Hybrid bottom paint powerwash

[Fiftybucks]

I have 2 coats of hybrid bottom paint. Can it be power washed on a short haul if done with caution? It is not ablative.

[fstbttms]

What do you mean by "hybrid'?

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

What do you mean by "hybrid'?

Probably something like Pettit Vivid, which they label as a "hybrid" paint, in that it's hard, but not quite as hard as some other paints. And it can handle a winter on land without a re-coat.

[Fiftybucks]

Peritt Vivid. Has anyone done? I know not to powerwash ablative.

[Bill O]

We have Pettit Vivid on our hard dink bottom (several years now) and don't think it would stand up to power washing. While I've never really tried to power wash it, it does wipe off if you brush against it when it's flipped over and would think the majority would be blown off w/a power washer.

[fstbttms]

Vivid comes off in the water with little more than a harsh look. I would think a pressure washer would remove more than you’d like.

[rslifkin]

I'd expect if you don't go crazy, it would be fine. I've seen boats with soft ablative lose most of their paint after powerwashing, but with Micron CSC (fairly hard ablative) on my boat, there's some black water runoff when powerwashing at haulout, but it doesn't remove a noticeable amount of paint.


Basically, start gentle, only be as aggressive as it takes to get the slime and such off.

[mjgill1]

We just did Petit Vivid on our Seaward 32RK after talking to a guy down at Diversified Yacht Services in Ft. Myers. It's advertised as a hard ablative which was perfect for our boat being that it's on a trailer in the off season. Beauty is that it doesn't require the whole thing be sanded before putting back in the water like a full hard paint would. The guy that did the paint said do NOT pressure wash it. If you want, wipe it with a soft cloth at the end of the season. He even said a lot of folks leave the slime on over the off season and it falls off when the boat is splashed again since it's dead. We're exited to see how it does this year.

[Fiftybucks]

Sounds like hard pressure washing is out but maybe with a deck brush and light cautious may be ok.
There exist a pretty good layer of slime at this time.
I’ll take before an after and post. Short haul schedule for April 16 and technique.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Fiftybucks

...but maybe with a deck brush and light cautious may be ok.

You are going to remove a lot of paint, guaranteed. They say that Vivid is a "hard" ablative but I can tell you from much personal experience that it is in reality one of the softest and most easily scrubbed-off anti fouling paints in existence.

[Fiftybucks]

Had power wash at lowest setting.
I will post pics as soon as I re- figure out posting pics from iPad.
Almost unbelievable effectiveness of Pettit Vivid Hybrid. 22 month in Florida no diver. Only barnacles between rudder and hull bottom.

Only washed enough to take off slime. Som teen left but most was bright blue as applied.

[Fiftybucks]

Pics at short haul.

[Fiftybucks]

More pics short haul

[mjgill1]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

You are going to remove a lot of paint, guaranteed. They say that Vivid is a "hard" ablative but I can tell you from much personal experience that it is in reality one of the softest and most easily scrubbed-off anti fouling paints in existence.

I may have asked you this in another thread, but are you aware of a good paint for a sailboat that is on the hard and/or on a trailer for part of the year? Is there a manufacturer that produces an actual "hard" ablative, since petit is the "softest" in existence? Just curious what your experience is. I'm guessing the guys at Diversified like Petit because it performs well in Ft. Myers water. I would like to have my cake and eat it too please, LOL.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by mjgill1

I may have asked you this in another thread, but are you aware of a good paint for a sailboat that is on the hard and/or on a trailer for part of the year? Is there a manufacturer that produces an actual "hard" ablative, since petit is the "softest" in existence? Just curious what your experience is. I'm guessing the guys at Diversified like Petit because it performs well in Ft. Myers water. I would like to have my cake and eat it too please, LOL.

I'd probably go for something like Micron CSC or Micron Extra. It's pretty darn hard as ablatives go (doesn't even ablate quickly on faster powerboats and will survive a pretty good powerwashing). You can almost polish the stuff smooth, despite being ablative. Or go for one of the hard paints that can survive being out of the water like Black Widow.