Anti foul, bottom paint, soft, medium or hard?

[s/v 'Faith']

Sorry man, did not realize you were the expert. When were you there last? Walk around boat yards much in the Bahamas?

Oh, wait... You READ on the Internet they did not sell it..... Ok.

Cool.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

Sorry man, did not realize you were the expert. When were you there last? Walk around boat yards much in the Bahamas?

Oh, wait... You READ on the Internet they did not sell it..... Ok.

Cool.

Never said that, Chief. You got a real problem misquoting people. But you're trying to cover up your mistakes. So you have to make sh*t up. I get it.

I never said anything about it being sold in the Bahamas. What I said was that it wasn't legal, and it isn't.

[gunnado]

That would be horrible setting up at every new anchorage, useless on passage and a pain to store when traveling across the South Pacific.

[davecalvert]

Hi Fstbbms,
Looking at the Sea Hawk line, they also offer paints that are legal in the US. Would you recommend any of these for the Bahamas clear waters?
It is a big slime, weed issue we have here. I know you suggested Micron 66 and I am considering this but, want to look at all options.
Thanks

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by davecalvert

Hi Fstbbms,
Looking at the Sea Hawk line, they also offer paints that are legal in the US. Would you recommend any of these for the Bahamas clear waters?
It is a big slime, weed issue we have here. I know you suggested Micron 66 and I am considering this but, want to look at all options.
Thanks

Having no experience cleaning hulls in the Bahamas, I cannot speak to the effectiveness of any paint in those waters. I can say that I have never found any Sea Hawk product to be competitively effective here in the Bay Area. I just simply cannot recommend them.

[Rubikoop]

Many, and I mean MANY, people from the USVI take their boats to the BVI to get "very effective" bottom pain applied that is not available for purchase here. Many others buy "very effective" bottom paint in the BVI and bring it back, apparently the labels fall off easily, and apply it themselves to their boats.

Each person must make their own choices based on their situation and their own concern for the planet.

Many people have been very satisfied with Sherwin Williams bottom paint too. The price is about half on Micron 66 which is sort of the gold standard around here. Next haul I'm trying the S Williams product. Has anybody else used it?

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by Rubikoop

---
Many people have been very satisfied with Sherwin Williams bottom paint too. The price is about half on Micron 66 which is sort of the gold standard around here. Next haul I'm trying the S Williams product. Has anybody else used it?

I never knew Sherwin Williams made antifouling paint. What do they call it? Is it copper based? Or?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by FSMike

I never knew Sherwin Williams made antifouling paint. What do they call it? Is it copper based? Or?

It is called "SeaGuard." Yes, it is copper based.


BTW- there's probably a reason you didn't know Sherwin Williams made an anti fouling paint. Just sayin'.

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by FSMike

I never knew Sherwin Williams made antifouling paint. What do they call it? Is it copper based? Or?

I'm working from my smart phone so not inclined to look it up. I know of about 20 boats that are satisfied to very satisfied with it. A charter company started doing a portion of their boats with it last year, leaving standard el cheapo paints on others as a control. It seems that mixing in some additional biocide has been very beneficial as well.

I brought up the product because its priced like cheap West Marine type paints but seems to last more like the expensive products, Micron, Seahawk etc. I know building/painting contractors that use Sherwin Williams typically get very steep discounts from suggested retail prices.

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

It is called "SeaGuard." Yes, it is copper based.

BTW- there's probably a reason you didn't know Sherwin Williams made an anti fouling paint. Just sayin'.

Are you saying the efficacy in warm local Caribbean waters is not as good as rebranded similarly priced paints sold by West Marine and Jamestown Distributors, for example? I sure don't want to misquote you or put words in your mouth. :-) What is the average water temperature where you work? :-) Yes, I'm teasing you a little.

I'm not a chemist nor have I spent any time underwater in marinas cleaning boat hulls. I do know what I've seen here, know what I've been told first hand by knowledgable people that have used the product on their own vessels for a few years, and know that charter companies aren't inclined to use paints that require a higher overall annual maintenance cost (good paint, NO diver to scrub. Bad paint, at least monthly bottom scrub by a diver). Charter boats described are hauled annually. Private boats every other year. bang

[fstbttms]

I'm not saying anything except that the Sherwin Williams anti fouling paint is not well known or particularly widely used in the recreational boating community. That situation doesn't exist because it's such a great product. <sarcasm>

And yes, I have come across it in my business and no, I don't find it to be a good anti fouling paint. Certainly not when compared to its more popular and better known competition. But that's just one hull cleaner's opinion.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Rubikoop

Are you saying the efficacy in warm local Caribbean waters is not as good as rebranded similarly priced paints sold by West Marine and Jamestown Distributors, for example? I sure don't want to misquote you or put words in your mouth. :-) What is the average water temperature where you work? :-) Yes, I'm teasing you a little.

I'm not a chemist nor have I spent any time underwater in marinas cleaning boat hulls. I do know what I've seen here, know what I've been told first hand by knowledgable people that have used the product on their own vessels for a few years, and know that charter companies aren't inclined to use paints that require a higher overall annual maintenance cost (good paint, NO diver to scrub. Bad paint, at least monthly bottom scrub by a diver). Charter boats described are hauled annually. Private boats every other year. bang

As my daddy used to say, "Don't bother trying to teach a pig to sing; it just frustrates you and annoys the pig."

First hand experience in the charter industry is good enough for most of us.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

First hand experience in the charter industry is good enough for most of us.

The charter industry isn't particularly interested in using what's best. They're interested in using what's cheap.

But hey- it's your dime. Knock yourself out.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

The charter industry isn't particularly interested in using what's best. They're interested in using what's cheap.

But hey- it's your dime. Knock yourself out.

Also remember a typical charter boat is moving quite a bit more often than a private vessel. When actively cruising we never had any real growth, but as soon as the boat was tied up for 5 months a reef began to form!!

[Roy M]

I'm using a new non-copper paint by Sherwin-Williams called SeaVoyage. It just got approval in California a month ago, but has been used extensively by the US Navy in San Diego Bay and elsewhere for the past five years. There's a big boat called the USS Ronald Reagan currently painted with it. It's a zinc-based paint with an additive derived from marigold flowers (echinacea), double the strength of a similar product made by International. Beside the Maritime Museum in San Diego, I'm the only civilian user so far (ProLine Paint asked me to try it out, as they produce it for Sherwin-Williams). They claim it to have the same qualities as a 70% copper bottom paint, which ProLine is famous for. I'll be detailing its performance in coming months. I was going through my paint locker yesterday and found several old bottles of TBTO that ProLine used to sell off the shelves. Now I have to find a way to get rid of it. It was so effective at killing marine life that all the marinas lost the mussel populations under the docks. They are just starting to come back, after many years.