Bottom Paint for New England

[Dean Abramson]

I am thinking about switching (multi-season ablative) bottom paints. Could the New Englanders tell me what you use and why?

Also, are you of the opinion that if you paint a signal coat (let's say black) that the red you paint over that is still working as long as you don't see the black, even if it's 3-4 years later. The paint makers say "multi-season," but what does that really mean? Our boat is in the water from mid May til mid Oct, in Maine.

Thanks,

Dean

Loda May
CD 31

[atcowboy]

I am thinking about switching (multi-season ablative) bottom paints. Could the New Englanders tell me what you use and why?

Also, are you of the opinion that if you paint a signal coat (let's say black) that the red you paint over that is still working as long as you don't see the black, even if it's 3-4 years later. The paint makers say "multi-season," but what does that really mean? Our boat is in the water from mid May til mid Oct, in Maine.

Thanks,

Dean

Loda May
CD 31

I used totalboat Spartan ablative last season. 2 coats. Had no hard growth, soft growth was just green muck. It looks like it is in good enough condition for this season so I'm not going to paint this season and see how it does.

- AT

[Carl Thunberg]

Hi Dean,

I've never used ablative, mostly because my boat is on the hard for 8 months of every year, so there is no benefit to multi-season ablatives for me. I use red. Everything goes faster when it's red. My Dad (who you've met) is a chemist. He always told me told me that it's the prolonged exposure to oxygen when on the hard that shortens the useable life of bottom paint, and why I put a fresh coat on every year. Who am I to question my Dad? So, there you have it. I do it because my Dad told me to. I suppose there are a lot of things in life we do because that's what we were taught at a young age.

[Mbigos]

I'm across the anchorage from you. I get Sea Hawk Monterrey at Hamilton Marine, which I use for two seasons.

You could try it for 3 or more seasons and see how far it goes. good luck.

see also https://www.seahawkpaints.com/bottom-paint-selector/ .

[Dean Abramson]

Thanks for the suggestions.

We've decided to stick with Petit Hydrocoat for now. We had more usable paint from last time than we had thought.

[Chrisa006]

I really like Petit Hydrocoat and at the end of each season when watching her pulled the hull looks great!

[Dean Abramson]

Chris, how often do you paint her?

[Chrisa006]

I did it every year till last year and I may have been doing it too often.

[Megunticook]

I've had good luck with Interlux Micron Extra. Not the cheapest can on the shelf at Hamilton but the rebate helps (seems to be offered every spring).

Have always just stuck with the brown color. Bottom stays very clean, last year I didn't even brush the waterline at all mid-season and it was quite clean when we hauled in October.

It will go 2 years easily, even 3 but helps a lot to hit the high wear spots every spring like the bow and the waterline. I would say I only do a complete coat every three years.

Have had some reservations about getting copper and other toxic chemicals into the marine environment, seems like an ablative paint is not great in that regard. But so far haven't tried switching to a different product because ME works.