Pettit Bottom Paints . . . WHEW !

[Opie91]

While living in Florida I used Trinidad exclusively. Worked great, nice and hard, easy clean, lots of copper and lasted a long time.

Now that the boat is moored in CT I use ablative mostly due to lack of use. I am lucky to sail 20 times a year. For me ablative works well since it sits on the mooring a good portion of the year.

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Best stuff in the world, hands down.

Daddle said you would say that. Now I have to do the opposite... Just kiddin'. You were being serious, weren't you?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

OK, what's this supposed to mean? Hard bottom paint and something wrong at the waterline? Jeez you guys!

Meaning we painted our waterline with Petit (which I believe is same with Trinidad) hard antifoul paint. The paint was supposed to be of the type that can be wet then dry then wet without any harm to its workings. Well, after the first passage the waterline was the only place where we grew collonies of barnacles. Just below the Petit strap was a soft International and it was pristine.

Does not imply other types are bad, but the hard vivid colour stuff is crp.

b.

[osirissail]

There are dozens if not more different kinds/formulations of bottom paint. The reason is that what works best for one boat (static marina boat or fast sailing cruiser) is different from another boat. Water temperature and sea life vary from one location to another which makes a difference in what is the "preferred" paint for that region.
- - Ablatives are good if the boat is moving and the water action can slough off the used up paint to expose a fresh layer of active ingredient. But the paints don't last too long as they are constantly being eroded away.
- - Hard paints are good for more static and rarely moved boats, but they also end up with a layer of "dead" matrix after awhile.
- - The key to "long-life" is removing that "dead" layer of matrix in which the active material has departed. Bottom scrubbing with one of the "pads" after sea-growth removal will remove the layer of used up paint and expose an under-layer of fresh material.
- - Trinidad SR and other paints that also have the anti-algae chemical are good for stopping the initial build up of slime and sea grass but the ingredient does not last long depending upon the amount of sea-life in your region. After the anti-algae/slime chemical is exhausted you are right back to normal Trinidad copper material.
- - My personal preference is to put 2 or 3 layers of Trinidad "Boatyard" 75 on the boat first, followed by a final layer of Trinidad SR. As an alternative, I again use base coats of Trinidad 75 followed by an ablative that has the "banned" material in it. Outside North America and EU waters the material is legal and easily available. And it really works. But it does wear away in a couple of years and then you are back to the tried and true Trinidad high copper base coats.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

The plan is to use Pettit Trinidad in green as the base coats (2), followed by some type of Pettit ablative paint in black right before launch.

Green hides the slime; you'll make it twice as hard for a diver to clean if it's green, which means you probably won't get as clean a bottom as if it's a light blue or white.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Christian Van H

Daddle said you would say that. Now I have to do the opposite... Just kiddin'. You were being serious, weren't you?

Yes, I was being serious.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Bash

Green hides the slime; you'll make it twice as hard for a diver to clean if it's green, which means you probably won't get as clean a bottom as if it's a light blue or white.

Completely untrue. Black is the only color dark enough to be an issue for hull cleaners and even then, it's really not much of a problem. Your diver is going to get your bottom clean regardless of what color it is.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Completely untrue.

And I knew you would say that. I suppose professional divers have found a way to see through camouflage?

Most bottom cleaners around here are in a rush to do as many boats as they can as quickly as they can. If the water is turbid and the keel is deep, they will be far more likely to miss spots if the slime blends in with the hull color.

I dive my own bottom about half the time, usually alternating with my diver. I made the mistake once of painting the bottom red so that I could tell when the red wore through to the blue undercoat, and found it to be far more difficult to tell which patches I'd already cleaned. It's been light blue ever since, because the green slime really stands out on blue paint.

Why would someone even bother to deny that?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by daddle

Bottom cleaners prefer dirty bottoms that can be scrubbed. I assumed ablatives were seen as a threat to their income. Happy I switched.

Where do you people come up with this stuff?

Look, I don't know where your boat lives, but here in California, there is no anti fouling paint, hard, ablative or otherwise that does not need regular (and relatively frequent) in-water cleaning. Ablatives are no better at keeping the bottom growth-free than any other kind of anti fouling paint, and they need to be cleaned every bit as often. What hull cleaners like is a paint with great anti fouling properties that doesn't have to be treated like a piece of delicate artwork. Petit Trinidad fills the bill.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Bash

And I knew you would say that. I suppose professional divers have found a way to see through camouflage? Why would someone even bother to deny that?

Because it simply isn't true. I've performed over 20,000 hull cleanings in my time and I'm telling you, green bottom paint hides nothing.

[daddle]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Where do you people come up with this stuff?

From living in reality?

I don't buy paint to please the bottom cleaners. I buy paint that fits my own priorities. In my direct experience switching to ablatives about 8 years ago worked very well. The yard said I was crazy. My bottom cleaner never got another $75 from me. As I said before, the Pettit proved to be too soft. It wore away in under a year of active cruising to Mexico and back to Northern California. So I've switched both boats to Micron Extra. The same boat went to Mexico for the season and returned without ever having her bottom cleaned. I wiped the rudder and waterline off, a 10 minute job, because they get some soft growth in the sunshine that may not entirely ablate away when underway. She is now idle and probably again has some soft growth in the sunny spots. The other boat is here in the South China Sea. Her bottom, waterline, rudder, everything is absolutely pristine and smooth. She's never even been wiped down. She was painted in March and I expect it to last for 3 years.

But I'm just a sailor, what do I know....

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by daddle

From living in reality? .

Well, I'm glad you found the magic bullet- an anti fouling paint that doesn't really require cleaning. I'm sure the owners of the hundred thousand or so boats that live here in California and do require regular cleaning will be glad to hear of it.

[cabo_sailor]

Just to put my 2 cents in. I stopped using Trinidad when I got a bad batch. Barnacles like crazy after 2 weeks. Pettit tried to blame me for improper application but "generously" gave me a gallon of paint. The yard manager later told me that they had a bad batch and had given out dozens of good will gallons of paint. I will not tolerate being lied to so I no longer use their paint.

Instead I use Seahawk Monterrey paint. Half the price of Trinidad and I still get 2-3 years here in SW Florida. At least some of the local yards use it exclusively unless the client insists on something else. Two coats on the bottom and at least four coats on the waterline and leading edge of the keel and rudder. If I have any extra I just keep putting it on in any potential wear spot until it's all gone.

Rich