Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Getting ready to splash in a couple of weeks and noticed that the bottom paint should be redone. I know they make a couple of brands of high performance teflon bottom paint. Anyone know what a good one is and where I can find it?

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Why we are on the subject of bottom paint.
1. Does anybody know what it does to a boat for resale
2. Even the best bottom paint, how much does it slow the boat down
3. If you choose not to bottom paint. How often to clean a boat that stays in the water and what to clean it with.

Thanks

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Whats bottom paint? :p

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

1. Depends on the type of boat. If it is a cruiser style, possibly not much if at all. However, if you may ever want to sell the boat to a FW buyer /dealer , they probably won't take it. If it is a performance type boat, it can drag the value down quite a bit depending on the age of the boat.
2. I've read somewhere before that if the bottom is wet sanded after painting, not much loss at all. However that would either take a long time or cost quite a bit to do. I've seen between average 2-5 mph losses on boats that could run 45-65 range. It depends on the hull, the paint, how cleanly it was applied, etc.
3. In New England, I used to pull my boat every 3-4 weeks (good time for a trip to the gas station too). I used a product called On/Off, about $20 a gallon. Put it in a plastic garden sprayer and spray on the boat / drives for about 5 minutes. All l would need to do was to give it a mild scrubbing and everything would come off almost instantly. Hose down well, and don't get the stuff on an aluminum trailer(wet it down) or on you!

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

After jaybird's perfectly straight and accurate response I thought I'd have fun with this one from a purely 'local' perspective.

1) Nothing ... all of them here have it !
2) Makes no difference ... everyone here has it so they're all going slower anyway !
3) About 3.5 days !

:D

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Bottom paint, I would not put that on a ford. But I guess if they sit in the water all the time . you might not have a choise.

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

I have bottom paint on my 27' Excalibur... slowed it 5mph

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Well here's the thing, the boat already has bottom paint on it, and its chewed up to all hell, so I know fresh bottom paint could not make the boat go any slower, it could only make it faster or stay the same speed. Also, my boat is at a marina so it does sit in the water all summer in a dirty river. I would not want to have to clean it all the time, I have enough work to do on it. So I kind of have to have bottom Paint, does anyone know a good brand or type?

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Is your river fresh, brackish or salt and how long will the 'season' be for your boat ?
Do you know what is currently on it , in terms of hard vinyl based or ablative ?

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Yeah, you have to know what is on it. Certain types of paint won't adhere to others. Interlux has a good compatability chart, but of course it is for their paint.

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

The River is fresh water. The season goes from about May 1st to the end of september. I don't know what type of paint is on it, it was on there when I bought the boat 2 years ago. The paint is all chipping apart, so I am going to sand it all off before adding the new paint. Is this going to work ok? Any ideas on paint types?

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Gelcoat

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

VC-17 by Interlux, it is light and very smooth. I have used it with good results.

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Check out Pettit VIVID. At least it comes in a wide variety of coclers and they tell me it will go over almost anything.

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

I put the expensive chit on my Sea Ray like 90bucks a gallon, I pulled the boat last month, still good. its been on their for two years. I got it at west marine

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

VC Offshore by Interlux is for offshore (fast) boats. It's about $145 a gallon and has teflon in it and is very hard/less copper so it won't slow you down as much as other paints which are softer due to more copper so the growth falls of easier.

I just finished putting on VC Performance Epoxy, but that doesn't have any antifoling agents in it and is rock hard. Won't slow me down at all. But if you use epoxy than the only thing epoxy will stick too is epoxy and the bar fiberglass. It won't stick and hold onto antifouling paint.

Like someone else said here, you really need to find out what was put on it before and stick with that. Or sand it down to the gelcoat and put Interlux 2000 Epoxy Barrier coat and than put Interlux VC Offshore if it sits in the water and VC Performance if it's trailered or rack stored and it will be the closet thing to having it like it came out of the factory. The barrier coat stops water from getting to the fiberglass. THe hole job coast me about $1000 and took me 2 weeks. I had a fiberglass shop estimate it and they wanted $5000 which is what made me do it myself. Wasn't bad.

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Thanks for that answer jay bird. You make a good point about getting gas why your cleaning it. That could save a ton of money because on my river its an extra dollar a gallon.

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Unfortunately because of the severe fouling conditions that exist out here there is no market for VC-17 but I've always been curious as to how it would work in a fresh water environment.
I wish I could get some of that expensive chit that tomtbone has for $90 a gallon. Average stuff here is $90 a QUART !

If you're going to sand the old stuff off you're certainly moving n the right direction. It's a horrible job though.. make sure you wear a respirator dust particle mask.

Of course any boat that has to have bottom paint on it really should also be barrier coated to begin with.

In the West Marine catalogue (anti-fouling paint section) there is a simplified compatability chart that is easier to wrap your brain around than the one in the Interlux chart.

I hate paint buildup so I always advise with ablative type paints.

The new Petit VIVID line seems to have a bit of all the good stuff in it so it should work well. Interlux and Awlgrip also have given good results when used in the right application.

I would'nt imagine you would need a paint with a high toxin load, although I've never boated in fresh water (just a dream :D ) but possibly would more likely need a paint with the newer 'biocide package' .

I know there is the fear of lowering the re-sale value of the boat after the bottom is painted (in your part of the world anyway) but if you do it properly and sell it later to someone that will also keep it in the water it should'nt affect the value at all huh ? :p

Re: Whats the best bottom paint??
 

Just what I was looking for, thanks for all the help guys!!!!