Bottom paint

[Simplicity]

We hope to start the loop from Florida in April.We've never had the boat in salt water for any length of time. Should we use anti-fouling paint to keep barnacles etc. at bay? Does it work to just jump overboard occasionally & clean the bottom?Thanks for any info.

[matt_unique]

Any boat kept in the water needs bottom paint. You don't need it if you trailer your boat (i.e. out of the water after a day or weekend).

The paint is expensive (around $100 a gallon) but it's important to protect your hull and save your fuel mileage (even slime can reduce your efficiency dramatically). I once lost 800rpm due to slime!

[patrick and linda]

i'd probably add an epozy barrier in addition to bottom paint.
combined cost still less than removing blisters. in 2007 i shelled out over 6k on two boats for blisters. not real happy about that one.
good luck and we envy you guys.
pat

[thataway]

If could completely clean the bottom every week, or maybe two, the bottom paint would not be necessary. However, as a practical nature, I would definately install bottom paint. I agree with Capt. Patrick, that you would best be served by putting on epoxy barrier coats before the bottom paint. Generally the best way to apply the epoxy barrier, is to dewax the bottom of the boat (tape off the intended waterline--at least 2-3" above the current waterline). Use a dewaxing solvent from the auto paint store. The mold wax has to be removed from the gelcoat on the bottom. Then lightly scratch the bottom of the boat to have some "tooth" for the epoxy to adhere to. Materials like InterProtect 2000 is a good epoxy--you want 10 mils--4 to 5 coats will do. Cost:About $100 a gallon. 185 sq feet per gallon/coat.

Finally the bottom paint--for the best fresh and salt water combined, I would go with one of the Mrcron products: probably the CSC. These are ablative paints, and will leach/polish as you run, avoiding having to do any bottom cleaning (hopefully). I like to put on 3 coats--first and 3rd coats a different color than the second coat--that way you know both when you get full coverage when painting, and when the outer coat has worn off. Cost: $220 to $250 a gallon; 440 sq feet a gallon. The cheapest paints are about $100 a gallon--but considering the work and prep invovled, I would go with the best paint.

I do my boats on the trainler, applying the epoxy/ paint with rollers. The
Boat can be blocked and the trailer moved foreward, and then back and forth. The option is to do it at a ship yard, and mover the jack stands--Either way you will need good jacks and very good supports.

[mark&diana]

We had 'bottom paint' applied - Interlux Micron Extra (with "Biolux" for anti-fouling) and Interlux Interprotect (2-part epoxy) primer. Our boat is kept in the water and it seems to be holding up well.

[JamesTXSD]

Yep, you'll want bottom paint. We agree with an epoxy barrier coat (2) and then three coats of bottom paint. Another good thing about the CSC Plus is the fact that it doesn't lose its effectiveness when you put it on the trailer.

In the end, you may still get some slime and fur on the boat, but with the paint on there, it will clean off much easier.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

[ccflyer]

Yup IMHO the Micron CSC is worth the price. I got two seasons out of it and will be reapplying this year. That said, I did the job myself last time but never again.
Working under a boat, on a trailer, is definitely for the young and agile. Where I'd take a week end, the marina will get it done in a few hours.

[Wefings]

If you are interested in getting it done by a yard, we have a couple good ones we trust with our bottoms in Carrabelle . It takes a couple days with the prep and multiple barrier coat applications .Send me a P.M. if you are interested . They use Interlux Micron CSC and Interprotect 2000/2001.
Marc

[thataway]

The "antifouling dock" concept has been around for at least 40 years. Basically a heavy black pastic which surrounds the boat; you put in a chlorox tablet to be sure no grrowth--have to have strings to close the back and lift it up so no ambient water gets in the sack.

If you are willing to dive on the boat and clean it at least once a week you probably can get by with a month. The one thing you don't want is barnicles growing on the boat. Also if you use one of the scotch pads there will be some abrasion of the gel coat. If you can keep it clean with just rags, then no harm. But even in Alaska, with older bottom paint we had growth after a month. That came off fairly easily, but with the old bottom paint it sluffs easily.

If you put on bottom paint, you should put on epoxy barrier coat.

Good luck

[smittypaddler]

Definitely yes on anti-fouling bottom paint. On my loop I had it, and the only place I got barnacles was on the part of the motor-mount that was underwater. I've heard there's some sort of grease you can apply on metal parts to fend off barnacles. I'd use it if I were doing a do-over.

[matt_unique]

This thread is a few years old but if one planned to scrub the hull do it WELL before there is significant growth. My first year with Napoleon I cleaned the hull on SCUBA toward the end of the season (with bottom paint you will eventually get some growth) and I would NEVER do it again. It is A LOT of work and in the water it takes effort of course to get any sort of leverage to scrub the tough stuff off.

[Fishhawk]

Alan and Linda,

I'm certainly not as qualified as some others to help very much with your decision, but I will share a little experience.

Last fall when we moved from the super clean fresh water of Lake Superior to the AL gulf coast, we noticed as matt_unique noted, a decrease in RPM's and MPH. This took about 2 weeks of little use for that to occur. I have been pulling her out of the water, after no more time than that, and scrubbing the bottom. We have not experienced any barnacle attachment, just slimey goo stuff. The bottom was actually the dirtiest after being to the Apalach gathering????

Around here there seems to be four ways of dealing with it:

1. Don't worry about it and just let things go to H--L (this is actually fairly common)
2. Pull the boat out and scrub it every 2 weeks.(less often if you are running the boat regularly)
3. Bottom paint it and do scrubbings much less often.
4. Utilize a boat lift and get it out of the water when not in use. (back on the trailer works too)

Since our new home came with a dedicated boathouse lot, we are opting, at least for now, for the boat lift. Most of the serious boaters near us handle the problem in that manner and do not bottom paint.

I doubt that the attachment of any major flora or fauna will be much of a problem if you keep Simplicity moving every day.

BUT............, I could be wrong!

Have fun on your trip.

Dan and Denise

[thataway]

Unfortunately the marine grow will attatch even if you are moving all of the time. It will not be quite as fast however.

We get about 3 years out of bottom paint (our "day" boats are painted) The Tom Cat on a lift--just cannot justify a lift which costs more than the boat! Plus we want the day boat for immediate use if necessary (if some boater or airplane is in distress in upper Perdido Bay.

[chimoii]

Just a couple of thoughts that may be of interest.

We boated for many years on the Chesapeake Bay where the slime and barnacles grow thick and fast because of the nice warm brackish water. After suffering with blisters we always went with Interprotect epoxy before bottom coating. It's a pain but only once and well worth it. It really does seal the boat bottom well. After a couple of seasons scraping off hard bottom paint residue we also shifted to Micron CSC. It's perfect for relatively slow boats like the C-Dory and has all the positives that others have mentioned.

When we adopted Chimo last year we had the epoxy done and followed by the CSC in black (black trimmed boat). An added touch by the yard was to put a coat of hard red bottom paint over the epoxy before the 2 coats of CSC. That way, as the ablative paint sloughs off, you can tell when it is again time to re-paint. Seemed like a no-brainer at the time.

Of course I forgot to get the trim tabs painted .... duh!

[thataway]

Many yards use two different colors of bottom paint--the last coat being the final color--both in ablative and hard paints. It also helps to be sure that the hull is completely covered. You can put ablative over hard, but not hard over ablative paints.