bottom paint

[MIRELOS]

go on their website, they have the locations

[smj]

Just spoke with the local PPG store, and they said some of the materials used to produce ABC3 are scarce so production has slowed down. The vast majority of the paint is going to the navy and a small amount to shipyards with none showing up at the retail stores.

[Jweyndling]

I have been very pleased with Seahawk Island 77. Put it in on Caribbean in March. Now is New England in August with zero growth and just a little slime along water line which wipes off easily.

[Jweyndling]

Sorry that was Seahawk Island 44 paint.

[carmarche]

Surprised at the complaint on SeaHawk at least in the northeast. In water year round liveaboards.
On both our current and previous Beneteaus use Seahawk BioCop TF and cannot say enough about it.
Get 5 to 6 years on a single painting… never any hard growth and only use a diver to give it a wipe down monthly. Just NEVER let a pressure washer touch it if we haul.

[MIRELOS]

I first used BioCop twice and got a fair rating of 2 years with some growth, very few barnacles the first time, the second time I was in Georgia and got more growth I blamed it on lack of movement during the winter. Then I used the water base Monterey from Sea Hawk and it was terrible, by the time I got to St.Augustine I had growth and all winter in Florida the paint could not keep up, had a diver three times and the stuff would grow right behind the diver.
I plan to use try ABC3 this time and see how winter in Florida and the Bahamas deal with it.

[WE9V]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

The worst I have had here in Florida is Seahawk CuKote and BioCop.

Like CarlF, this has not been my (short) experience either. I have Cukote on my 9-month new to me boat in the Gulf of Florida. The PO claimed the paint was applied in 2021, specifically when, I do not know, but that definitely makes it 2-2.5 years old. I returned to the boat this week after being gone 2+ months specifically to clean the bottom. I expected plenty of growth since it was 2.5 months since I last cleaned it, and we're in the middle of summer. All I found was slime, with maybe 10 smaller than a grain of rice hard growths. The exception was my uncoated prop and external sonar transducer. All I needed to do is wipe the hull softly with a Scotch-Brite pad. In my 9 months of ownership, I have only cleaned the hull 3 times, and each time just like this last time: slime with only a few tiny hard growths.

I will definitely consider Seahawk Cukote for my next application, if I don't go the cheaper ABC3 route.

[CarlF]

When I was considering the switch to SeaHawk Biocop TF two years ago, I stopped at the Interlux booth at the Annapolis Boat Show to ask about the new Micron Extra SPC (I had been using the older Micron Extra and Micron 66).

It was the Interlux factory rep at the booth who told me that Interlux had just bought SeaHawk and was now manufacturing it. I expect that Interlux (Akzo Nobel) has better quality control and mnaufacturing methods than the very tiny Sea Hawk.

He said that he considered Seahawk Biocop to be better than the Micron paints - less damage from divers and performs very well in the Carribean. He said he was planning to paint his personal boat with BioCop. That pretty much convinced me to give BioCop TF a try.

I have not heard similiar great things about SeaHawk Cukote or SeaHawk AF33. Neither has the dual biocide of Biocop TF. I've found the dual biocide paints (including most Microns) to perform considerably better than just copper.

[David Johnson]

For what it's worth, I have been pleased with Interlux Micron CSC. Used it ever since Micron 33 was discontinued for retail to consumers on my previous boat in Alaska. Then on our next boat, six months in Florida before shipping to NW and now in Alaska: slime only, after over 3 years.

[s/v Jedi]

More experiences with TotalBoat antifouling? Sherwin Williams?

[WE9V]

Originally Posted by CarlF

That pretty much convinced me to give BioCop TF a try.

In reading the BioCop TF Technical Data Sheet, it says " Surface temperature must be a least 50° F (10°C) above dew point. "

Where and when in the world could you possibly do that???? If air temp is 60F, dew point must be below 10F, and at 90F air temp, dew point can only be 40F. You might be able meet these requirements in Arizona, but probably nowhere along the Atlantic or Gulf coasts.

[JMR1138]

I'm a big fan of Petit Triton. We put ~10k nms on it over the course of a year and a half. When we pulled her, there was no growth at all. We just had to sand and cover in 2 new coats. The stuff is pricey, but you save in the long run.

[Dave9111]

Bluewater Marine 45 percent copper ablative. This is a solvent paint.

On Lake Erie with Zebra Mussels.

I dont paint the boat every year. Pressure wash, touchup the paint where its thin and back in the water.

The stuff is really good. For Florida id probably get good coverage, then put on two more coats. Should be good for years with cleanings.

[sailorboy1]

People who not have been in an area shouldn't give advise on if a bottom paint might work there. Florida water varies a lot and even a paint that works 1 area may not work in others here.

[Johnno]

Out here on the East coast of Australia, ABC3 is great! I've been using it for years and get 18 months to 2 years out of it with a bottom scrub every 6 months