Colour of Antifoul - Does it Matter ?

[cfarrar]

A casual check online suggests no clear consensus on whales' color vision. They have cones, but that doesn't mean they see color as we do. Here's a short article about researching color vision in right whales to see if fishing gear can be made more visible. The hypothesis is that red is seen as a dark color, and blue & green are seen as bright colors. Maybe someone on CF has inside knowledge?

[Katiusha]

East coast of US: two occasions migrating humpback whales near us. On one occasion with the black bottom the mother whale swam within 1.5 meters (it's strange looking into the eye of such huge animals), followed by a baby whale who lightly brushed alongside against our hull - no damage except some missing black paint On second occasion there were right whales feeding around us in packs of 2-3. Then one of them turned away from the group, and headed directly for us. It dove just as we thought it would hit the boat. Same places, blue paint, whales didn't come as close.

Similar experiences near Samana, DR, but thankfully without bumping the boat.

But it could also be something else besides the colour of the paint, and ended up just being a coincidence. But having heard the same stories about colour of the paint and attraction to the whales, we thought they might have a pint of truth in them.

Treat it as one of the folk beliefs and don't worry too much about it.

One thing to think about is that with the black bottom the boat might heat up a bit more than with other colours. And to think what happens on the hard during summer!

[SimonV]

I have had a black and blue bottom, both the same brand Altec 3000 ablative the black seems to hold up better both lasting near 2 years, there was definatly more black left on the last haul out. I will be going with black again unless blue is on special.

[LeaseOnLife]

We like black: "Any customer can have a car painted any colour he wants so long as it is black."

We had plenty of whale encounters around South Africa, and then later around the sea-mounts East of Turks and Caicos. But the whales where supposed to be there at that time.

Some whales came by to look, corkscrewing, of the bow, showing white bellies, then disappearing in the abyss. Scary the first few times, fascinating afterwards. Never felt a bump.

Nighttime is when I am worried about them. And colour doesn't matter then.

[Jim Cate]

Well, we've had black bottom paint on Insatiable II for the past 6 years. We have been sailing on the E coast of Oz during both northern and southern migration periods for the Humpbacks... hundreds of them around. None have approached our black bottom in an unusual way. Young ones sometimes approach for a look-see, but this happens to our friends with other colored bottoms, so I don't think it is a color thing.

Another old wive's tale I reckon...

Cheers,

Jim

[bobconnie]

Im with Jim on this one !! no where has more whales then Nor Cal and Ore coast. we see all types of whales going both up and down the coast, and fishing or sailing, your with them at sometimes of the year !! and Ive never seen them react any differently no matter the color of my bottom paint !! mostly red but black some to!! just my 2 cents Bob and Connie

[roverhi]

There is only one color for bottom paint and that is RED. All the other's are wannabe's