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Old 19-08-2015, 13:15   #1
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Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

Greetings denizens of cruisers forum, I seek knowledge from the oracle of wisdom in all manner of boaty things and such.

So it is that time, can't put it off much longer the bottom needs a painting. Just wanted see what everyone here thinks about the multitude of bottom paints out there. After reading the latest practical sailor article on the subject I'm leaning towards the West Marine PCA gold ablative. Seems fairly economical, any thoughts? Not totally decided on hard or soft and thought I'd come here for a bit of direction. The boat will be in South Carolina for the rest of the summer and winter then up in the Boston area for next summer, then the long slog to Panama and on up to the West Coast

Ine other thing, are the advantages of media blasting the existing paint off worth the money? It has flag blue awlgrip top sides and that paint continues All the way down and around.

Thanks as always in advance.

W
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Old 19-08-2015, 13:28   #2
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

I had our bottom blasted, it came out pretty uneven. I think it has a lot to do with how good the blaster is. The locals said they could do a better job with a sander.
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Old 19-08-2015, 18:06   #3
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

Ablative. I prefer Sea Hawk paints, have had excellent performance from New England to Bermuda with Cukote. To blast, or not, is based on the condition of your bottom.
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Old 19-08-2015, 18:09   #4
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

I've had good results in Florida and in California from Pettit Trinidad hard paint.


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Old 19-08-2015, 18:38   #5
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

This California hull cleaner recommends Pettit Trinidad if you want a hard paint, and Interlux Micron 66 if you want an ablative. Both are hands down the best examples of their respective types, IMHO.
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Old 19-08-2015, 18:53   #6
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

Depends on where and how you plan to sail. If you are cruising in warm waters you will be cleaning your boat bottom by hand. In that case I would definitely go with hard paint.
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Old 20-08-2015, 08:23   #7
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

Neither.

ablative paints are made to wear off from friction. Despite the marketing, sailboats simply don't attain the speeds of a power boat that can 'sand' off marine growth by the abrasion process. Hard paints simply don't have the toxins in them anymore that kill off marine life. Anything below 80% copper just doesn't cut it. You'll be scraping your bottom in places where they flush their feces into your anchorage.

Copper remains unsurpassed in repelling marine growth. EPA banned it because it leeched into the water. There is now an encapsulated copper that retains the 80% properties and lasts 10+ years with zero marine growth. Your issue is it has to be NOT painted over paint. It's expensive. But if you consider the cost of haul-in/haul out annually or bi-annually, as well as the materials cost every 2 years or so, it's actually a bargain.

Blasting is useless on barnacles that have dried. You will pay the It is mostly effective on wet barnacles, but so is a pressure washer at 1/10 the cost. You will pay the $25/ft cost, and have all the same work when they are done (but your paint at least will be gone).

The very best bottom covering is coppercoat. www.coppercoat.com

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Old 20-08-2015, 08:23   #8
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

Just a note of information regarding Interlux Micron 66. It is not sold in California.
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Old 20-08-2015, 08:29   #9
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

Quote:
Originally Posted by Clipper4730 View Post
Greetings denizens of cruisers forum, I seek knowledge from the oracle of wisdom in all manner of boaty things and such.

So it is that time, can't put it off much longer the bottom needs a painting. Just wanted see what everyone here thinks about the multitude of bottom paints out there. After reading the latest practical sailor article on the subject I'm leaning towards the West Marine PCA gold ablative. Seems fairly economical, any thoughts? Not totally decided on hard or soft and thought I'd come here for a bit of direction. The boat will be in South Carolina for the rest of the summer and winter then up in the Boston area for next summer, then the long slog to Panama and on up to the West Coast

Ine other thing, are the advantages of media blasting the existing paint off worth the money? It has flag blue awlgrip top sides and that paint continues All the way down and around.

Thanks as always in advance.

W
Mate, I did lots a miles and tried a lot but I can tell you that JOTUN has the better product
Jotun

i did it back in OZ 2002 and again in Thailand 2006, in Greece 2009 stayed in the Med for 5 years now 2 years in the Caribbean and it just starting to wear off because of the warm water.
I used the hard one, added fine ground hottest chilli.......
for yah prop, clean it to shine and paint it with MAXI waterproof marker 2-3 times....lasts more than a year

capt fearless
SV Moonflower
OZ
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Old 20-08-2015, 08:32   #10
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

Done two boats with coppercoat now - don't have to think about the bottom for another 8-10 years and wouldn't ever go back to paint. I have no affiliation with them
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Old 20-08-2015, 09:09   #11
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

Quote:
Originally Posted by fstbttms View Post
This California hull cleaner recommends Pettit Trinidad if you want a hard paint, and Interlux Micron 66 if you want an ablative. Both are hands down the best examples of their respective types, IMHO.
HI I spent 2 years in total cleaning hulls in CA at Dana point working for 6 different companies and am told that even now my record of 23 boats cleaned in a day is the record number.That was in 1985 and 3 other years later on .
From my experience I would go with hard paint especially if you are having it cleaned every month as the soft paint really does come off FAR more easily.
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Old 20-08-2015, 09:20   #12
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

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I spent 2 years in total cleaning hulls in CA at Dana point working for 6 different companies and am told that even now my record of 23 boats cleaned in a day is the record number.
Yes, I've read this little nugget from you before. Quite humorous. What I'd like to know is; who is keeping track of how many boats per day are being cleaned by each of the many, many hundreds of hull cleaners througout California? I've been at this for 21 years, and you are the only person I've ever run across, claiming to hold some kind of hull cleaning "record."

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From my experience I would go with hard paint especially if you are having it cleaned every month as the soft paint really does come off FAR more easily.
There are pros and cons to each type of paint. Properly maintained, a quality ablative paint will provide several years of good anti fouling performance.
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Old 20-08-2015, 09:23   #13
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

The preferred method of cleaning a boat bottom which has an ablative bottom paint is to get out and sail it regularly.
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Old 20-08-2015, 10:31   #14
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

We had an ablative on our last boat, have a hard bottom paint on this one. Since we do our own hull cleaning, we're happier with the hard bottom paint.
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Old 20-08-2015, 10:50   #15
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re: Hard or Soft Bottom Paint

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Originally Posted by fstbttms View Post
Yes, I've read this little nugget from you before. Quite humorous. What I'd like to know is; who is keeping track of how many boats per day are being cleaned by each of the many, many hundreds of hull cleaners througout California? I've been at this for 21 years, and you are the only person I've ever run across, claiming to hold some kind of hull cleaning "record."



There are pros and cons to each type of paint. Properly maintained, a quality ablative paint will provide several years of good anti fouling performance.
My ex boss ED tells me that he has not heard of more than 23 and you know how closely knit a family the divers are .I can only go by what he has told me.What is your best tally for the day? Mine was a 12.5 hour day .Do you know of any better number done?
Oh my other record here in South Africa from when I was a lobster and abalone(Haliotis Midae) poacher was an abalone of 3.54 kg and a shell at it's widest point of 23.3 cm(just over 9 inches).I claim it as a record as nobody has shown me a bigger one !! Oh my other record was helping(helmsman) to catch bluefin tuna in Fish Hoek Bay in the 60's when I was 15/16 .We hooked and landed two ,took the IGFA all Africa record for 1965 with a fish of 600 lbs from an 18 foot ski boat .The record was to do with the size of boat too .I heard it was the smallest boat recorded as having landed such a fish at the time.I grew up in Kalk Bay a small fishing village where I started fishing from the harbor and later at 14 had a 12 ft wooden oak dinghy that I would row out into the bay .I moored it there illegally and was always evading the harbor master in some way.The fishing and skin diving was astounding with my best catch of speared fish being 34 in around 2 hours of diving in a Jersey and jeans among the great whites.I was nearly eaten one day by a 12 footer while diving abs on the inside of the harbor .Never did encounter one in all my years of diving in the open water .Looking back now I realise how lucky I was not to have ended up as shark ***** .I think that was my biggest fear being reduced to that in a few days. This beautiful boy turned into a load of crap.Thank God it did not happen .There have been around 5 fatalities of late in the area and 3 people losing their limbs.One surfer boy of 16 lost a leg and it washed up 40 km away on the other side of the bay still floated by the remaining wetsuit.The boy was deceased on arrival at hospital but they cooled his brain down and worked tirelessly and 30 mins later he showed signs of life and today is still surfing .That was a miracle!!Another guy was told by the shark spotters (there are lookouts dotted around parts of the bay)that he should not enter the water as a Great white shark had been sighted .He ignored the warning and 5 mins later he wished he hadn't and was assisted screaming from the water minus a leg and another severely injured.I saw him recently and said "You must be the shark man "He looked sheepish and said "yeah how do you know? I do have a name "I said to him that he is now quite famous .He was NOT amused!! Very embarrassing to have to admit to being an idiot I suppose.If anybody wants to see the remains of great white meals one can go online and google it.Both spearo's and surfers as well as paddle skiers have been attacked and one of the strangest things I have heard is great whites do not eat people .If you could ask those who have been eaten I bet they would beg to differ.Dawid Bornman was attacked while surfing and died on the beach after massive injuries .He was the son of a Doctor.About two years ago another surfer was attacked and died and he too was the son of a Doctor .One was a surgeon and the other an anaethsetist .How strange is that .The likelihood of that happening must have huge odds against it.Anyway enough of my ramblings now it is time for supper down here at the tip of Africa.Sadly not on the sea but at least it is only 800 yards away!!I would love to be out there though.But I do not have a boat anymore so if anyone needs a crewman of 66 still fit for a circumnavigation please do let me know before it is too late.
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