Association Forum - Maintain bottom like the topsides avoid anti-foul?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Maintain bottom like the topsides avoid anti-foul?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

rrick
Captain

Member Avatar

USA
261 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/28/2012 : 23:03:21

How important is bottom paint for a temperate water sailboat? I just moved to southern California with three year old ablative anti-fouling paint. The coverage is a little thin at the water line, but the keel looks thick. I'm debating launching soon. I scuba and could watch the bottom. Has anyone else tried to wing it and kicked themselves later?

Molly Brown: 1967 Grand Banks 32-#34. Bronze, mahogany, teak, oak, with 120hp diesel to push all 10 tons. Currently an abuser of the bilge pump. Also... The Tall Rig Spirit: 1978, #973, Cast Fe Fin Keel on a Trailer

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3440 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2012 : 04:21:05

I have had good luck with ablative/copolymer paint with it lasting 4-5 years. But I am also in freshwater and only have to contend with slime effecting sailboat speed. My fouling deason is also shorter than for you. If you still have some ablative paint on the bottom (vs hard paint) ...run your finger on it and if it comes away with the paint color, then you still have ablative paint, then you probably will be okay. However, in your case, you will with each successive season probably pick up more barnacles which will be a bear to deal with if in this next year with a thin coat of ablative creating an environment more prone to fouling with slime and barnacles. If all you had to deal with was slime, you could always get a pressure wash which should be low cost and make it thru the year without slowing the boat down signficantly. But I would not want to deal with barnacles and so from the perspective that you are going to have to eventually paint anyway, then why not get it painted now.....So, you will get one less year out of your ablative but the cost of the painting spread over 3years or so, means getting it one season earlier than waiting till next year is not like plopping down the full cost/labor of the prep and painting, it is really only a 1/3 of the cost/labor or less since you get multi-seasons use and you are only shortening the paint cycle one year. In my area, a nearby marina offers a pressure wash special on Tuesdays for $75. For that cost and only dealing with slime, I would wait another year. if your costs for a mid-season pressure wash is significantly higher and the fact that you are in waters prone to barnacle formation, I probably would opt to repaint rather than wait another year. Looking at it another way, you have laready reaped the benefits of not having to paint every year using the ablative paint. So, it's not like you are really incurring an unusual expense considering all those that paint annually. I guess it comes down with...how are you with removing an increase in barnacles. If you don't feel it will be that bad, then wait the year.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4303 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2012 : 06:24:08

rrick,

Are you moving from Idaho? If so, you're bottom paint is probably not going to be effective in a saltwater environment. The tight wad I am I would give it a shot and keep an eye on it. Even if you're going from fresh to saltwater I'd think the paint should have <u>some</u> anti-fouling effect and since you dive and can keep an eye on it you would know quickly if it was going to work or not.

On the other side of the coin, the boat is already out of the water I assume. Might be cheaper in the long run (if the above doesn't work) if you just have it painted now and avoid having to pay to pull the boat out again later.

If you are not moving from Idaho and are going from salt to salt I'd definitely take a chance and try to get another year out of the paint or maybe just touch up around the water line and go for it.

Just keep in mind the above is coming from someone that has 5-1/2 years on an ablative bottom job (so far, so good) so take it with a grain of salt.

Edited by - on

rrick
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
261 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2012 : 10:28:11

Barnacles sound bad and not like topside scrubbing. Gary I'm in So Cal right now with a harbor slip ready for me. Costs are self launch and risk dissolving my e-brakes powder coated steel trailer, $200 crane launch, $350 for yard use self paint, or a grand from trailer to water with 2-coats Hydrocoat (yard is currently waving the $200 crane launch, I currently don't even have $200 having just made a relocation). I can be patient, because as broke as I am, resuming sailing might prove tough.

Edited by - rrick on 11/29/2012 10:31:49

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4303 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2012 : 12:02:42

Barnacles can be a big problem if you let them dry out but they can be removed pretty easily if you do it as soon as the boat comes out of the water. They scrape them off my bottom with a 6" wide flat blade pole scraper when I get a quick haul done every year or so. Takes about 10 minutes with the scraper and they are all laying on the ground.

Sounds like it's self-launch, hope you don't eat up your electric brakes and trailer, and hope the barnacles don't get too bad OR leave it on the trailer until you get a cash reserve built back up.

Edited by - on

C25PYLOT
1st Mate

Members Avatar

69 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 14:03:34

Gary what's the best way to get dried on barnicles off?
Last time I pulled my girl out on the trailer I dint have enough time to get
The very last little bit of their base off, and to add insult to injury the boat lists
slight to port and I have a few just at an slightly above the water line stripe = (
I have this fear that sanding may be the only way I can go.....

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4303 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 14:30:51

I don't know, I've never had to try and do anything with dry barnacles. Sanding would most likely be the quickest way but I'm sure others on this site can chime in with better info.

Edited by - on

C25PYLOT
1st Mate

Members Avatar

69 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 14:55:38

Thx Gary.
I'll post the ? Forum wide latter....

Edited by - on

BCG-Woodbury
Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
396 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 18:16:32

RRICK - I did my bottom paint myself this year. The PO was on brackish water in NJ but I'm on a lake in CT. He used the Interlux ACT so I stuck with that. I scuffed the old stuff and scraped the barnacles by hand. I did the bow and the stern separately by jacking up the trailer and then put two sailboat stands in place under each side of the bow/stern to get clearance under the rollers. I did also removed the roller assemblies for more room. It took a few weeks and had to buy the stands. I'll probably re-coat every 2 years as I only have slime to battle. Just a thought. It works if you have the time but little $$$.

Edited by - on

rrick
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
261 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 19:33:06

That is how you paint on a trailer, jack the trailer then stand the boat. I seriously was losing my mind trying to comprehend a 2x4 scaffold winch and sling.

Edited by - on

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2012 : 23:41:46

I don't know if you meant watch the bottom or wash the bottom. Check with your local laws if you meant wash, in Washington state it is illegal to wash a boat in the water if it has ablative paint. The fines are something like $10k, or higher than the value of a Catalina 25.

My new boat has 2 year old bottom paint and didn't have any barnacles when we had it hauled recently for the survey. I expect to be doing a bottom paint job and some other work late winter this year though.

Edited by - on

Frank Law
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
159 Posts

Response Posted - 12/10/2012 : 11:32:25

I don't think sanding will get the barnacles off... I've used hand scrapers and even a garden HOE sittin on the ground under my old CAT 22 on a trailer
good Luck

Frank Law
"About Time"
#3519
swk sr

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.