T&T: Bottom paint recommendations

[Bob Clinkenbeard]

Georgs,
You have more to consider if you trailer your boat.  Remember that water 
temps, fouling conditions of the North and South have to be considered too. 
Some paints do not fair well when the boat is stored out of the water.
I contacted Interlux and got their recommendation for my bottom paint.  I 
use mine in freshwater, brackish and saltwater...and trailer it.  They 
recommended a hard bottom paint with some ablative quality.  The product is 
Fiberglass Bottomkote, ACT - Ablative Copolymer Technology...Eliminates 
paint build-up and heavy sanding, overcoats existing anti-fouling paints. 
This is working well for me since I didn't want a bottom paint that was too 
ablative because it would wear too quickly.....I pressure wash the whole 
boat when I bring it back home and keep it on the driveway.  I also didn't 
want it to leach on my driveway or trailer...like the paint that was on the 
boat when I bought it.  I had it everywhere until I applied the new paint. 
It was so ablative that I was able to wash the bottom with a pressure washer 
to remove it back to the water barrier.  A highly ablative paint is desired 
if the boat is in high fouling conditions like we have here in the south 
with warm water....and you keep the boat in the water.

You will probably get a lot of suggestions here but, to find the one that 
works best for your situation, I would contact the manufacturer of the paint 
you intend to use.  Give them the area you will boat in and how the boat is 
stored and they can recommend the proper paint and application.

Happy bottom coating!

Bob Clinkenbeard
24' custom trailer trawler "Bobbin Along"
Locust Grove, Georgia
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-aboardbobbinalong


> All hands--
>
> After many years of playing in other people's boats, and not having
> to deal with annual pre-launch issues myself, this spring I'm happily
> faced with scraping a bottom, refreshing a boot top and applying
> anti-fouling paint.
>
> What recommendations do you have for me, especially in anti-fouling
> paints for freshwater service and technique tips?
>
> --Georgs
> -- 
> Georgs Kolesnikovs
> At Last, TomCat 24
> Frenchman's Bay, Lake Ontario
> http://tomcat-tales.blogspot.com