bottom paint how often

[Sandiiyam48t]

Ahoy salty dogs,, I wonder how often I should do my bottom paint. It seems fine except a few spots where it was on a block last time out which was 18 months ago. When I clean the bottom there seems to be lots of paint left but is there a general rule of how often it should be done?
Thanks all

[rwidman]

I have a diver clean my boat's bottom and when he starts complaining about excessive bottom growth, that's when I paint it.

[jeremiason]

Bottom paint wears differently for every boat based on, type, frequency of use and how often you clean the bottom. There is no hard rule.

If you are a weekend sailor you should get 24 months or more, again considering the above factors. Cruising boats tend to go less time, especially with ablative paint because they are traveling long distances in varied waters.

I tend to alternate colors when I paint the bottom, so I know when the paint has worn.

[Sandiiyam48t]

the different colors makes good sense,, we will do that

[fstbttms]

Know that most commonly used copper-based anti fouling paints will have depleted their biocide to levels that will no longer be effective within 2-3 years. Which end of that range you end up on is, in large part, dependant on your cleaning regimen.

[Kettlewell]

Even if cruising full time I usually haul out once a year. There is always something that needs to be done in addition to painting, and often at that point my keel has lost a fair bit of paint from going aground somewhere. Depending on the waters you are in, you can stay in longer. Some areas are very prone to barnacle growth, almost no matter what bottom paint you have, and when you scrape them off some of the paint comes off too. When I lived in South Carolina you couldn't move under power if you didn't scrape your propellor at least once a month--it would become a giant ball of barnacles.

[Cheechako]

Depends on the local water growth conditions. Up here in the PNW every 2 years seems pretty good. In Florida I would imagine every year. I'd have a diver clean it and ask him to assess the condition...

[Bash]

A hull should self-clean during any sail within a month of when it's been scrubbed. When it will no longer do that, it's time to start thinking about a haul.

I notice that my paint wears off first on the leading edge of the keel and rudder. This is usually a sign that I've waited a few months two long.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Bash

A hull should self-clean during any sail within a month of when it's been scrubbed.

If that were true then racers would never need to be cleaned.

[letsgetsailing3]

What amazes me is that boats for sale sometimes advertise that they were just painted -- THREE YEARS AGO!

[Bash]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

If that were true than racers would never need to be cleaned.

That's some fuzzy logic. The reason racers want the hull cleaned prior to a race so that it's fast at the beginning of the race, not just the end.

Ask yourself why your racing customers never ask for a scrub before the second day of a two-day regatta.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Bash

That's some fuzzy logic. The reason racers want the hull cleaned prior to a race so that it's fast at the beginning of the race, not just the end.

No, the point is that no paint is truly "self-cleaning." Unless being just kind of dirty meets your definition of "clean." I cleaned nine race boats last Friday. Some of those boats will race tonight and maybe a few other times before a month has elapsed. I guarantee they will not be anything approaching really clean by the first week of June. By your logic, all I would have to do is clean a raceboat once, and he would be good to go for the rest of the season, as long has sailed the boat at least once a month.

Originally Posted by Bash

Ask yourself why your racing customers never ask for a scrub before the second day of a two-day regatta.

Some do ask for cleanings both days. Not all, but it happens. Do they truly need it? Probably not. The fouling progression just simply doesn't happen quickly enough. But the "self-polishing" paint that actually self-polishes does not really exist, IMHO. It is simply a marketing gimmick. But again, it depends on what your definition of "clean" is.

[rwidman]

As I posted above, when my diver starts complaining, I know it's time for new bottom paint. In my area, boats need cleaning as often as every three weeks in the summer, less often in the winter.

Before I embark on an extended cruise, I have the bottom cleaned for better efficiency.