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AiniA · 02-08-2024, 15:30

Interlux paints have gotten ridiculously expensive and I am considering alternatives. Sea Hawk paints are much cheaper but how do they stickup. Boat is in fresh water and is hauled for the winter. Considering either the Monterey paint or the Biocop TF. Thoughts/experience?

Thanks

sailorboy1 · 02-08-2024, 15:40

I used a BioCop/Copper Kuote once and it grew hard groeth in a month. In other words it SUCKED in performance.

silvercreek · 02-08-2024, 21:59

Been happy with my Sea Hawk Sharkskin so far.

Only been 5 months though.

Remember these are the guys that got busted by the feds for putting illegal/banned ingredients in their paints. Recently. If that sways your dollar.

SailingHarmonie · 03-08-2024, 05:29

We have been using 2 coats of Biocop for almost ten years. We range from Grenada to Nova Scotia. Ocean to nearly full fresh water. We consider it to have worked well for us. We typically haul roughly every 12 months. We usually sail 7000 to 10,000 miles a year.

12 months we have never seen any growth, and with no cleaning at all. It needs cleaning after about 14, but still just soft stuff. 24 months would probably be pushing it.

thinwater · 03-08-2024, 05:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by AiniA

Interlux paints have gotten ridiculously expensive and I am considering alternatives. Sea Hawk paints are much cheaper but how do they stickup. Boat is in fresh water and is hauled for the winter. Considering either the Monterey paint or the Biocop TF. Thoughts/experience?

Thanks

Seahawk is owned by International Paint (Interlux). They bought them ~ 5-8 years ago. New management. I'm quite sure the tin shenanigans are behind them.

The best paint always depends on where you are. But yes, Seahawk makes some top notch stuff.

2-year Test Report, Chesapeake Bay

https://www.practical-sailor.com/boa...ackish-water-2

NorthCoastJoe · 03-08-2024, 10:00

I had "Sharkskin" on my Pearson 30 in San Francisco Bay. My paint went 5 years with no hard growth. In year 4 it started getting a little slime at the water line on the south side of the boat when in its slip. As far as bottom cleaning it had a slight slime, wipeable with just a sponge.

When hauled and repainted the only hard growth was where the keel had dragged in the mud in our shallow channel a few times. That was only a 3" band at the bottom of the keel. So don't use your keel as a plow and you will be fine.

So my vote is yes. For this location and a boat that gets used frequently it is great stuff.

CarlF · 03-08-2024, 10:34

First of all, Interlux (AKA Akzo Nobel) bought Sea Hawk a few years ago. But they run them as different brands.

I switched to Sea Hawk BioCop from Micron Extra and Micron 66 two years ago on the recommendation of several Caribbean cruisers. So far it's been by far the best paint I've used in southern waters. It is a bit harder than the Micron paints so divers don't rub it off as easily.

I also stopped and ask the rep at the Interlux booth at the Annapolis Show a few years ago. He told me about Interlux buying Sea Hawk and said he planned to switch from Micron to BioCop on his personal boat. I only have experience with BioCop - none of the other SeaHawk paints.

I have avoided SeaHawk paints in the past as they were a very small company that may have had questionable quality control. They also used TBT tin in a lot of their paints which is outlawed in most of the world and I would not support a company with TBT products as it's so deadly to marine life.. The CEO and another top executive went to US federal prison for illegally selling TBT paints in the US. But now that SeaHawk is owned by Akzo Nobel I don't have these concerns.

CarlF · 03-08-2024, 10:39

First of all, Interlux (AKA Akzo Nobel) bought Sea Hawk a few years ago. But they run them as different brands.

I switched to Sea Hawk BioCop from Micron Extra and Micron 66 two years ago on the recommendation of several Caribbean cruisers. So far it's been by far the best paint I've used in southern waters. It is a bit harder than the Micron paints so divers don't rub it off as easily.

I also stopped and ask the rep at the Interlux booth at the Annapolis Show a few years ago. He told me about Interlux buying Sea Hawk and said he planned to switch from Micron to BioCop on his personal boat. I only have experience with BioCop - none of the other SeaHawk paints.

I have avoided SeaHawk paints in the past as they were a very small company that may have had questionable quality control. They also used TBT tin in a lot of their paints which is outlawed in most of the world. The CEO and another top executive went to US federal prison for illegally selling TBT paints in the US. But now that SeaHawk is owned by Akzo Nobel I don't have these concerns.

CarlF · 03-08-2024, 10:41

First of all, Interlux (AKA Akzo Nobel) bought Sea Hawk a few years ago. But they run them as different brands.

I switched to Sea Hawk BioCop from Micron Extra and Micron 66 two years ago on the recommendation of several Caribbean cruisers. So far it's been by far the best paint I've used in southern waters. It is a bit harder than the Micron paints so divers don't rub it off as easily. It's expensive but as long as I can count on two+ years between hauling and painting, it's the cheaper total cost.

I also stopped and asked the rep at the Interlux booth at the Annapolis Show a few years ago. He told me about Interlux buying Sea Hawk and said he planned to switch from Micron to BioCop on his personal boat. I only have experience with BioCop - none of the other SeaHawk paints.

I have avoided SeaHawk paints in the past as they were a very small company that may have had questionable quality control. They also used TBT tin in a lot of their paints which is outlawed in most of the world. The CEO and another top executive went to US federal prison for illegally selling TBT paints in the US. But now that SeaHawk is owned by Akzo Nobel I don't have these concerns.

Cheechako · 03-08-2024, 11:27

Sea Hawk worked fine years ago. As good as any other than illegal paints. Bottom paint doesn't seem to be that great overall....

rls8r · 03-08-2024, 13:53

I wanted to use Interlux Micron Extra SPC in red, but it wasn't approved for sale by the USEPA when I wanted to buy it (and it still hasn't been approved). The local (Annapolis) Interlux representative told me that Sea Hawk Biocop TF was "the next one down in quality" - so I went with that (since they had it for sale in red). I put on two coats over most of the bottom, and three coats at the waterline.

I put my boat overboard in the first part of May 2023. I hauled it out for another reason in early July of this year. There were no barnacles on the bottom, but there was a thin coat of slime over some of the bottom and a little more slime near the waterline. A quick power wash cleaned it off nicely. The Chesapeake is notoriously slimy - and the Biocop TF worked well.

When it comes out in red I'll try the Micron - but for now, I'm satisfied with the performance of the Biocop TF. I haven't used any of the other Sea Hawk paints, so I can't say anything about how well they hold up.

barnakiel · 03-08-2024, 15:53

I have read somewhere Sea Hawk were made by Chugoku. If this indeed is the case then I will only add that Chugoku makes the best bottom paint we have ever had.

b.