Bottom Paint on performance boats
 

Ok I know it is a bad thing to even mention. The reality is a bottom painted boat is probably faster then just Gell coat from everything that I am reading. I am not talking about your fathers bottom paint. I am talking about things like Interlux VC performance epoxy based paint or it seems even better Resene Durepox paint. This can all be applied and polished or burnished and comes in white. It can be used on trailered boats and will prevent blistering and so many other bad things that happen with a boat that is left in the water. The Durepox is what many of the America Cup boats use. They claim about 10-15% less drag? What I am trying to figure out is will it last on a boat like what we have? It is all looking really good. Can anyone think of a reason not to use it? Has anyone used one of the above products and have real world maybe even long term results?

Thanks

My reason to not use it, good luck explaining it’s not a bad thing when you go to sell. Someday if it becomes main stream ok, but you won’t convince most its a good thing.

Audiofin...

if im right, you had a. Formula 357 when i also had one. Right or wrong?
anyways, i had vc white bottom paint when i bought it, wich i did not really like. Turnd out i refreshed it after like 3-4 years of ownership, just to know it was refreshed but that product was still holding on well and still looked clean

now for speed, i think it needed more than bottom paint to increase speed on that heavy tub!

so, good product, but i would not bottom paint an offshore type of boat if it was still on gelcoat!

you already have sone? Or wonder if you should? On what boat?

I had a Formula 311. I now have a 353. So you refinished the paint after a few years? What I am looking at is that the bottom has blistering going on. If I go and re-gel it then I will just blister again. If I got this rout then I will have a barrier coat as well as some other possible advantages.

Not so sure it will be obvious that it is bottom coated because it can be burnished or polished. This is not an ablative paint it is hard. If I get the results that I am looking for it should be easily explained. Maybe it is in the marketing? Epoxy Speed coat applied?

Have you seen Durapox on a boat? If you masked off your hullsides and painted your bottom, I dont think someone could tell the difference. ....unless you told them. :)

I think a big factor is how high you take it also, those who follow the water line vs just doing the actual hull result in a much different look!

I have not seen it in person (at least not knowingly). I do know that some of the America's cup boats use it and they look sick.

I have been wondering about bottom paint too. I can see not painting black rool on crap that stops at the water line and looks like s!&t. But IF you have a color that matches and break it at a good spot... Like the whole bottom. Why is it frowned upon? If it protects the bottom better than gel ( which I have no idea wether it does or not) and lasts for five or six years why not.

Ive put Petit Vivid on a few boats , available in colors , kinda has a semi gloss look . Feels like graphite when you run your hand on it.