Recommendations for ablative paint

[SeaSail]

Hi, I've checked the posts and found some good discussions regarding SeaHawk Biocop TF and Micron 66. My boatyard here in Tampa Bay is recommending one of these for their standard bottom paint job: Pettit HRT, Blue Water AF45, or SeaHawk AF33. As these are lower cost paints per gallon than the two in prior posts, I would appreciate any thoughts on which of these three might be a good choice for a SW FL sailboat. Are the premium paints (e.g., Micron/Biocop) really worth the extra $? Thanks for your thoughts.

[Sailmonkey]

Our most recent bottom is Pettit ultima 60 Sr, it’s also what we had on two bottoms ago, quite happy with it.

The in between paint from the previous bottom was interlux Neptune wasterbased fluff paint. I’ll not go that route again unless we plan on hauling annually.

We were in the SW Carib with the Pettit paint, and Texas with the friendly paint. We’ve gone Texas to Florida with the good paint and no growth yet.

[Woodland Hills]

Sherwin-Williams SeaGuard ablative marine https://protective.sherwin-williams....3aproduct-6941

On our second year and very happy with results from Key West to St Michaels. Like any ablative you need to keep moving and don’t have the diver use an abrasive pad. We only had the diver when we stopped for over 1 month and only on hard critters with scrapers, not the slime.

[smj]

Ameron ABC3. Inexpensive and very effective.

[Woodland Hills]

Do a search for SeaHawk bottom paint here: divers love it since they make lots of money scrubbing SeaHawk bottoms. Also it seems to be very inconsistently manufactured: some get good batches others get bad batches that don’t protect at all.
Do a google search: the founders and managers did prison time for lying about the contents to regulators a few years back. No wonder it worked so well they used banned chemicals that poisoned sea life.

[michaeld]

SE Florida here.... We use Trinidad Pro. It performs well for us.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Woodland Hills

Do a search for SeaHawk bottom paint here: divers love it since they make lots of money scrubbing SeaHawk bottoms.

No diver likes having to work harder because their client is using a crappy bottom paint.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by SeaSail

Hi, I've checked the posts and found some good discussions regarding SeaHawk Biocop TF and Micron 66. My boatyard here in Tampa Bay is recommending one of these for their standard bottom paint job: Pettit HRT, Blue Water AF45, or SeaHawk AF33. As these are lower cost paints per gallon than the two in prior posts, I would appreciate any thoughts on which of these three might be a good choice for a SW FL sailboat. Are the premium paints (e.g., Micron/Biocop) really worth the extra $? Thanks for your thoughts.

Well my experience with Biocop is that it is crap! I started a thread so you can search on my name if interested. Near as i thread based on other peoples posts bout it is that their quality control much suck.

[Ardbeg]

I am in fresh water most of the time, Lake Ontario, and I use Pettit VIVID, white on my sailboat. It lasts multi seasons and I have no complaints, perhaps except a bit of yellowing along the water line during the season.

[slug]

I’ve used international Trilux for many years ..good paint...copper oxide free..makes your anodes and underwater metal last longer

[WSMFP]

I'm also interested as I'm considering Petit or Interlux. Just not sure which one would be best for west central florida. The boat is out of the water and currently has what the previous owner claimed to be petit trinidad but it appears there is not longer a petit trinidad ablative listed on the petit website.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by WSMFP

The boat is out of the water and currently has what the previous owner claimed to be petit trinidad...

Pettit Trinidad is a hard paint, not ablative. It is THE hard paint, IMHO.

[WSMFP]

Thanks. I 100% have an ablative so I think the previous owner was confused.

[slug]

Originally Posted by WSMFP

I'm also interested as I'm considering Petit or Interlux. Just not sure which one would be best for west central florida. The boat is out of the water and currently has what the previous owner claimed to be petit trinidad but it appears there is not longer a petit trinidad ablative listed on the petit website.

Don’t know what’s best for your region ...I used Trilux on both sides of the Atlantic.

One advantage with Trilux is its worldwide availability . International has a very good dealer network

Many good paints around ...be sure that the brand and type you choose is widely available in the region you will cruise and haul out

Sometimes is good to ask your local shipyard , paint company or bareboat charter fleet for recommendations .
Some paints are easier to use

Many big bareboat charter fleets use paint from Jotun

https://www.jotun.com/us/en/b2b/pain...hts/index.aspx

They tell me it gives the best price performance ratio

[billburr]

Aqua-guard. Water-based, lasts 2 years.