Cruisers & Sailing Forums - View Single Post

ixtlan22 · 19-07-2009, 12:42

Thanks for all the replies...most helpful.

Looking back, I realized we were actually asking two or more questions about the bottom painting issue. What we really wanted was some input about whether people in warmer waters had better luck (experiences) with "hard" verses "ablative" paints or vice versa. We can put on either one while were here in the PNW and plan on doing that before we leave....the issue is really what might work best for the long-run in warmer waters?

The admiral wanted to know if water temperature had any immediate effect on the adhesion qualities of the paint?...meaning if we put something on up here in the NW is it going to just fall off after we get down there because "everyone knows the XYZ brand of ablative or epoxy paints are what everyone uses in the San Diego to Panama area." What this did was bring up even more questions about such as "does the location of where you put your paint on" or, " installation temperature (including humidity) have any effect on adhesion qualities or overall performance of either type of paint." Would like to know this without having to get a degree in bottom paint form Paint U.

Believe it or not, this is not a dumb question as we noticed that application of some types of ablative paint in cooler (make that colder) waters do not appear to adhere as well as others. Up here, we didn't have very good luck with one brand of ablative paint. It was non-functional within a year (sorry don't remember the brand I just know I'm not going to buy it again

). It could be just the paint...it could be the water temp...or it could be a multitude of other factors such as type of algae or water creatures, salinity, tidal action, electrolitic action etc. etc. etc.

As most everyone knows...bottom paint of any kind is not cheap especially when boats get over 10' or so. We just hate to go hand mother nature $600-$800 bucks for the privilage of finding out that our choice of paint may be "not-so-good" and if we had just have asked...we would have known better.

and no, just for the record, we don't use the copper stuff.

19-07-2009, 12:42	#9
ixtlan22 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Currently in Poulsbo Washington Boat: Islander Freeport 41 Posts: 39	Clairification Thanks for all the replies...most helpful. Looking back, I realized we were actually asking two or more questions about the bottom painting issue. What we really wanted was some input about whether people in warmer waters had better luck (experiences) with "hard" verses "ablative" paints or vice versa. We can put on either one while were here in the PNW and plan on doing that before we leave....the issue is really what might work best for the long-run in warmer waters? The admiral wanted to know if water temperature had any immediate effect on the adhesion qualities of the paint?...meaning if we put something on up here in the NW is it going to just fall off after we get down there because "everyone knows the XYZ brand of ablative or epoxy paints are what everyone uses in the San Diego to Panama area." What this did was bring up even more questions about such as "does the location of where you put your paint on" or, " installation temperature (including humidity) have any effect on adhesion qualities or overall performance of either type of paint." Would like to know this without having to get a degree in bottom paint form Paint U. Believe it or not, this is not a dumb question as we noticed that application of some types of ablative paint in cooler (make that colder) waters do not appear to adhere as well as others. Up here, we didn't have very good luck with one brand of ablative paint. It was non-functional within a year (sorry don't remember the brand I just know I'm not going to buy it again ). It could be just the paint...it could be the water temp...or it could be a multitude of other factors such as type of algae or water creatures, salinity, tidal action, electrolitic action etc. etc. etc. As most everyone knows...bottom paint of any kind is not cheap especially when boats get over 10' or so. We just hate to go hand mother nature $600-$800 bucks for the privilage of finding out that our choice of paint may be "not-so-good" and if we had just have asked...we would have known better. and no, just for the record, we don't use the copper stuff.