Bottom Paint: Pettit Trinidad 75 vs. PPG ABC3

[opusnz]

The paint formulations change between countries and change year to year as the environmental rules keep changing. So saying one paint works here or there or for years may be meaningless. It is a local situation.


For example, I used ABC from Canada and it lasted for 3 years. The ABC in Mexico was a different formulation for the tropics and was good but now ABC in NZ is just average. You are lucky to get one year out of it, like all other NZ antifouling paints. Some of the smaller countries with lax regulations have the harshest toxins and the longest lasting paints. In Fiji, they used to make International paints and add tributyl tin when most other countries were not doing it. It lasted for years. My experience in NZ lately is that the situation with most antifouling paints seems to be getting worse. They keep making them weaker and weaker and none of them work as advertised. I don't know anyone happy with their paint. If the salemen said that the paints were developed with the key ingredient of BS, it might be most accurate.

[Old fella]

Originally Posted by opusnz

The paint formulations change between countries and change year to year as the environmental rules keep changing. So saying one paint works here or there or for years may be meaningless. It is a local situation.


For example, I used ABC from Canada and it lasted for 3 years. The ABC in Mexico was a different formulation for the tropics and was good but now ABC in NZ is just average. You are lucky to get one year out of it, like all other NZ antifouling paints. Some of the smaller countries with lax regulations have the harshest toxins and the longest lasting paints. In Fiji, they used to make International paints and add tributyl tin when most other countries were not doing it. It lasted for years. My experience in NZ lately is that the situation with most antifouling paints seems to be getting worse. They keep making them weaker and weaker and none of them work as advertised. I don't know anyone happy with their paint. If the salemen said that the paints were developed with the key ingredient of BS, it might be most accurate.

You are dead right mate. I’m starting to think, I’d be better off using house paint and keeping my fingers crossed. Actually I’m doing it in 3 weeks, thought I’d try that altex 5, and see what that’s like ( like I don’t know already ).

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by opusnz

...My experience in NZ lately is that the situation with most antifouling paints seems to be getting worse. They keep making them weaker and weaker and none of them work as advertised...

So that gets me to wondering: What are they doing to make them weaker?

As far as my limited knowledge goes most paints use copper in one form or another (cuprous oxide, cuprous thiocyanate) or eco-friendly, barnacle-busting ingredients such as ECONEA and zinc omadine. From time to time ingredients such as Irgarol or tetracycline have been added or removed. (Of course years ago tin was common, but now it is rare).

Beyond these ingredients there are the types of binders, (hard, ablative etc) which can have effect on the effectiveness of the paint.

If you think they are making the paint weaker in NZ, what are they doing?

Reducing the copper is the main thing I can think of, have you seen the amount of copper being reduced?

[mark0978]

I've got 12 years on my coppercoat and it is still working. One painting done in 2008. So, 4 or 5 years seems a little short. I'm in the waters of Mexico near Cancun.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

In addition to looking up the meaning of the word "opinion," I suggest you do the same for the word "hypocrite."

Unbelievable.

Well that little spat of posts gave me a laugh and brightened my morning - Bit like having a bulldog attached to your leg I'd imagine. But hay, what do you know about paint its only a major part of your job

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by UFO

But hay, what do you know about paint its only a major part of your job