Multi-season bottom paint?

[Neil Gordon]

For the past three years, I've put Interlux Micron CSC on the bottom, same as the former owner did before me. Although multi-season protection is promised, I wasn't sure how many coats were underneath or whether there was a different color base coat.

Now, it seems that I'm building more than sufficient layers of paint, as is apparent from areas that have chipped off. I'm thinking that I'll patch those areas that need it (the power wash took its toll in a few small places) and repaint the waterline, rudder and leading edge of the keel, where wear is the greatest. That'll cost me for a quart instead of a gallon and save me some time.

We sail from Boston, water is cold, boat is wet from early April until early November. The bottom has always come out super clean.

Any thoughts?


Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167



neil@nrgordon.com

[Bill Goldsmith]

Neil:

I would definitely try the touch-up and re-launch method. There's a skipper at my YC that has only a single thin coat of CSC on his hull that came out super clean last fall. He has no plans to build up at all, just to touch up and launch. He's convinced that the recomendation to put multiple coats of CSC on is to sell more paint.

I'm not that cynical, but I am beginning to believe him. I put two coats on after my barrier coat last year. I'm still debating whether to put a third coat on, but I am leaning toward the touch-up -and-launch method this year.

Bill

For the past three years, I've put Interlux Micron CSC on the bottom, same as the former owner did before me. Although multi-season protection is promised, I wasn't sure how many coats were underneath or whether there was a different color base coat.

Now, it seems that I'm building more than sufficient layers of paint, as is apparent from areas that have chipped off. I'm thinking that I'll patch those areas that need it (the power wash took its toll in a few small places) and repaint the waterline, rudder and leading edge of the keel, where wear is the greatest. That'll cost me for a quart instead of a gallon and save me some time.

We sail from Boston, water is cold, boat is wet from early April until early November. The bottom has always come out super clean.

Any thoughts?


Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167

goldy@bestweb.net

[Duncan Maio]

Neil:

We have already decided to do only a touch-up this season. When we bought Remedy in 1997, we covered the existing multi-layer (blue) bottom paint with a coat of black BottomKote (unatractive, but it was already June and it was on sale). The past two seasons, we have used ACT (blue), and at the end of the season have not seen any black through the paint, just areas that have flaked off down to the gelcoat.

The plan this year is to powerwash, sand the bare spots and touch them up, then the waterline and high-wear areas until the quart runs out. ACT is not recommended for multi-season use, so we'll see how the antifouling holds up after five months on the hard.

Duncan Maio
s/v Remedy
CD27 #37
Bristol, RI



dmaio@meganet.net

[Don Carr]

Neil;
I will put a full coat on only because it is a bit thin. Just remember the more you move through the water the thinner the paint gets. My hull too came out very clean after 7 months in the water. The beauty of this particular ablative paint is that it does actually wear down. But, if the hull is clean and the paint is thick enough..don't waste resources in trying to fix something that is working. IMHO.



carrd48@netzero.net

[Neil GOrdon]

>>have not seen any black through the paint, just areas that have flaked off down to the gelcoat.<<

That's what I have. Where it's flaked off, there's an opportunity to see how much of a paint layer continues to cover the bottom. I think I'm following your plan... feather the areas that have flaked off, and paint just the bare spots plus the rudder, waterline, etc. A quart will be more than enough.

If the weather cooperates, there's enough time for two or three coats on the bare spots and I can be in the water on Monday!!!


Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167



neil@nrgordon.com

[Bob Luby]

I'm scraping and painting the bare spots with Micron CSC, and that's it for this year.



Rluby@aol.com