What Is the Best Anti-Fouling Bottom Paint

[Delezynski]

I have seen a LOT of talk on the forum about bottom paint and the use of metallic copper in an epoxy base. I also see a LOT of people forming opinions with little or no experience with the product.


We applied CopperPoxy to the bottom of our Nor'Sea 27 sailboat, Guenevere, over 11 years ago. I have just posted OUR ACTUAL EXPERIENCE with it, including a copy of our 1 year written report and photos of the bottom as we hauled out, after 2 years in San Francisco Bay, and of our last haul out in La Paz Mexico in 2007.


every one must make up their own mind on what bottom system works for them.


All bull & bluster aside, this is a factual report with photos on how CopperPoxy worked for us.


You can go to use main web page Nor'Sea Guenevere's Adventures, main page
and look in our "Position Reports" area

or
go directly to the main report at: CopperPoxy - 11 year report


Greg
Standard disclaimer I am in no way connected with any supplier of copper or epoxy...

[Sandero]

The issue I have with the copper epoxy concept is that the copper powder or suspend spheres of copper are completely surrounded by epoxy and not exposed to the sea/surface.

I could see of this suspension was applied in a thick layer and then sanded lightly to expose the copper to the surface so that it could do its work. The product seems to be the functional equivalent of placing copper on the bottom and then sealing it with epoxy. How's that to work?

This leads me to wonder if one couldn't apply thin copper foil OVER eooxy as a glue to the hull?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by S/V Antares

I have just applied 2 coats Micron 66 and will see what happens. Very pricey stuff.

We have what is considered a very high growth rate area. The last system we used (some local mix) lasted about a year.

6 weeks ago we put on Micron Extra (the Micron 66 was too pricey) - we noted a real slowdown while motoring last week accompanied by black smoke - the same symptom we had when the bottom was fouled. However she was sailing well so I was worried about a prop wrap or something.

I took an opportunity to have the boat hauled last Friday and the bottom was in great shape - just some slime so I am very happy so far with the Micron Extra. We washed it with a power wash and it cleaned up in minutes.

The problem was our bronze prop was completely encrusted resulting in the slowdown under motor. Now I need some ideas on what to put on the prop.

Any ideas welcome.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Any ideas welcome.

Try this http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...rop-12961.html

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by defjef

The issue I have with the copper epoxy concept is that the copper powder or suspend spheres of copper are completely surrounded by epoxy and not exposed to the sea/surface.

.....

As I understand it (and I have applied Copper-cote but haven't launched yet) and as it was explained to me, the trick is that the epoxy carrier is actually porous. We tend to think of epoxy as 100% solids that is waterproof. The copper-cote epoxy mix has to have ~ 10% thinners added or the system won't work. The thinners evaporate during the curing making the cured epoxy ever so slightly porous which allows the sea water access to far greater surface area of epoxy.

Copper-cote only approve their thinners and I am not sure what its composition is except that it does not smell like acetone and has certain methanol smell about it.

Can't tell if this is true, only that it is waht the Rep. told me.

[nmit5903]

Altex No 5 works well in Aussie waters. Single pack so easy enough to apply.

Sydney waters range from 18-21C and it has worked consistently well for us with no need to clean off others than once a year, at the start of the season (Oct).

If we dont install ultrasound (refer other thread) it will be back to Altex No 5.

Cheers
Neil

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Try this http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...rop-12961.html

Thanks - I remember that one now. I think I will try the marking pen (I'm a cheapie...) and if that works I might mark up the whole hull.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Thanks - I remember that one now. I think I will try the marking pen (I'm a cheapie...) and if that works I might mark up the whole hull.

Ha Ha Ha, I needed a laugh right now and hey, maybe it will work, then you will be on the paint companies hit list.

[imagine2frolic]

Originally Posted by georgetheleo

Seahawk sucks

I am in agreement here. I had Seahawk ablative applied in St. Maarten. By the time we got to Daytona Florida 3 months later. All the leading edges were gone. We sailed the paint right off......LOLOLOLOLOL

[Hud3]

Ditto on the Sea Hawk ablative. It seems to be very soft. I had it put on in Grenada, and by the time I got back home to Nevis, the leading edges were bare and it was very thin on the rudder aft of the prop. And it rubs off very easily when you're trying to scrub away the algae at the waterline. On the plus side, it did a good job of keeping the barnacles at bay, at least where it still existed on the hull.

p.s. I like your new avatar, John. Nice photo of the Missus!

[defever]

west marine brand ablative bottom paint works for us in florida and points south. we've got 6 yrs and 7000km on our bottom and just now thinking of painting the bottom again. sounds bizzare but the cheap stuffs works great for us

[TrawlerEd]

I haul my trawler August, September and October because they are the Hurricane months in South Florida. I was tired of re-painting my Trinidad every November so I went with a harder ablative with a lot of copper and it's working as good as Trinidad and lasted 3 cycles already.

[S/V Antares]

Dan, Having tried various prop coatings with little success I take mine off and polish it on a buffing wheel to a mirror finish, and paint the hub with the bottom paint de jour. No Barney's on the blades. only a few on the hub. A few scrubs a year seem to work. My gear ratio is 2.05/1 so perhaps lower ratio gears say 3/1 will keep the paint on longer.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by TrawlerEd

I haul my trawler August, September and October because they are the Hurricane months in South Florida. I was tired of re-painting my Trinidad every November so I went with a harder ablative with a lot of copper and it's working as good as Trinidad and lasted 3 cycles already.

No modified epoxy (like Trinidad) can withstand prolonged periods out of the water. This is one of the very few attributes in which ablative paints can be said to be superior over them, IMHO.

[TrawlerEd]

The high copper content and harder surface of the hard ablatives often confuse boat yard workers into thinking the paint is Trinidad. When the original light pass doesn't run color all over the ground they increase the pressure and really go at it which WILL remove the hard ablative paint because it is afterall an ablative. I had to stand next to the young man running the pressure washer during my last bottom job and he argued with me (the one who applied the paint) that mine was a hard bottom!

I really like the fact that you can clean the water line with a little bio-friendly soap to get your neighbor's bilge oil off.