A Bottom Paint Story

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by George DuBose

I guess that going from fresh to saltwater kills anything that had attached itself to the hull and then coming back into the freshwater kills anything that had attached itself to the hull while I was cruising.

100% true. We see that frequently here where boats often spend time in the Sacramento River delta.

[fgd3]

My own experience in Florida has been that bottom paint retards but doesn't stop bottom growth. If you are willing to wipe the bottom down every three days you don't need bottom paint at all. But a boat without bottom paint that is left in the water for a week will be covered with 1/4" diameter barnacles. The only way I have found to get by without both bottom paint and frequent cleaning is to keep the boat out of the water when it is not in use.


Fabbian

[Island Time O25]

I don't have experience with super expensive bottom paints but did score a few times $150-200/gal buckets for about $50-60 on craigslist. And I also used el cheapo paint from both WM and Hamilton's which on sale were $65-70.

Each time, including mid-level paints, was a crap shoot. Some seasons el cheapo paint did a great job, some seasons mid-level ones were worse than the cheapest ones worse seasons.

At some point I gave up experimenting (and buying $300-400/gal paint is not in my budget even remotely) and just get the cheapest available, do 2 coats prior to Spring launch (over the old coats) and live with the results. So far, under this apporach, it's not too bad - may be a quick scrub here and there 2-3 times in the Summer.

BTW found that cheap zinc can paint from Walmart for 3.99 works as well as "proper marine prop paint" from WM for $39.99. And is good for at least 2-3 seasons worth of applications.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

BTW found that cheap zinc can paint from Walmart for 3.99 works as well as "proper marine prop paint" from WM for $39.99. And is good for at least 2-3 seasons worth of applications.

I tried that once because the store was out of the Barnacle Buster. The barnacles LOVED the stuff.

Just shows everything only works "IF"

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I tried that once because the store was out of the Barnacle Buster. The barnacles LOVED the stuff.

Just shows everything only works "IF"

I was sceptical at first myself but several old salts swore by it so I tried it. Works fine so far, about 5 or 6 New England seasons. On the list of the active ingredients it says 97% zinc. And I noticed that my regular zincs are lasting longer with no negative impact on the shaft or the prop.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I tried that once because the store was out of the Barnacle Buster. The barnacles LOVED the stuff.



Just shows everything only works "IF"

I have the barnacle buster on my prop or did, it’s been long gone now, for me it didn’t do anything, maybe made hard growth easier to remove as the paint often came off, but so far as preventing growth?
Not at all.

It to me says that on my boat for whatever reason it doesn’t work, while on yours it obviously does.

I think the same for bottom paint, sometimes it works great, other times it almost seems to fertilize growth.

I’ve been in the Bahamas for the last two months and the soft growth I brought with me is going to need attention soon, but near as I can tell there is no new growth here, usually the guppy zinc I hang has significant growth as it’s just uncoated metal, but in the Bahamas, no growth on the guppy zinc at all, and I thought growth here would be phenomenal. My paint is gone going on year three and it’s at least 6 months past due.
My worst growth I have seen is in the ICW down south, around Stuart Fl. I think there it’s the fertilizer from the lake, my air conditioners strainers needed cleaning there weekly.

[sailorboy1]

Just did my bottom 2 days ago. There was still Barnacle Buster on some of the shaft and prop that I put on 34 months ago.

[a64pilot]

I don’t doubt it works on your boat, but it doesn’t on mine.
Maybe the type of bronze Autoprop uses may be the difference?
That is sort of my point, for reasons I can’t determine it seems some boats just have worse growth problems than others and for some reason it seems that near as we can determine some months the paint works, and some it seems to not.
Obviously something is different.

[sailorboy1]

Btw - other than to 1 person, I never thought this thread would really be of interest to people

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Btw - other than to 1 person, I never thought this thread would really be of interest to people

I find it interesting ... since your experience is so different to what I have seen on my boat ... interesting to learn how conditions vary from one place to another.

Two years ago I repainted with an ablative paint, been cruising locally but never scrubbed the bottom, and I still have nothing more than a light slime and a bit of green fur on the bottom ... the tip of a fender that I accidentally left dangling in the water for a couple of months however grew a massive clump of mussels ... so the paint is definitely doing something.

[Maka]

It seems the back and forth between fresh and salt water is a cheap and efficient way to keep the hull clean.
So seeking fresh water anchorages is a good idea.
I would think a bay with a river running into it, ie. brackish water, would help some too.

[Davy J]

Please don't use any of the Sea Hawk tin-based paints. That's all I've got on that particular subject.

Sea Hawk is local around here..... Clearwater, Florida. One local yard here uses Cukote by the truck load. Sea Hawk's web site seems to indicate that the tin based products are not available in the U.S. Am I missing something?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Davy J

Sea Hawk is local around here..... Clearwater, Florida. One local yard here uses Cukote by the truck load. Sea Hawk's web site seems to indicate that the tin based products are not available in the U.S. Am I missing something?

Tin-based anti fouling paints are not available in most countries (including the U.S.) as it has been banned worldwide because of the environmental damage its use caused and continues to cause. Only a few countries (some of them in the Carribean) still allow it.

Further, the entire Sea Hawk management team went to prison a few years ago because they lied to their customers and the federal government about their sales of the now-banned products. That alone should be enough to make you want to avoid the company, IMHO.

[stnick]

Im in florida in the third year of a bottom job SEA Hawk paint . Our water is warm in winter and hot 93 in summer I have a diver every 30 days in winter every 6 weeks. He uses a machine called REMORIA , its a battery operated rotery scrub brush. Its got 6 choice of brushes. Its a gentle scrub. and my water line looks amazing. I have a 38 Morgan cost is 70 per month . ! A diver is cheeper than a yard bill, and you get better fuel and speed !

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by stnick

I have a 38 Morgan cost is 70 per month . ! A diver is cheeper than a yard bill, and you get better fuel and speed !

The bottom job I just did all total works out to $53/mo over the next 3 years of expected life. The last one works out to have been $20.50/mo over the 34 months it was on.

Just saying.