Best Hard Paint for under the waterline

[timb7734]

Considering haul outs it is IMO definitely worth the price. Just hauled for the first time since 2018 to repair trim tab actuators, haul out alone was 1K, bottom was clear of hard fouling needing only a quick pressure wash. No bottom scrub since December although I do have it done monthly in the summer.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Drek4

Well it seems that this type of paint is controversial.
Well I sure hope that others have such a high success rate as you do, because then, it could be worth the price after all.

Call it "paint" or call it orange juice. Call it whatever you want. But you will find as many (if not many more) testimonials in which the user regrets ever having bought into the Coppercoat sales pitch as those who don't.

[CaptMike02]

I worked in a Marina in Jersey as a kid in the 70's and back then before they banned all the good paints anything with large amounts of copper lasted the longest. The ablative paints are made for faster boats that are mostly trailered. the harder paints are for sailboats and left in the water. So when you scrape the bottom your not taking off layers of paint... LOL
That was a good point to look up Jotun SeaQuantum I'm definitely going to check that out!!! thanks. Capt Mike

[CaptMike02]

Looks like SeaQuantum Ultra SP would be best for slow cruising yachts in the US.

https://www.jotun.com/ww-en/industri...ntum-ultra-sp/

has anyone purchased this?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by CaptMike02

The ablative paints are made for faster boats that are mostly trailered. the harder paints are for sailboats and left in the water.

This is simply not true.

[TideTime]

Pettit Trinidad; costly, but the best!

[toddedger]

Sigma ecofleet 530 by PPG. Only comes in 5 gal black or red. Went on Oct March 2019. Boats at 9°latitude and getting cleaned by diver every three months. Diver says it's still holding up well. Will probably haul out and repaint end of this summer.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Drek4

I was just wondering what specific brand Hard Paint you used to paint under the waterline and gave you a great useful life span.
Most of my research, I see paints lasting at the most between 24 to 30 months, I was hoping to find something in the 3+ years category.
By the way the sailboat would be mostly sailed and anchored between the tropics, I would use a plastic spatula on a monthly basis and I would like to reduce haul outs to a minimum.

I take photos of my boat after it has been haul to document the bottom fouling. As I have my boat on a two year haul out schedule I can't respond to any period beyond that. However, even the experts will tell you that bottom paints preform differently in different environments.

The best to date that I have noted was Trinidad VOC with 53.3% cuprous oxide. There were few hard growths but the usual slime covered all.

You will be hard pressed to find any paint that lasts beyond two years and I suspect the new paint regulations will make that even more difficult.

Additionally, I think you will find that planning to scrape your hull on a monthly basis is unrealistic, even in warmwater tropics. I've never heard of anyone honestly keeping up with that ambitious schedule.

Good Luck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by MJH

You will be hard pressed to find any paint that lasts beyond two years and I suspect the new paint regulations will make that even more difficult.

Here in California we typically get 3+ years of good service from Trinidad. If you aren't getting that it's likely because you haven't put enough paint on the hull.

[gamayun]

As someone who dives her own boat, you can see how quickly ablative paint washes off even with a microfiber cloth. I also do my own maintenance work so I also know my baseline. Even so, this is a complicated subject and "what's the best" is not so easy to answer. I had thought I had used a semi hard paint last haul out in 2019, but my notes just say Interlux Blue. I just searched Jamestown for "Interlux" and they list 9 different bottom paints. Now I need to do some more digging. But paints also change formulation or the container had been sitting on a shelf too long. Something that may or may not have worked might be completely different if you try it again in 2-3 years. What works in one region, might also not work as well in another. A boatyard might do a crap job on the prep work that can affect the results, too. In addition to the feedback here, I recommend you take a look at the technical data sheets and talk with the reps for current state of the boat and how you use it. Like most things in life, the answer is it kinda depends on way too many variables to find a one-size-fits-all answer.

I will also note, by the way, that whatever you put down the sink can chew up bottom paint. I am starting to think the acidic water from rinsing out the French press might be causing the problem here....?

[Drek4]

Originally Posted by TideTime

Pettit Trinidad; costly, but the best!

Yet another for Petit Trinidad, thank you.

[Drek4]

Originally Posted by toddedger

Sigma ecofleet 530 by PPG. Only comes in 5 gal black or red. Went on Oct March 2019. Boats at 9°latitude and getting cleaned by diver every three months. Diver says it's still holding up well. Will probably haul out and repaint end of this summer.

That's good to know, thank you for sharing.

[Drek4]

Originally Posted by MJH

I take photos of my boat after it has been haul to document the bottom fouling. As I have my boat on a two year haul out schedule I can't respond to any period beyond that. However, even the experts will tell you that bottom paints preform differently in different environments.

The best to date that I have noted was Trinidad VOC with 53.3% cuprous oxide. There were few hard growths but the usual slime covered all.

You will be hard pressed to find any paint that lasts beyond two years and I suspect the new paint regulations will make that even more difficult.

Additionally, I think you will find that planning to scrape your hull on a monthly basis is unrealistic, even in warmwater tropics. I've never heard of anyone honestly keeping up with that ambitious schedule.

Good Luck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

Yes well, when docked will be easy this will be most of the time, the only time this will be difficult, if plans go as scheduled, will be during a passage and after this passage will be mostly island hoping.
Thank you, for your reply.

[Drek4]

Originally Posted by gamayun

As someone who dives her own boat, you can see how quickly ablative paint washes off even with a microfiber cloth. I also do my own maintenance work so I also know my baseline. Even so, this is a complicated subject and "what's the best" is not so easy to answer. I had thought I had used a semi hard paint last haul out in 2019, but my notes just say Interlux Blue. I just searched Jamestown for "Interlux" and they list 9 different bottom paints. Now I need to do some more digging. But paints also change formulation or the container had been sitting on a shelf too long. Something that may or may not have worked might be completely different if you try it again in 2-3 years. What works in one region, might also not work as well in another. A boatyard might do a crap job on the prep work that can affect the results, too. In addition to the feedback here, I recommend you take a look at the technical data sheets and talk with the reps for current state of the boat and how you use it. Like most things in life, the answer is it kinda depends on way too many variables to find a one-size-fits-all answer.

I will also note, by the way, that whatever you put down the sink can chew up bottom paint. I am starting to think the acidic water from rinsing out the French press might be causing the problem here....?

That's an excellent reply to my question.
I guess I figured, the more feedback the better, purchasing a product A that 90% of those who used it said it worked great, is a whole lot better than product B that 50% of those who used it said it worked great.
So yes might be good to include some variables also, but customer satisfaction is always the number one criteria.

[bstreep]

Interlux Ultra with Biolux. Hard to find, as it's been discontinued again. I've been using it for 13 years. We get 3+ years out of a bottom, and our boat is in the Laguna Madre (Mother Lagoon), where we get eating-sized oysters in 8 weeks, nickel-sized barnacles in 2-3 weeks. Our diver keeps telling us it's the best paint he's ever seen in use. There may be better out there, but it's hard for us to argue with our success with this paint.