Dave wrote:
I'm going to be buying some bottom paint for the coming year before long.
The PO had used an ablative paint, and the last couple of seasons there was
still a decent amount remaining, so I just touched up using the same paint.
Noticed a lot of fouling when I hauled this year, and as I read a bit more
about these paints it appears that a normal ablative paint is good for just
one season even if plenty of paint remains on the bottom. It appears that
(leaving aside some exotics) only the copolymer ablative paints are good for
multiple seasons. Is this consistent with your experience?

My understanding is that ablative paint is still
(relatively) effective as long as there remains a layer to
slough (ablate) off to shed fouling.

I have not used ablative paints very much because they don't
leave a good fast finish on the hull, and we used hard epoxy
(Trinidad) on the tugboat because it was deeply discounted
and seemed likely to be cost-effective (which it has been...
3 years).

One thing to bear in mind is that you have to take off all
the old ablative paint if you want to put anything other
than the same type of ablative on. I'd assume this holds
true of putting copolymer ablative over older stuff.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Why use ablative paint?

Why not an ablative hull?

Steel for example, falls off in pieces when rusted.

Amen!

"Dave" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 09 Mar 2006 16:56:34 -0500, DSK said:

My understanding is that ablative paint is still
(relatively) effective as long as there remains a layer to
slough (ablate) off to shed fouling.

That's what I had always thought. But things I've read recently (including
the Spring issue of Boat Works I picked up today) suggest otherwise.

Who wrote the article? Let me guess--someone from Interlux or Petit?

My
experience says otherwise as well, since I had a pretty good amount of
fouling this fall even on the areas where there was still plenty of bottom
paint. Other boats hauled about the same time and at the same place had
much
less.

One thing to bear in mind is that you have to take off all
the old ablative paint if you want to put anything other
than the same type of ablative on. I'd assume this holds
true of putting copolymer ablative over older stuff.

Not sure that's the case. Based on the info in the catalogs I've been
looking at, it appears that the copolymer will go over regular ablative.

The PO of my boat had used a basic ablative bottom paint, and since we had
intended to strip the bottom in a year or so and do an epoxy barrier coat
job, we really didn't care if the newer paint we were about to apply, an
ablative co-polymer, adhered well or not. Fact is the overlaid co-polymer
worked just fine and didn't slough off the old paint. FWIW.

Max

"Dave" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 00:59:24 GMT, "Maxprop" said:

Who wrote the article? Let me guess--someone from Interlux or Petit?

One Mark Corke, not otherwise identified.

He may be independent, but he sure sounds like a company shill.

Max

Ablative bottom paints will work year to year as advertised as long as
you remove the oxidation that forms from sitting all winter. All it
takes is a hose and a deck brush. Lightly scrub the wet bottom.
Another alternative is to have the yard pressure wash the bottom before
launch. As far as ablatives not being fast......... try AwlGrip AlStar
Gold Label or Vivid.

Ringmaster wrote:
Ablative bottom paints will work year to year as advertised as long as
you remove the oxidation that forms from sitting all winter. All it
takes is a hose and a deck brush. Lightly scrub the wet bottom.
Another alternative is to have the yard pressure wash the bottom before
launch. As far as ablatives not being fast......... try AwlGrip AlStar
Gold Label or Vivid.


We are planning to haul out & do the bottom in a week or so.
Glad to learn the info about copolymer ablatives, not sure
what way we'll go.

Is AlStar or Viviv as fast as VC-17? It's hard to beat
dry-sailing But thanks again, I didn't know about this stuff.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Myself I like to remove all bottom paint including the barrier coats. 1
coat of Dow's Ends all Rust to stop microscopic scale, 2 fresh coats of
epoxy barrier min, applied on a very DRY(under 25% humidity) and
hopefully warm days. A full day of curing on the last coat of epoxy,
then fresh coats 2-3 rolled on, not sprayed ablatives. On steel I do
not use a copper based antifoulants.

We are planning on pulling in may-june. The current bottomjob is 3
years old, the longest I've ever gone. Plus I have some new underwater
lighting I plan on installing on the keel, new knot meter, new forward
looking sonar and zincs, and removing old generator underwater exhaust
pipe.

Joe

Joe wrote
Myself I like to remove all bottom paint including the barrier coats.

???

Why remove perfectly good barrier coat? It's expensive stuff!

... 1
coat of Dow's Ends all Rust to stop microscopic scale, 2 fresh coats of
epoxy barrier min, applied on a very DRY(under 25% humidity) and
hopefully warm days.

Hmm, you wouold never ever see that here.


... On steel I do
not use a copper based antifoulants.


Wise move.


We are planning on pulling in may-june. The current bottomjob is 3
years old, the longest I've ever gone. Plus I have some new underwater
lighting I plan on installing on the keel, new knot meter, new forward
looking sonar and zincs, and removing old generator underwater exhaust
pipe.


What forward-looking sonar did you pick? I have been looking
at them and may buy one to put in, this spring will be our
last haul-out before going on the Loop cruise.

DSK

150-200 bucks cover the barrier cost. When they remove the old
anitfoulant you can not help but nic thru the barrier in many places,
plus the ends all rust has to be applied to bare metal. It's great
stuff and keep surface rust appearing at the waterline or anywhere
else. Two barriers coats. It's also hard to get a low humidity days
here, nut Id rather sit in the yard a week waiting then applying in a
high humidity day. It can make a 3 yr difference on how long I can go
between bottom jobs. The antifoulant it's not as important.

Got this FLS http://www.vitelectronics.com/probe.html
800 dollars. A friend has the same system and it seem to be good for
the money.

How long are you planning to take while doing the loop?

Joe

Joe wrote:
150-200 bucks cover the barrier cost.

I think what you're calling "barrier coat" is not what I'm
calling "barrier coat."

... When they remove the old
anitfoulant you can not help but nic thru the barrier in many places

If "they" can't, then "they" better get a job in a barnyard
somewhere, cause I ain't letting "them" work on *my* boat.

I've already spent far too much time correcting shoddy
workmanship done by dolts whom eveolution gave hooves
instead of opposable thumbs.

...... It's also hard to get a low humidity days
here, nut Id rather sit in the yard a week waiting then applying in a
high humidity day. It can make a 3 yr difference on how long I can go
between bottom jobs. The antifoulant it's not as important.

Hmm, and you diss fiberglass boats?


Got this FLS http://www.vitelectronics.com/probe.html
800 dollars. A friend has the same system and it seem to be good for
the money.

Thanks for the tip, I will check it out.


How long are you planning to take while doing the loop?

A year, maybe year and a half. No hurry.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King