Bottom Paint: Pettit Trinidad 75 vs. PPG ABC3

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Sunday Driver

Three years ago they stopped using Irgarol (an Algecide) which was to discourage formation of slime.

Irgarol is available again and is currently used in a wide variety of anti fouling paints, including Trinidad SR and Trinidad Pro.

[DDabs]

Would the Irgarol have an effect on the finish of the paint? The Trinidad 75 would be a smooth paint good for speed, yes?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by DDabs

Would the Irgarol have an effect on the finish of the paint? The Trinidad 75 would be a smooth paint good for speed, yes?

Irgarol has no effect on finish that I am aware of. Any paint can be made smooth. It's all in the application. If you want a truly smooth bottom, roll & tip or spray the paint on. Doesn't matter what paint you're working with.

[Bycrick]

I’ve been using Trinidad since 2003, all in tropical waters. Never a problem, lasts for years. Not cheap, but I wouldn’t want to save on the paint and have to do it twice as often.

[Scott Berg]

Trinidad is great but PPG and Sherwin Williams make industrial bottom paints (used by ships and the navy) that are just as good and a LOT less money. They aren't currently marketed to the yacht community but they are every bit as good; available in ablative, hard, and hybrid....

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Scott Berg

Trinidad is great but PPG and Sherwin Williams make industrial bottom paints (used by ships and the navy) that are just as good and a LOT less money.

Bwahahahaha! I wouldn't wish a Sherwin Williams anti fouling paint on my worst enemy.

[Boatguy30]

I guess I'm the only guy that doesn't like ABC.

Put on like 4-5 coats and it's thin in less than 2 years. Used it twice on my cat. And only really blocked FL barnacles for about 3 months then you have to scrub/hence the thin.

And that's with plenty of sailing 2-3k miles annually

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

I guess I'm the only guy that doesn't like ABC.

Put on like 4-5 coats and it's thin in less than 2 years. Used it twice on my cat. And only really blocked FL barnacles for about 3 months then you have to scrub/hence the thin.

There is no anti fouling paint made that doesn't have to be cleaned on a regular basis when used in regions of moderate to high fouling (like Florida.) Further, ABC3 is an ablative paint. It simply isn't going to provide protection for as long as a hard paint will, like Trinidad. Especially if it needs regular in-water cleaning. That's just the nature of the hard vs. ablative beast.

[Scott Berg]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Bwahahahaha! I wouldn't wish a Sherwin Williams anti fouling paint on my worst enemy.

Well, SW is the largest industrial coatings co in the US; the Navy uses their paint and I've had great luck with both the hard and soft versions.


https://www.workboat.com/news/people...or-naval-work/

[Bycrick]

Once when I got hauled out in El Salvador,the only paint I could find was Sherwin Williams soft ablative paint. $40/gallon. Killed everything for miles until it wore away. If haul outs were cheaper, I’d probably be using it still.

[Phyrcooler]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

There is only one hard paint that this hull diver ever recommends and that is Trinidad. Any flavor, any color.

Glad to hear... since mine was done last week in San Diego with Trinidad HD.

[Boatguy30]

Augustine, I had nickel sized barnacles in August on fresh paint launched in early June.

I've actually seen barnacles a bit quicker on green Trinidad Pro which was supposedly 65% copper in the same waters.

Going with the hardest paint I can find next time.

hydrocoatSR is currently performing about the same as ABC on my port hull and the starboard hull has Seahawk Monterey is harder and working maybe just a bit better.

Paint was new in December and already both are pretty ineffective. Of course the bottom now has 6,000 miles on it.

May try PPG Sigma60 in brown/bronze if available in NZ.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Scott Berg

Well, SW is the largest industrial coatings co in the US; the Navy uses their paint and I've had great luck with both the hard and soft versions.

Company size not withstanding, Sherwin Williams produces what I consider to be amongst the worst performing anti fouling paints I have ever encountered. And I have encountered a lot of anti fouling paints.

[Bycrick]

Even if I accept your evaluation that SW paint performs poorly in SF bay, what does that say about its performance under other conditions or in other circumstances? Your statement seems to be an overly broad generalization.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Bycrick

Even if I accept your evaluation that SW paint performs poorly in SF bay, what does that say about its performance under other conditions or in other circumstances? Your statement seems to be an overly broad generalization.

I have never claimed that any statement I have ever made about anti fouling paints (and I have made many) applied to any location other than the one I'm in.

That said, the fouling conditions here in the Bay are not particularly robust. I consider them to be moderate-to-high. And a paint that doesn't have the horsepower to do the job here? I gotta wonder how well it would perform in places where fouling requires monthly (or more frequent) cleanings.