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Mardagan · 18-09-2014, 16:41

All,

I am new to the boating community so forgive my possible ignorance. I purchased a Morgan 38 sailboat about 9 months ago and I just got her bottom repainted at the yard about a month ago. I live in Southern CA, the water temperature this time a year ranges from mid 60's to high 60's on average.

The yard put 2 coats of Z-Spar The Protector anti-fouling paint on the bottom. This is hard paint that is traditionally used in the tropics. My concern is I am seeing slime on the bow section of the boat already! Not more than a month after she was put back into the water.

I have sailed her a few times since then, so she hasnt been sitting around. It is just a slime coat that can come off by hand with just a swipe, but is this supposed to happen so soon? Maybe, this is common and I just didnt know.

It cost me 2k to get this done, so I want to make sure I wasnt screwed.

Jeremy

zboss · 18-09-2014, 19:35

We also have hard paint. What you are seeing is normal... its a good practice to occasionally take your deck brush around the top 1 foot or so of your antifoul. This will not be the last time you apply antifoul... plan on recoating every two years or so with ablative antifoul by the same manufacturer.

delmarrey · 18-09-2014, 20:44

Slime is OK! It's appendages you don't want.

Dulcesuenos · 19-09-2014, 03:16

You should wipe down the hull below waterline monthly. I am told this keeps the slime off and the bottom paint performing properly. Use a soft cloth or rag

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Mardagan · 19-09-2014, 09:05

thanks all for the fast replies.

fstbttms · 19-09-2014, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mardagan

All,

I am new to the boating community so forgive my possible ignorance. I purchased a Morgan 38 sailboat about 9 months ago and I just got her bottom repainted at the yard about a month ago. I live in Southern CA, the water temperature this time a year ranges from mid 60's to high 60's on average.

The yard put 2 coats of Z-Spar The Protector anti-fouling paint on the bottom. This is hard paint that is traditionally used in the tropics. My concern is I am seeing slime on the bow section of the boat already! Not more than a month after she was put back into the water.

I have sailed her a few times since then, so she hasnt been sitting around. It is just a slime coat that can come off by hand with just a swipe, but is this supposed to happen so soon? Maybe, this is common and I just didnt know.

It cost me 2k to get this done, so I want to make sure I wasnt screwed.

As a noobie boat owner in SoCal, you are on the steep part of the learning curve. Allow me to edjumacate you a little bit:

Anti fouling paint will not eliminate fouling growth, only retard it. Even brand new paint will get slime within a very few weeks in California, as you have seen. So clearly, it needs to be cleaned. The secret to making your expensive bottom paint last as long as possible is to always clean it gently. For this to be possible in Southern California, this means cleaning every 3-4 weeks. By never letting the bottom become even moderately foul, the paint can always be cleaned with the softest media possible (typically carpet or a white pad), thereby avoiding abrasive cleaning methods which remove paint unneccessarily. A quality hard paint like yours will perform well for 3+ years when properly maintained. Most boat owners hire a dive service to regularly perform this necessary maintenance chore.

Know also that in San Diego Bay, the cleaning of ablative paints (which at least one poster here has recommended to you) has (for all intents and purposes) been banned. FYI, if this is your home port.

Cheechako · 19-09-2014, 09:58

Yeah, slime happens. Bottom paint pretty much just kills things AFTER they are attached. So it has limited effectiveness really. Five months after having Trinidad put on in Florida, my boat was so covered with barnacles to 1/2" diameter that it looked like the rocky mountains!

tcbridges · 19-09-2014, 14:26

I have a 28 ft Cruisers and the bottom paint is peeling off and I need to know what paint to put on it after I sand it all off. The boat only goes in Lake Erie and is freshwater. Help

fstbttms · 19-09-2014, 14:33

Just about any brand-name copper-based anti fouling paint will work well for you in low-fouling Lake Erie. Your main consideration is whether or not the boat will spend any time out of the water. If the answer to that is, "Yes", you'll need to use an ablative paint, as hard paints cannot withstand prolonged exposure to air.

West Marine has a good primer on anti fouling paints:

Top Ten Antifouling Paint Buying Questions | West Marine