Micron 66 - worth the extra $$$?

[lockie]

I'd be interested to hear the experiences of any who have used Micron 66. It costs over 50% more than lots of other AF's, but does it deliver the extra time between slips for a cruising yacht?

Cheers, Graeme

[slowpoker]

Just add some powdered copper to your regular paint and keep it stirred as you apply it. makes it last at least double the usual time.
One cup of powdered copper to a gallon of Trinidad 75 or equal ''epoxy type hard paint'' works great. Still gets slime but way less critters.

[MarkSF]

Trinidad 75 is 60% cuprous oxide, which is 2.4 quarts per gallon. Adding one cup more is going to do what, exactly? Dont you think that if adding another few percent copper transformed the antifouling properties, they would have done so?

Back to planet earth. I just put Micron 66 on, based on favorable reports from boat owners I know. Hopefully it will perform. I'll let you know in 3 years time!

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

Trinidad 75 is 60% cuprous oxide, which is 2.4 quarts per gallon. Adding one cup more is going to do what, exactly?

Slowpoker is talking about adding powdered copper. Trinidad uses copper oxide. I have no idea if the powdered copper makes a difference, but these are two different compounds.

[Dockhead]

I'm using Micron 66.

It seems to work very well.

But as to lasting longer, I can't say. Mine was gone in some patches after one year and two careful scrubs. And that was three coats of it, costing a lot to put on. In fairness, however, I sailed more than 3000 miles last summer, and that will remove any ablative antifouling.


I will get two years out of it but the summer is in the low-fouling, brackish Baltic, and I will let it go over next winter.

I can't say for sure that it works better than the Jotun Sea Queen which I used to use, and which is no longer available. But it does work much better than the Micron Extra I used last time.


It's bloody expensive. I think I'm paying triple what I used to pay for Sea Queen.

[lockie]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I'm using Micron 66.

It seems to work very well.

But as to lasting longer, I can't say. Mine was gone in some patches after one year and two careful scrubs. And that was three coats of it, costing a lot to put on. In fairness, however, I sailed more than 3000 miles last summer, and that will remove any ablative antifouling.


I will get two years out of it but the summer is in the low-fouling, brackish Baltic, and I will let it go over next winter.

I can't say for sure that it works better than the Jotun Sea Queen which I used to use, and which is no longer available. But it does work much better than the Micron Extra I used last time.


It's bloody expensive. I think I'm paying triple what I used to pay for Sea Queen.

Thanks for that, interesting.

And whilst I appreciate the advice about home-brew, I just want to know how well Micron 66 works.

Anyone else?

Cheers, Graeme

[DMCantor]

We haul every year after our 5-month season in the Caribbean, and reapply antifouling just before launching. We started with a Petit paint, and had hard growth after 5 months, even with a couple of good bottom scrubbings. We switched to Micron 66, and found a baby-smooth bottom when we hauled each year. A boatyard didn't follow our instructions one year, and used a Sea Hawk paint -- back to hard growth. The next year, a different boatyard also didn't follow our instructions, and applied a different Sea Hawk paint. Back to baby-smooth.

I liked the Micron 66 a lot, but I think that there are other good paints out there that might cost less. Which one works for you will depend a lot on your cruising ground, time spent in marinas, and many other factors.

[powsmias]

Originally Posted by DMCantor

We haul every year after our 5-month season in the Caribbean, and reapply antifouling just before launching. We started with a Petit paint, and had hard growth after 5 months, even with a couple of good bottom scrubbings. We switched to Micron 66, and found a baby-smooth bottom when we hauled each year. A boatyard didn't follow our instructions one year, and used a Sea Hawk paint -- back to hard growth. The next year, a different boatyard also didn't follow our instructions, and applied a different Sea Hawk paint. Back to baby-smooth.

I liked the Micron 66 a lot, but I think that there are other good paints out there that might cost less. Which one works for you will depend a lot on your cruising ground, time spent in marinas, and many other factors.

While on this subject and same paint, I have two coats of micron and wondering if, since i have antoher gallon
in locker, to add a third coat. benefits? waste of money? thinking longer time between haul outs.. feedback please. thanx in advance

[hsi88]

Can't speak for Micron 66, but a favorite in the Chesapeake is Trinidad SR. I think that is what the previous owner of my Catalina 27 put on the boat and its been in the water now for over 5 years. Just a little growth at the water line which is easy to scrape off. Painting my Catalina 30 with it as well and I get Trinidad Pro (basically the same thing) for $100 less than M66.

Of note, most of my fellow boaters own dock queens, including myself. We are lucky to get out once or twice a month. So ablatives don't work very well for us. If you use your boat every weekend or more, I suppose M66 might work better for you and be worth the extra money.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by DMCantor

I liked the Micron 66 a lot, but I think that there are other good paints out there that might cost less.

But that's the problem. if you spend $150/gal on paint that doesn't work/last it is a waste of $1250/gal. But is $200/gal paint works that's a much better deal. And if you somewhere where you don't haul out each year it gets even more expensive.

[hsi88]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

But that's the problem. if you spend $150/gal on paint that doesn't work/last it is a waste of $150/gal. But if $200/gal paint works that's a much better deal. And if you somewhere where you don't haul out each year it gets even more expensive.

If it were only a difference of $50, I suppose the decision would be easier. Micron 66 is usually priced right around $300 a gallon.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by hsi88

If it were only a difference of $50, I suppose the decision would be easier. Micron 66 is usually priced right around $300 a gallon.

still a savings over the $230/gal "multi-season" paint that I applied 14 months ago on my boat was 100% covered in growth yesterday

[George DuBose]

I once asked our local marine policeman who lived on his powerboat in the summer how he kept the bottom from fouling. He told me that he used Micron and it lasted for five years before he had to paint again.

Of course, he never moved the boat.

I have been using Micron since that discussion and I paint the bottom every two or three years. Skylark stays in the IJsselmeer in The Netherlands, which is fresh water. She sails in the Atlantic or North Sea for six weeks every summer, so maybe going from fresh water to salt water to fresh water again helps, but last time I looked, I had three barnacles.

Sure the paint costs more, but you have to paint less and have less haulout expense.

[bauer965]

One more data point. So Micron 66 is my go to. Always good results although strangely last summer on Cape Cod I was surprised with the amount of slime, although I didn't sail as frequently.

However, I moved the boat to Seattle this year and a large yard who deals exclusively in SeaHawk paint, had their Sea Hawk rep convince me with a substantial new customer discount, to try their top-of-the-line, Seahawk Biocop. It looks and feels like Micron 66, and is in fact a bit more expensive it seems. It actually has somewhat less copper, but the rep said it was for the better, that too much of something isn't always a good thing, and like many paints these days, its listed as having a dual biocide.

Just something to consider. In a year I'll update Jamestown Distributor's online bottom paint survey results with my impressions.

[ben373]

I use 66 for my racing yacht and it works well. Less slime and the boat seems faster through the water. Only rub it lightly a few times a season. I am in Sydney. Latest thinking here it to only use 1 thin coat and reapply annually. This means less build-up and a smoother finish. Working for me. On another note 66 is evil stuff. I managed to make myself sick last year when applying it. The fumes are really toxic. Be very careful my CF friend's.