Overlaying 2 types of bottom paint

[Aguabago]

I have a gallon of Interlux Aqua left over from the last bottom painting. This is a water based ablative paint which lasted about 18 months for a sailboat 100% in the water in the tropics, albeit it wore out at the bow quicker. But you the first 12 months I didn’t need to touch it.

This haul out I am considering going to a hard bottom paint as I would like to have something that lasts longer.

I know this sounds like a dumb question, but the penny pincher in me means I have to at least ask:

Have you ever applied a new coat of hard bottom paint, that put a coat of soft ablative bottom paint on top of that? How did that work out?

[fstbttms]

What is the benefit of doing that? Your ablative will still be done in 18 months, and then what? Repaint again? If the hard paint beneath it doesn't do the job, why put it on at all? Conversely, if it does perform well, why use the ablative?

[Bill O]

People do it all the time and use different colors to visually see when they need to repaint. Seems like a lot of extra work and expense w/o much benefit than using straight ablative.

We get several years out of our hard bottom paint. We do use a dri-diver to scrub the hull periodically and we also dive frequently to keep the prop clean. That works for us.


Bill O.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Bill O

People do it all the time and use different colors to visually see when they need to repaint.

No, they don't. People use different colors of the same paint as indicator coats. They don't put different types of paint on the boat. Pick a paint that works for you and use that. No benefit in mixing types.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

No, they don't. People use different colors of the same paint as indicator coats. They don't put different types of paint on the boat. Pick a paint that works for you and use that. No benefit in mixing types.

Ok whatever you say, I've seen it done and read that people do it. Not saying it's correct nor would I even do it. As I said previously, its not worth it.

There are better ways to put on a tell coat, if that's what you are attempting to achieve.

Bill O.

[malcolmlj]

Fascinated by this debate.
For me Coppercoat has made the whole discussion redundant.
Twice the initial cost for over 10 years protection.
A No- Brainer !!!

[hooligan6a]

[QUOTE=Bill O;2827188]Ok whatever you say, I've seen it done and read that people do it. Not saying it's correct nor would I even do it. As I said previously, its not worth it.

No people do not mix different types of paints all the time, there is no good reason fo it. You can only put ablative paint over hard, not the other way around.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by hooligan6a

You can only put ablative paint over hard, not the other way around.

Per the OPs question, we are only discussing soft (ablative) over a fresh coat of hard.

[Allied39]

I applied a couple of coats of ablative over a hard paint years back. Micron csc over trinidad if I remember correctly.

It lasted a good 5 years, from NY down to Bay islands and back.

I was happy with how it lasted, no issues. I have not repeated the process but was actually considering it. I recently picked up some gallons of csc and trinidad for $100 a can, so the bucks are no issue.

I have come to the conclusion that the good bottom paint is gone, outlawed by folks who want more money spent.... the environment be damned.

Bottom paint every year because it does not work is much worse for the environment than the "long gone" good stuff that did actually work.

So, with the one rule.....soft over hard ok,hard over soft no good.....do whatever you want.

I am literally at the point of doing different paints on either side of my boat to try to work out which system is less useless.

I also at one point tried the copper coat system, was not happy with that at all.

All this gained over 18 yrs experience, others may have different conclusions.

All the above was for the original posts benefit, no not interested in arguing with anybody about anything......i am sure you are right.

[Mike Banks]

that is what I always do. I use a hard bottomed antifoul over a barrier coat of chlorinated rubber paint--the first two coats of harder antifoul is red, and my next two coats sprayed on is a quicker release type with better protection but the two coats will last me about two years--time to replace them is when the red antifouling becomes visible.

So--your idea is a practical one and has worked for me over many years. Just be sure the two types of antifouling use the same type of chemistry and they will be compatible. Incompatibility is not usual these days, as it used to be when the only antifoulings that worked were based on tin or copper--which did not get on well together. Only the military is now permitted to use tin-based antifouling.


Copper based antifouling (most antifouling) s incompatible with aluminium hulls--so if YOU have an aluminium hull--then you have to get special antifouling for it.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Mike Banks

the first two coats of harder antifoul is red, and my next two coats sprayed on is a quicker release type with better protection...

What is a "quicker release type"?

[hellosailor]

bill-
"I've seen it done and read that people do it."
Yeah, people do all sorts of smart things all the time. Doesn't mean they are a good idea. Ever hear the saying "There's a sucker born every minute" ?

malcolm-
Coppercoat and some knockoffs have been on the market for maybe 40 years. And after all that time, Coppercoat claims something like 1000 installations were done last year. Let me give you a hint why that is: Some folks swear by it, sure. More have the same experience we had. It worked great over the first year, and was worthless in the second, despite pre-launch prep exactly as instructed.
If you can't gain market share after 40 years...your product isn't right for the market. IIRC if you want their warranty, you have to pay for their licensed professional applicators, and then pay again if work is needed later on. No bargain there.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Allied39

I applied a couple of coats of ablative over a hard paint years back. Micron csc over trinidad if I remember correctly.

It lasted a good 5 years, from NY down to Bay islands and back.

I was happy with how it lasted, no issues. I have not repeated the process but was actually considering it. I recently picked up some gallons of csc and trinidad for $100 a can, so the bucks are no issue.

I have come to the conclusion that the good bottom paint is gone, outlawed by folks who want more money spent.... the environment be damned.

Bottom paint every year because it does not work is much worse for the environment than the "long gone" good stuff that did actually work.

So, with the one rule.....soft over hard ok,hard over soft no good.....do whatever you want.

I am literally at the point of doing different paints on either side of my boat to try to work out which system is less useless.

I also at one point tried the copper coat system, was not happy with that at all.

All this gained over 18 yrs experience, others may have different conclusions.

All the above was for the original posts benefit, no not interested in arguing with anybody about anything......i am sure you are right.

Interesting.

I have sufficient ablative left from my last slipping to do one side and, being dissatisfied with the performance of the extant antifoul, intend to switch to another brand of ablative on the other side in order to carry out a side by side comparison. Since I do about 2,000 nm of coastal cruising into tropical waters every winter it should provide a good test.

[Aguabago]

Thanks for the insights. The original question is: Does it make any sense to use some currently owned soft bottom paint over the top of a newly applied hard bottom paint. Both layers would have antifouling capability.

Another way to state this question is: If you have some free-to-you, but expensive ablative paint, would applying over a new hard bottom paint make the overall bottom last longer or perform better?

I think I saw in the discussion an answer of “yes people do this”, but not sure that it was answering the question as stated above.

[Bassman3]

So this is off-topic a bit but since the bottom jobbers are gathered, I have a question. I just bought a 48' Jefferson that has a fresh bottom paint with Pettit Trinidad, a hard paint. I think I have heard that hard paint should stay wet. I put the boat in dry dock indoors May-November. Is that bad for the hard paint? If so, why?