Bottom Paint

K

KARL

Active member
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
26
Fluid Motion Model
C-28
Hull Identification Number
FMLT2737C515
Vessel Name
KARL
MMSI Number
338345199
I am the 2nd owner of a 2015 RT27 and have had the boat for 3 years. The boat is on a trailer and I have never needed to put bottom paint until now when we plan to start the loop later this year. It was previously painted by the first owner but I don't know what paint was used and as far as I can tell it is mostly gone anyway. Any suggestions on what bottom paint I should use would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
 
I have not done The Great Loop yet, but I plan to when I retire, so your question is also important to me.

The most important thing is proper surface preparation so the paint will have good adhesion. This really matters if your boat will be in the water for up to a year during the Loop. If most of the old paint is worn off, you may want to clean all the old paint off down to the hull. One option is Soda Blasting (NOT sand blasting). This does a really good job of cleaning, but I think it must be done by a professional that specializes in boats. I had this done on a previous boat and it was $40 per foot, or $1,000 for my 25' boat. Sanding may be another option. If you do it yourself, be sure to wear a proper face mask: you don't want to inhale the dust and copper particles from bottom paint. I tried paint removers for small areas, but it was messy and did not work very well.

Then, it is good to apply a barrier coat/primer that will provide good adhesion for the bottom paint. The first coat of bottom paint must go on within a certain time window after the primer is applied. I also had this done on my previous boat with Interlux products and it was also $1000. Prices are probably higher now due to inflation.

For my new R-27, the dealer is putting on Pettit Protect for the barrier coat/primer followed by Pettit ViViD bottom paint. I have not used this paint before, but have been researching it. It has dual biocides to deal with slime and barnacles and is a "hybrid" paint that is supposed to have the properties of a long wearing hard paint and an ablative paint. The dealer says this works well for New England boating where we boat in salt water and brackish to fresh water on the coastal rivers. These paint properties might also be good for the loop which is about half fresh water and half salt water. Other paint vendors have similar products. I am not trying to just push Pettit or Interlux.

Probably the best suggestion is to join the AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruiser's Association). They have a forum where you can ask actual loopers what worked best for them.

Good Luck,
and let us know what you find out.
 
Karl, Bottom painting is not something that requires a marine engineering degree! Look at supplier and pick a product fit for your boat IE: fiberglass, trailer,fresh or salt water. Then follow the instructions on the side of the can. Best of luck Bob
 
Bottom paint efficiency varies depending on location. With that said, we traveled over 9,500 nautical miles on our R-27. I always used Pettit Vivid. It seemed to perform well in all environments. You will find that moving a lot is also a help. My bottom rarely got fouled. The areas that were exposed to daylight would build up growth, not barnacles. Taking a swim around the boat and scrubbing the sides and trim tabs were about the extent of needed work. I suggest carrying a suction handle, stiff hand brush and a plastic scraper, mask and snorkel. A shorty wet suit is nice to have for the colder water. The
suction cup handle is great for leverage and staying in place when scrubbing. Shallow water where you can stand is an added help. I also found that using barnacle barrier or cold galvanized paint on the running gear was helpful. On the loop you will be in fresh, brackish and salt water. Your anodes will be better if they were aluminum. If not aluminum then magnisium in fresh and zinc in salt. A galvanic isolator will also be helpful.
 
I'm on Vancouver Island and painted the bottom last year for the first time.

Since the previous owner always used Interlux Micron CSC, I used the same.

Here's my process:

On the hard, pressure wash the bottom, running gear, and trim tabs. Remove the old zincs and prep all surfaces. Wet sand the bottom up to the waterline with 80 grit wet sandpaper (coverall, goggles, and gloves required, regardless residues will get everywhere...). Wipe off residue and let dry until bottom dry to the touch (time depends on temperature and humidity level). Paint (paintbrush around areas a roller can't reach, then roll). Let dry, repeat as required.

Some use a different color for each coat to see how it comes off and which layer requires repainting year-over-year your choice.

So far, the boat has got a new hull paint (blue) and fresh bottom paint (to just before the epoxy coat) every 9 years. Between this expensive, professional job, only annual touch ups are required.
 
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