Tomcat paint

matt_unique · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:02 pm Post subject: Tomcat paint

We have a lot of good information on this site about bottom paint.

I was curious if anyone has used Pettit Vivid? Vivid could be painted over the fiberglass hull and the aluminum (no cuprous oxide). It's a hard paint recommended for vessels like Tomcats that regularly cruise more than 15mph.

Pettit also recommends their Trinidad and Trinidad SR with a very high cuprous oxide content that could only be applied to the fiberglass hull of course. Has anyone tried the Trinidad?

Ablative paints offer great protection but I wonder about this kind of paint on a Tomcat. I would hate to return to the dock to find it gone after a steady cruise Shocked

Thanks for the insights. It's that time of year!

I'm also determined to figure out a good/easy solution to lift one side of the Tomcat at a time for painting this year....(not to be confused with the ease of jacking a monohull off a trailer Very Happy

) The more I have thought about it...the more I am thinking that two bottle jacks carefully cribbed on both sides of the trailer tires with 2' long pieces of 4X4 along the outside edge of the flat portion of the sponsons....pump the jacks simultaneously and once there is a gap place wood between the sponson and the trailer. OR...instead of bottle jacket use boat stands in the same locations also with 4X4 wood against the outside portion of the sponson to get some gap. I know I have posted about this a lot over the last two years. I was thinking as a measure of safety I could see about chaining the bottle jackets or boat stands to the trailer for the lift. Thoughts?

hardee · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:18 pm Post subject:

Maybe you have already tried this, but what about jacking up one side of the trailer to the get the cat hull where you want it, then block it there and lower the trailer frame. Could maybe use some tall jackstands then, with them sitting flat under the hull Neutral

Don't know, just to many hulls for me Confused

Harvey
SleepyC

thataway · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:26 pm Post subject:

I have green Vivid on my Caracal (same speeds as Tom Cat) and in 6 months no growth or slime. I saw a F 24 which was in the water for 3 years and it looked good.

I have also used Trinidad SR (use the SR)--and got over 3 years in my area out of that. The Vivid is defnately softer, but is a nice paint.

BrentB · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:10 pm Post subject:

We have Trinidad SR applied before purchasing and Parker boat is kept out on the water on boat stands. Have you looked at
a gantry crane with electric hoist ?

Salty · Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:42 pm Post subject:

I have used Trinidad SR for many years on a variety of boats, including my CD 22. I really like the paint, it does a great job of keeping the bottom clean and dries to a hard durable surface. I usually get three years out of Trinidad. Personally, I have never been a fan of ablative paints. One main reason is that anything you pull up that just touches the bottom comes up with bottom paint on it, lines, traps etc. Also, when the boat is on the trailer, ablative paint seems to rub off on me and my clothes all too easily. In fact one day I looked like a Smurf after washing a boat with ablative paint on the bottom and then tracked it into my car and on to the upholstery, not o.k. You will be happy with Trinidad SR and it will tolerate the Tomcat speeds just fine.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 12:39 am Post subject:

I have Trinidad on my Sea Ray in Shasta Lake (freshwater, of course) and it just goes on, year after year. My marine yard mechanic says it will last the lifetime of the boat in fresh water! (?)

I'll put it on my C-Dory next time around!

Joe. Teeth

matt_unique · Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 10:48 pm Post subject: Paint

Thanks for the feedback!

journey on · Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 11:30 pm Post subject:

Trinidad is a hard anti-fouling paint, in fact it is described as a hard modified epoxy. I used it on our sailboat and it kept the foulies down. However that boat was in the water all the time.

When we shipped the boat from San Diego to Mobile, some of the paint peeled off, and I was told Trinidad wasn't happy out of the water. OK, we repainted it, put it back in the water, and after a month or so, some peeled off again.

Petit, when contacted, said that Trinidad has a build up that has to be removed about every third paint layer, and you have to start over again. So I had the bottom sandblasted, which was a mess. Epoxy coated it and went with ablative.

Ablative can be a mess, but Journey On spends most of the time out of the water, and the paint doesn't smear so much after the hull dries.

Boris

BrentB · Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:06 am Post subject:

Good luck with the project. Let us know about the boat lifting. That is a lot of boat to lift and support.
one edit Trinidad SR can be burnished to a smooth finish.

Levitation · Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 1:58 pm Post subject:

I talked to Pettit about bottom paint for Levitation, where it will be in and out of the water... They instantly said Vivid...

matt_unique · Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 2:42 pm Post subject: Paint

BrentB · Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 9:04 pm Post subject:

Another lift option is renting lift bags
Tow trucks use them and one bag lifts 2,500 lbs

matt_unique · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:38 pm Post subject: Latest

We've had a few days up this way with temps >50 degrees so I began the process. I stripped all the cuprous oxide paint off the Armstrong bracket and sanded every inch of the hull below the waterline. I did not remove all the paint on the rest of the hull, but down enough so the remaining paint is very thin and adhered very well to the hull.

I'm now applying Pettit Aluma Protect (two part epoxy) friendly to AL over the Armstrong bracket (below waterline). Once I have applied several coats I will finish with Pettit Vivid anti foul paint.

I have painted almost all the fiberglass hull with two coats. I ran out of time and temp during our good weather window yesterday and will finish on our next good day.

Lastly, I decided I'm going to float Napoleon at the ramp, slide her back 8-10", then secure and pull her back out to get access to the area under the trailer bunks. This will expose the aft portion of the sponsons allowing me to use two 3.5 ton floor jacks (i.e. not bottle) cribbed/supported as necessary to lift the stern up (one jack under each sponson), place some wood blocks on the trailer bunks forward and aft, then set her down. If I remember I will bring my camera to document the process. Thank you Dr. Bob for the idea and I appreciate everyone's suggestions.

I'm probably being over cautious by avoiding a lift from the wing deck, but I feel better about lifting under the sponsors.

I will let you know how I make out.

--Matt

matt_unique · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:08 am Post subject: Update

Well I applied two coats of Pettit Vivid to Napoleon. As with every other bottom paint I have ever used, I get exactly half a season before I need a power wash. To be fair, the sweater is not as bad as it has been with other bottom paints, but it's there none the less.

So I'm still on the hunt for a bottom paint that will actually go a season without a sweater on the hull. I have also cruised 900 nautical miles so far this season so it certainly is not due to sitting still! I keep her on a mooring with a 3 knot current during our semi-diurnal tidal shifts.

I have decided there is no such thing as multi-season bottom paint. Per Pettit (spoke to them on the phone) a vessel such as Napoleon would need a hard paint due to our regular cruising speeds. Ablative paint would just slough off too quickly at our speeds.

BrentB · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:42 am Post subject:

Any comments on Trinidad SR?