considered, IMHO.

The efficacy and value of paint is a local issue. That's the point!
You should know that!

By the way, you don't pay Lebron to play little league which is what most folks have for their playground except in warm water like Scal or Fl..

Making statements that one is superior in all situations is misleading. I can use cheap WM bottom ablative on our boat in Newport RI and it works great. Nothing could exceed it's performance.

Here in Florida, nothing works well unless we use the boat a lot. Hiring some diver to scrap the bottom works in the short-term but invariably also removes some paint shortening it's useful life.

Like everything else in life, there is no one correct answer.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

The efficacy and value of paint is a local issue. That's the point!
You should know that!

I do know that. That's why I say, "If there is something better than Trinidad, show it to me, because I have yet to see it." It is possible that Trinidad is the best anti fouling paint in the world, you know. It is possible that it provides better anti fouling performance than any other paint, anywhere it is used.

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

I can use cheap WM bottom ablative on our boat in Newport RI and it works great. Nothing could exceed it's performance.

Not sure you can make that claim, not having experience with all the alternatives.

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Here in Florida, nothing works well unless we use the boat a lot. Hiring some diver to scrap the bottom works in the short-term but invariably also removes some paint shortening it's useful life.

Gentle hull cleaning doesn't shorten a paint's lifespan, it extends it. If you are in the habit of letting your hull get foul to the point where it can't be cleaned gently, you have waited too long to clean it and that will shorten it.

[Sailing fast]

Ok,
So we currently have international ULTRA on the bottom and are located on the chesapeake bay. The boat has been in the water since early December and showed no growth really until March. Since then, I checked it and it was covered in barnacles. In some locations the came off with a plastic scraper (putty knife) and other locations it took a metal blade. I can only think that it was a difference in the application of the paint.

Roughly 4 weeks later and I went over the boat again with the plastic scraper. I was also able to knock off some of the barnacles I missed the first time through. It gets pretty dark in 4 feet of water here in the chesapeake.

The boat is going to go to the Bahamas for the winter and I am wondering if we should pull it and repaint with an ablative paint (ie micron CSC). We had a previous trawler that didn't move a whole lot over 2 years and the only thing I has to scrape were the metal bits (shaft propeller etc).

Is there anyone with experience in both these locations who could comment on the best paint. The fact that we have so much growth in a few months concerns me. I am also a little worried that the metal scraper could have gouged, but I was pretty careful.

Lastly, the rubber boot around the sail drive seems to have come off. It is still attached, but not in its intended location. I hear this is a common problem. I am just not sure if I should be concerned at this point.

Any advice is appreciated.

[downwinder]

Greetings to all who have taken time out to answer. I guess I should have been more detailed in my question. My boat is always on the move. I work as sailing instructor/capt. in Bali half the year. Its in ok condition but has some of the bottom paint chipped away. I was going to use Interlux Micron 66 which is good but wanted to see if anybody had other opinions regarding this issue. When i come back in 6 month im going on a 6 month windward/leeward island sailing trip with the fam. Cheers for the info.