I have used Interlux MicronCSC for many years, repainting every two years. The sailboat, kept at Tracy's Creek, off the Chesapeake Bay, is hauled out every winter, sailed twice a month, reaching at most six knots. There is minimal fouling, and no barnacles, easily cleaned off with power washing at haul out.
For 25 years, I had a charter participatory sailing business, and tried virtually all the major paints, but what I found most trouble free and long lasting was the West Marine knockoff of the Petit self-cleaning ablative paint. I would put a coat of a red or orang color on first, and then put three coats of blue, an extra coat on the front of the keel, at the water line down about a foot and also at the front and bottom of the keel and rudder with just two coats on the centerboard. What I found was that as long as I was using the boat frequently, the paint never got covered with a mossy film that wouldn't just wash off as we sailed, and I had to haul every five years. But, when COVID came along, and the boat sat, it would get a thicker coating of green fur that required me to clean it maybe once every couple of months. When I saw the base coat start to appear in a few places, I figured that I had about a year of coverage left. I cleaned it with a rag, which still took some of the paint off, but not too much. One benefit was that the West Marine knockoff was considerably cheaper, too. The label indicated that the contents of the West Marine and the Petit were the same.
Interesting. Since they recommend use of Pettit Brushing Thinner it does appear they're formulated by Pettit. Normally West Marine products aren't cheaper,... and in this case it appears they actually are marked up versions of Pettit paint - ie, more expensive! As far as I can tell, the West Marine paints are an analog of Pettit's HRT line-up, which is their lower cost, lower copper content lineup marketed as boatyard's "house paint". Pettit's Odyssey lineup (ex, Odyssey HD which I just bought at $295/g) is their higher copper line (47.5% in the HD). West Marine's PCA Premium Ablative is a 37.5% cuprous oxide copolymer for $240/gallon which seems to be Pettit's HRT Premium (37.5%) which sells for $176/g at Defender. All of this is extremely confusing and I feel like paint manufacturers have made their lineup so complex just to confuse the customer (and make more money).
I have used Interlux Micron CSC ablative on my Catalina 425 since we commissioned her in 2019. We put on 2 coats stem to stern (on top of a trace coat), plus 1 coat on leading edges and at the waterline. We keep the boat in water for 2 seasons (normally New England and east coast to New York), wintering in Charlestown MA where the Charles river flows into Boston harbor. I clean the bottom in the spring and fall if we don’t haul out, and replace any exhausted zincs. With the exception of one very hot summer in 2021, we get very little hard growth and small amount of slime on haul out. I see a similar state at either end of the season when we leave her in the water. The one very warm season we saw significant hard growth and the hull had bare spots on the leading edges of the rudder, bow, and keel. It is possible the hull was not prepped correctly as we were not present for that servicing, and who knows what the yard actually did.
In the cool waters of the Pacific Northwest, I get 9-years of hard growth free service from Trinidad Pro. I dive the boat spring and fall to remove a thin layer of soft growth.
Have used Sea Hawk Cukote on the Chesapeake for more than a decade with extraordinary results--zero barnacles and lasts three years with the boat being out of the water on the hard for 5 months a year. I've tried almost everything over the last 40 years on the bay and although Woolsey ablative was originally my favorite (it was long ago gobbled up by Petit), nothing has beaten Sea Hawk paints in my view.
Sea Hawk Biocop for me last season and its been the best paint I've used to date. Semi-hard antifouling and all it ever takes is a quick wipe down with car wash sponge to remove the very thin layer of gowth. Boat used for racing and Biocop is faster than soft ablatives as well. I sail in the lower Chesapeake Bay.
On our Formosa 51, we repainted the hull with Trinidad SR three years ago. When burnished smooth, and shiny (try doing that with an ablative paint) our paint has needed only normal monthly cleanings in the waters between Manzanillo and San Carlos, MX. I'm hauling out in Penasco around July 15 and will give it a quick sandblasting and repaint with the newest version on the Trinidad.
After ordering krypton for a small skiff on the bay, I came to find this video. It helped to secure with further evidence that my purchase was not a waste.
Here on the west coast of Canada we're somewhat restricted on what's available locally. Our federal rules restrict what can be imported from the US or over seas. The most popular bottom paint is Interlux CSC (Canadian version which is different than the American version, go figure!). I've used Shark White for many years and it will typically last about 2 years, a scrubbing after the first. This year I've gone with Pettit Vivid. CSC Shark White is no longer available and I like to be able to see what's growing on the bottom for scrubbing decisions. We shall see if the Pettit works as well as the CSC as an ablative paint. Fingers crossed!
Here in Maine I have been using Petit HRT Neptune water based ablative with good results for the past 3-4 years. Last year I didn't paint the bottom and the hull had only a little slime at the end of the season. The antifouling works very well and the cost is right $106 per gallon this Friday (April 12, 2024). Here in Maine we haul out for the winter and the boat is in the water for about five and a half months. I have never had any hard growth on my hull, but so far the test period is only 29 years. I have an additional comment. The bottom paint choice is strongly dependent on two things - location and boat use. Location is probably the most important. Less "potent" bottom paint that would be totally inadequate in the warm waters down south (say south of Cape Cod) will often work well in the colder waters farther north. So from the location perspective, ask around and see what works in your area. Boat use has several components. First, how often is the boat used. A boat that sits in a marina for weeks between uses will have considerably more growth than a boat that is used several times a week. Also if the boat is in a marina in a constant orientation the side of the boat that gets more sun will have more growth and may actually need a different paint or at least more coats on the side that gets more sun. In contrast a boat on a mooring that gets more uniform sun exposure won't have that problem. Another part ofIf iuse is how is the boat used. Is sailed aggressively with the bottom cleaned multiple times during the season, or is the boat day sailed on light air days and the hull never cleaned? The former use case may requires hard paint to stand up to cleaning, plus many marina now ban cleaning hulls painted with ablative paints to minimize copper build up in the sediments. Finally, boat use includes the haul out schedule. In cold climates the boat is very likely to be hauled out every Fall and stored on the hard for the Winter. In this case, the anti-fouling paint won't matter much, although using a multi season ablative paint may allow the boat to go two or more seasons with just pressure washing in the Fall. A hard paint will also likely last several seasons, but as you noted, will require sanding in the Spring before launch. A final consideration is water based versus solvent based paint. Where I am there is a strong preference toward water based paints to minimize solvent emissions. That is now at the point that I know of a yard or two that requires the boat to be moved into the paint shed where the air is filtered before being released. That adds significant cost to a bottom job. That brings up cost. Paints that require sanding will always cost more to apply than paints that can be over coated after only pressure washing. There is also a very wide range of bottom paint costs. A $100 per gallon paint may do the job in one place while a $250+/gallon paint may be the ticket for a different location/use case. Also, who is doing the bottom work. Many yards will not allow the owner to paint the bottom. So using a hard paint in a full service yard may cost several times as much as a multi season water based ablative.
Trinidad on the hull of my Jeanneau 50 in Florida. Divers do check and clean every other week and growth is easily wiped off. When we sail the bottom is perfectly clean and divers aren’t needed for a few more weeks. I guess, as you said, it is about how you use the boat. Thanks for the reviews!
I have used West Marine PCA for the last 14 years. I got four seasons out of the first time, and three "ish" over the last ten years. After on of those season, paint was applied directly on top of a barrier coating. All the others were applied on top of lightly sanded ablative paint. It does have one of the highest copper content of all ablative bottom paints. As to cost, wait till the second season sale, it can be beneficial on the financial side
Since the early 90s I've used Petit Trinidad with excellent results here along the Mississippi, Alabama, and northwest Florida coasts. For the last eleven years I have owned a 1996 Beneteau 42s7. I pull her every two years, give her a good sanding followed by a thorough washing, and then two coats of Trinidad. Two years ago, during a haulout, I tried Bare Bottoms, a antifouling paint remover hoping to eliminate sanding. It didn't work at all and was a total failure. I followed the manufacturer's instructions to the tee, even purchasing the spraying equipment they recommended. I documented the entire process using video. When I complained to the man who is the US distributor ( I met him at the St. Petersburg, Florida, boat show) at the next show and shared my disappointment he immediately said I hadn't applied it correctly. I knew he would say that and walked away vowing to never purchase that product again. Perhaps you could discuss Bare Bottoms in one of your videos. Many years ago (and on a previously owned sailboat) I got my hands on some bottom paint used by the US Navy on Arleigh Burke Class destroyers (and other surface combatants) and enjoyed several years of no growth at all.
I have used CSC for many years on the Chesapeake Bay. I haul and paint every two years and have been very happy with almost no barnacles except for a few on the bow and the lower keel which sheds paint when in the mud at low, low tides.
Great video, and informative. I'm indeed in the market for paints, so I took notes. One thing I can't seem to find is information as to how long a boat can be left on the hard, with just primer while deciding on which paint to get (hard or ablative) and cost research. I might have to go back to PS archives for that. The current paint is unknown of brand, but definitely a hard paint as it's over 8 years old, and the boat has been on the hard for 5, and pressure washing did not remove all of it, so I have to go to near the gelcoat and then prime and new paint. Good show.
Trinidad... for thirty years. Sailed the world with it, Alaska to Australia, Havana Harbor to Bar Harbor and more. Repaint every 2 years, in the water maintainance before passage.
As a few comments point out, for the Great Lakes and our short sailing season with winter haul-out, VC-17 is very popular. We are in the northern part of the Great Lakes with cooler water, so our VC-17 coating lasts better, requiring spot touch-ups each spring. Keel and rudder generally require full recoating. As pointed out, little to no build-up allows us to keep a smooth finish.
This has been my experience with VC-17 as well. I sail on Lake Ontario. I do touchup every year mostly due to coating removed by acid hull cleaner that I use to clean the topsides and waterline after annual haulout. I only do spot touchup to cover missing VC-17. I thin my VC-17 a good deal with acetone during application, and use a very small roller with a ketchup bottle rather than a pan. I should also note that a power washer has taken VC-17 off my bottom side and water line when used, so I use acid on topsides and clean the bottom with soap and water. I don't get any marine growth on the VC-17.
VC-17M is available now (April 2024, USA) at West Marine, my local chandlery and probably many other suppliers. I believe it is the reformulated version of VC-17. As far as I can tell it works the same as VC-17 and sticks to it just fine. I buy a quart every other season. Just search for VC-17.
VC-17 is no longer available (Fall 2023). Many great lakes sailors have a significant decision to make this spring (2024): What will stick to the Interlux product line after a copper/Teflon coating (VC-17)? Lady K has a video about the issues (costs) of getting away from VC-17.
Used to use VC 17, then tried the Pettit 60, this will be my fourth year with Triton Odyssey. Never had such a clean bottom here on Lake Erie. Everyone who has seen my boat come out in the fall has switched over to it.
I have been using Trinidad HD... When I pull it out after about seven months in the brackish water On the Banana River here in. Merritt Island, FL. I'll find a few. barnacles. I will Scrape off any barnacles and Power Wash. Touch up the paint and put it back in the water for another 7 to 8 months.. But the last time I pulled it. I only scraped and power washed. This time, after about 14 months there was many more barnacles. So it looks like it pays to Recoat at every seven or eight months.
Great review - thanks. I've used Petit Hydracoat for a number of years. I too am on the Chesapeake above the Bay Bridge. I like that I can give it a light scrubbing several times a season without it removing much paint. I've used paints before that you basically can't scrub since much comes off and is bad for the Bay.
I sail on a relatively clean freshwater lake. Something I found by accident is that car wax works well for up to two seasons. Expensive or cheap, slather it on, let it dry, apply a total of three coats. Don't buff between coats.
How timely: Getting ready to put on VC17 this weekend, for our splash on 4/17 in Chicago. Also support an additional video with a more Great Lakes / freshwater focus, since the concerns and products are very different.
I know its expensive and allot of work but Black Widow has ben spectacular for my small racing boat. With the correct prep and polishing its amazingly fast and nearly no growth in my freshwater lake. I clean sand to 150 and a new coat and burnish every 2 years and scrub the bottom about 3 times a year from above.
A very popular ablative paint used at my marina is Hempel Olympic. Probably one of the widest used paints. Our marina is located in a tidal harbour with current running through at all times. I get 2 years out of this no problem.
I'm at Tracy's Creek on the Chesapeake as well. This year I switched from MicronCSC to Micron Extra SPC. The CSC performed well after one season, but didn't do a great job along the waterline. SPC supposedly works even when the boat isn't moving so I'm hoping for better results. I will say the can of SPC green I ordered from defender was very hard to mix, goes on thicker and harder to apply than CSC, also lots of chunks in the paint even after thoroughly mixing with drill for several minutes.
I note very few responses from west coast sailors. I sail (cruise, not race) Puget Sound and British Columbia and haul-out every two years to service the bottom paint. It is due this year but not expected for a few months yet. Over the last two haul outs I have used Trinidad HD hard paint which boasts 53.3% cuprous Oxide. As I look at the photos I took in August 2022 (painted 2020), soft slime growth covered most of the bottom but there were very few barnacles. Mussels/barnacles covered non-painted surfaces i.e. hull zincs, depth sounder, and prop-shaft housing in comparison...the latter was painted but faired worse, go figure. I have not decided on the paint I will use this year but have noted the sharp rise in bottom paint prices...do I dare go to a three year service cycle?
Coppercoat will be my next treatment. It’s a significant job and relatively expensive, but lasts more than a decade, with some in the water scrubbing during the season. Worth it.
I’m in fresh water, in Montreal and have always used VC17m. But since it is now discontinued, and I so much like this product, VC Offshore is the way I will go when I am out of VC17m. By the way, I also change colour every year so I have a much easier time seeing where the most wear is.
What about paint compatibility? Does one not need to match paint chemistry between whatever is on the bottom & a new antifouling? For many on the Great Lakes we are looking for a new paint now that VC-17 is no longer available. Lady K has a video about the issue.
I applied Trinidad Pro (hard) after asking a sailor who keeps his boat in the Chesapeake, and travels North in the summer, and south in the winter. I figured he would know what works best in various areas. We are approaching one year in the water and just have a thin layer of soft growth that wipes off easily. I will not be hauling the boat, (heading south next winter) and wanted a paint that would last as long as possible. (3 or 4 years?) If it lasts 3 years, the almost $400/gallon will be worth the extra money/time of haul out and repainting.
Total Boat Underdog is our spring maintenance ritual. Sailing Lake Erie means we need 6 months of anti-fouling each year. Underdog is cheap and it works.
If you want to do a true test, moor a boat in Matanzas pass Ft. Myers for a month. We have been using Petit Vivid in blue color which is a "hard" ablative designed to endure the rigors of trailering and ablate while in the water. It's a good paint. I wouldn't be opposed to trying the Total Boat Krypton based on your review of it and it's stated price. We also repaint every two years.
Vc-17 absolutely no buildup but needs to be reapplied every year. Don’t think it works well in salt water or if you don’t do a hull out annually. Another good video!
Interesting video but hard to draw conclusions. The speed of the test trimaran doesn’t correlate with most mono hulls. The location of use and the characteristics of that body of water can also greatly influence the results. It’s probably best to observe a similarly sailed and stored boat in your chosen cruising grounds that has minimal fouling and give their technique a try.
Good comparison across different types of bottom paint. I'd love to have a comparison just within one category someday (ex, why are there 30-50+ different ablative bottom paints all with hugely different pricing?). I have to wonder if this is another example of how humans love to compare things, when doing so actually misses the point entirely (all the good bottom paints are about the same). It seems possible that almost all ablative or hard bottom paints work pretty well, but the differences we hear have nothing to do with the paint used but rather different water types, boat usage (frequent or infrequent, stored on hard much of the year, etc) and care / treatment (dive cleanings, proper paint application, etc).
Be aware some harbors or marinas have rules about copper ablative paints. Check before painting. I’ve heard of people using a two color scheme with ablative paints. When you can see the bottom color, you know the top coat is gone. Anyone tried this?
I have left over VC17 I will put on this weekend. Will look forward to see what replacement Interlux comes out with in the future. Maybe ill give the winner of this video a look too. We sail in Lake Ontario out of Whitby
Trinidad Pro, 3 coats. Splash the boat, wipe off bottom scum, so easy, every month. Will easily last 3 years or longer. I have been there and done this for some time. My boat is always in salt water, occasionally in brackish.
thanks very much great video. I know in our club some have extra cans of copper that looks to be banned in the US from what I hear. I will pass on your site to others who maybe wondering what to do. I will have more questions over the next few days
The cost of haul out and repainting has become so expensive it is an obstacle to the 2 year paint plan. I use the Pettit Trinidad hard. I am in Southern CA so the boat is in the water all year and bottom is cleaned monthly.
Not wise to lift a folding trimaran by its amas. Consequences could be catastrophic structural failure. It should be slung/lifted only by its center hull.
Hi Tim, are there any reviews of ultrasonic antifouling systems or could you do one? Does anyone have any experience they could share? I have one but haven't installed it yet.
I'm confused. 1.) Amas get more light than the main hull. 2.) The centerbd is not a good test as it's up in the dark. 3.) Are you in brackish or full salt? 4.) Where? Florida is different from New England. 5.) I'm in New England, full salt, where I paint on a coat of sharkwhite CSC each spring, after a light sanding. I have no build up as I do not roll on - I do some PHRF racing so I want it reasonably smooth. By late July I need to start wiping the bottom mostly weekly. Of course, with a white paint I can see beginning slime and growth which others with dark colored bottoms don't.
Watching this is simply can’t relate as my boat is IN THE WATER YEAR ROUND. It does not get hauled out and sit on land all winter waiting for the next season. And I have to thank the previous owner. I have to say I have yet to paint the bottom of my current boat and the reason is the previous owner made the greatest decision anyone who plans on using their boat year round where their boat is IN THE WATER ALL YEAR and YEAR AFTER YEAR. And that decision was he stripped the boat put a great barrier coat and then Coppercoat. I have owned this boat for three year and it’s been over 6 years since the coppercoat was applied and yes I get a what I call the ICW beard when in my home port in FL soft growth but a scrubbing at the water line removes that. And 30 min (it’s only a 29ft with 22ftWL ) diving with a hard brush and the bottom is clean. I also take advantage of low tide and the ability of a keel boat to sit on the bottom and expose most of the hull to inspect the bottom, and do a thorough cleaning of the hull. It’s amazing I will never use another bottom coating other than coppercoat. Barnacles? I can count the number of barnacles that is found on one hand and it’s always in areas that get the most wear near the rudder and prop. (This is a full keel boat with the prop in an opening just ahead of the keel hung rudder) but any hard growth comes off with little effort. I mean it wipes off and a few immature barnacles come off with a plastic putty knife. And it always around the prop area. I have no intention of ever using anything else. My advice if you intend to be sailing year round and not a seasonal sailor but a true cruiser who’s boat is IN THE WATER all year,year after year then spend the money and coppercoat your bottom. You won’t regret it. And talk about being a tough coating. I swear diving on the hull in crystal clear water and the bottom looks like it was just coated after a scrub. And it was done long before I bought the boat over three years ago. The key is COPPER why anyone would want copper free bottom coatings amazes me. (Well if it’s aluminum or steel hull without a epoxy bearer coat the copper would not be good for the hull) but when a product is out there that lasts up to ten years why would you use a bottom paint that must be consistently be hauled out and repainted and even worse a anti foul that won’t even last a year before it’s ineffective??? What good is that?? Or any coating that can’t withstand multiple cleanings without it coming off. And ablative paints are constantly shedding chemicals. For me coppercoat is the next best thing to platting the bottom of your boat in sheets of copper plate. I didn’t do this bottoms job but I after buying a boat with it I will never use anything else again. Other bayfield owners have mentioned blistering and having to repair their hulls NOT on my boat last time I hauled out completely was over three years ago when I bought to boat for survey. And she is still as solid as she was then. (I’m sure the previous owner used coppercoat’s barrier coat epoxy below the coppercoat bottom paint. I just can’t say enough about this product it amazes me every time I clean the bottom just how good it is.
Thank you for this review helpfull IF you have access to these products. On our sailing dinghies (Mistral, Siren 17, Potter 15 and now 19) we have used Interlux products with fair to good results. Why Interlux ?? Heck it is the only product available in our neck of the woods - Eastern Canada on Northumberland Straight
We blasted and repainted with Trinidad Pro fresh two years ago, sailing from Maine to the eastern Caribbean and back the following summer. Total time in the water about 16 months before haul out. We swam frequently in the Caribbean, scraping barnacles often, but sparse. Soft growth always very light. Waterline growth started to increase as we spent more time in colder waters during second summer in Maine. Nothing a little brushing from the dinghy couldn’t handle. Overall bottom looks great after power washing at haul out. Now that it’s been sitting out all winter, do I need to sand to reactivate?
@@slory17 Thanks, capitalism at work. Love it! And it makes sense, he has been around the block in boats and knows how to deliver to people what they are interested in seeing/hearing. Sounds like a good fit. Thanks for the explanation.
Bottom paint is territorial. The paint that works fine at your old mooring dosn't work at all at your new mooring 25 miles away. The environment changed and the paint isn't optimized for the new location. It can happen in the same harbor.Two boats using the same bottom paint get different results. One boat is moored in the tidal stream and the other, moored closer to shore, is out of it. Best plan is to ask the boats around you what they use and how it is working for them.
Good video. Bought a sailboat in August for Puget Sound but don’t know what kind of paint was used or if it was harder or Who is the worst? Ablative. Seller is not available to elaborate. Any advice for choosing a paint if you don’t know what is already on the bottom? Any preparation considerations or how much of the old bottom has to be sanded off before putting the new paint on? Thanks.
I tried magic antifouling so far so good I think the guy doesn’t make anymore if someone has his phone number I heard silc one from Ryan and Sophie sailing was pretty good
The video should have talked about the preparation (if any) of the hull & amas prior to applying any paint. Was the boat soda blasted? sand blasted? sanded? Was it wiped with a cleaner or solvent? Was there any barrier coat applied to the bare hull? Any and all of these things will affect the durability of the paint. FWIW - I applied 2 coats of Pettit Protect Barrier Coat after soda blasting and wiping down my hull with Pettit Brushing Thinner in 2013. I then applied 3 coats of Pettit Hydrocoat Water Based Anti-Fouling Paint(not in your review). I haul the boat every winter and repaint the hull every year before launch. My 35-foot boat only takes 1 gallon of paint for a complete re-coat. The only prep that I do prior to repaint is to wash the hull with a scouring pad and rinse. I will NEVER go back to solvent based paint! This has worked very well for the past 11 years.
How come none of your tests involve fresh water sailing with a 6 month haul out? Here on the Great Lakes VC17 is very popular and it's not even mentioned here.
You're saying if you follow a 2 year haul out plan with hard paint, then after 5-7 haulouts, you'd have a whale of a time stripping and re-doing it? So, that would be every 10-14 years? Who keeps a boat that long? Or I'm misunderstanding something (which is probably the case). I'm a total noob when it comes to sailing but I'm trying to learn.
I have used Interlux MicronCSC for many years, repainting every two years. The sailboat, kept at Tracy's Creek, off the Chesapeake Bay, is hauled out every winter, sailed twice a month, reaching at most six knots. There is minimal fouling, and no barnacles, easily cleaned off with power washing at haul out.
For 25 years, I had a charter participatory sailing business, and tried virtually all the major paints, but what I found most trouble free and long lasting was the West Marine knockoff of the Petit self-cleaning ablative paint. I would put a coat of a red or orang color on first, and then put three coats of blue, an extra coat on the front of the keel, at the water line down about a foot and also at the front and bottom of the keel and rudder with just two coats on the centerboard. What I found was that as long as I was using the boat frequently, the paint never got covered with a mossy film that wouldn't just wash off as we sailed, and I had to haul every five years. But, when COVID came along, and the boat sat, it would get a thicker coating of green fur that required me to clean it maybe once every couple of months. When I saw the base coat start to appear in a few places, I figured that I had about a year of coverage left. I cleaned it with a rag, which still took some of the paint off, but not too much.
One benefit was that the West Marine knockoff was considerably cheaper, too. The label indicated that the contents of the West Marine and the Petit were the same.
Interesting, thanks for the info and explanation.
Interesting. Since they recommend use of Pettit Brushing Thinner it does appear they're formulated by Pettit. Normally West Marine products aren't cheaper,... and in this case it appears they actually are marked up versions of Pettit paint - ie, more expensive!
As far as I can tell, the West Marine paints are an analog of Pettit's HRT line-up, which is their lower cost, lower copper content lineup marketed as boatyard's "house paint". Pettit's Odyssey lineup (ex, Odyssey HD which I just bought at $295/g) is their higher copper line (47.5% in the HD).
West Marine's PCA Premium Ablative is a 37.5% cuprous oxide copolymer for $240/gallon which seems to be Pettit's HRT Premium (37.5%) which sells for $176/g at Defender. All of this is extremely confusing and I feel like paint manufacturers have made their lineup so complex just to confuse the customer (and make more money).
I have used Interlux Micron CSC ablative on my Catalina 425 since we commissioned her in 2019. We put on 2 coats stem to stern (on top of a trace coat), plus 1 coat on leading edges and at the waterline. We keep the boat in water for 2 seasons (normally New England and east coast to New York), wintering in Charlestown MA where the Charles river flows into Boston harbor. I clean the bottom in the spring and fall if we don’t haul out, and replace any exhausted zincs.
With the exception of one very hot summer in 2021, we get very little hard growth and small amount of slime on haul out. I see a similar state at either end of the season when we leave her in the water.
The one very warm season we saw significant hard growth and the hull had bare spots on the leading edges of the rudder, bow, and keel. It is possible the hull was not prepped correctly as we were not present for that servicing, and who knows what the yard actually did.
In the cool waters of the Pacific Northwest, I get 9-years of hard growth free service from Trinidad Pro. I dive the boat spring and fall to remove a thin layer of soft growth.
Have used Sea Hawk Cukote on the Chesapeake for more than a decade with extraordinary results--zero barnacles and lasts three years with the boat being out of the water on the hard for 5 months a year. I've tried almost everything over the last 40 years on the bay and although Woolsey ablative was originally my favorite (it was long ago gobbled up by Petit), nothing has beaten Sea Hawk paints in my view.
Sea Hawk Biocop for me last season and its been the best paint I've used to date. Semi-hard antifouling and all it ever takes is a quick wipe down with car wash sponge to remove the very thin layer of gowth. Boat used for racing and Biocop is faster than soft ablatives as well. I sail in the lower Chesapeake Bay.
On our Formosa 51, we repainted the hull with Trinidad SR three years ago. When burnished smooth, and shiny (try doing that with an ablative paint) our paint has needed only normal monthly cleanings in the waters between Manzanillo and San Carlos, MX. I'm hauling out in Penasco around July 15 and will give it a quick sandblasting and repaint with the newest version on the Trinidad.
After ordering krypton for a small skiff on the bay, I came to find this video. It helped to secure with further evidence that my purchase was not a waste.
Here on the west coast of Canada we're somewhat restricted on what's available locally. Our federal rules restrict what can be imported from the US or over seas. The most popular bottom paint is Interlux CSC (Canadian version which is different than the American version, go figure!). I've used Shark White for many years and it will typically last about 2 years, a scrubbing after the first. This year I've gone with Pettit Vivid. CSC Shark White is no longer available and I like to be able to see what's growing on the bottom for scrubbing decisions. We shall see if the Pettit works as well as the CSC as an ablative paint. Fingers crossed!
Here in Maine I have been using Petit HRT Neptune water based ablative with good results for the past 3-4 years. Last year I didn't paint the bottom and the hull had only a little slime at the end of the season. The antifouling works very well and the cost is right $106 per gallon this Friday (April 12, 2024). Here in Maine we haul out for the winter and the boat is in the water for about five and a half months. I have never had any hard growth on my hull, but so far the test period is only 29 years.
I have an additional comment. The bottom paint choice is strongly dependent on two things - location and boat use. Location is probably the most important. Less "potent" bottom paint that would be totally inadequate in the warm waters down south (say south of Cape Cod) will often work well in the colder waters farther north. So from the location perspective, ask around and see what works in your area. Boat use has several components. First, how often is the boat used. A boat that sits in a marina for weeks between uses will have considerably more growth than a boat that is used several times a week. Also if the boat is in a marina in a constant orientation the side of the boat that gets more sun will have more growth and may actually need a different paint or at least more coats on the side that gets more sun. In contrast a boat on a mooring that gets more uniform sun exposure won't have that problem. Another part ofIf iuse is how is the boat used. Is sailed aggressively with the bottom cleaned multiple times during the season, or is the boat day sailed on light air days and the hull never cleaned? The former use case may requires hard paint to stand up to cleaning, plus many marina now ban cleaning hulls painted with ablative paints to minimize copper build up in the sediments. Finally, boat use includes the haul out schedule. In cold climates the boat is very likely to be hauled out every Fall and stored on the hard for the Winter. In this case, the anti-fouling paint won't matter much, although using a multi season ablative paint may allow the boat to go two or more seasons with just pressure washing in the Fall. A hard paint will also likely last several seasons, but as you noted, will require sanding in the Spring before launch. A final consideration is water based versus solvent based paint. Where I am there is a strong preference toward water based paints to minimize solvent emissions. That is now at the point that I know of a yard or two that requires the boat to be moved into the paint shed where the air is filtered before being released. That adds significant cost to a bottom job. That brings up cost. Paints that require sanding will always cost more to apply than paints that can be over coated after only pressure washing. There is also a very wide range of bottom paint costs. A $100 per gallon paint may do the job in one place while a $250+/gallon paint may be the ticket for a different location/use case. Also, who is doing the bottom work. Many yards will not allow the owner to paint the bottom. So using a hard paint in a full service yard may cost several times as much as a multi season water based ablative.
Trinidad on the hull of my Jeanneau 50 in Florida. Divers do check and clean every other week and growth is easily wiped off. When we sail the bottom is perfectly clean and divers aren’t needed for a few more weeks.
I guess, as you said, it is about how you use the boat.
Thanks for the reviews!
I have used West Marine PCA for the last 14 years. I got four seasons out of the first time, and three "ish" over the last ten years. After on of those season, paint was applied directly on top of a barrier coating. All the others were applied on top of lightly sanded ablative paint. It does have one of the highest copper content of all ablative bottom paints. As to cost, wait till the second season sale, it can be beneficial on the financial side
Since the early 90s I've used Petit Trinidad with excellent results here along the Mississippi, Alabama, and northwest Florida coasts. For the last eleven years I have owned a 1996 Beneteau 42s7. I pull her every two years, give her a good sanding followed by a thorough washing, and then two coats of Trinidad. Two years ago, during a haulout, I tried Bare Bottoms, a antifouling paint remover hoping to eliminate sanding. It didn't work at all and was a total failure. I followed the manufacturer's instructions to the tee, even purchasing the spraying equipment they recommended. I documented the entire process using video. When I complained to the man who is the US distributor ( I met him at the St. Petersburg, Florida, boat show) at the next show and shared my disappointment he immediately said I hadn't applied it correctly. I knew he would say that and walked away vowing to never purchase that product again. Perhaps you could discuss Bare Bottoms in one of your videos. Many years ago (and on a previously owned sailboat) I got my hands on some bottom paint used by the US Navy on Arleigh Burke Class destroyers (and other surface combatants) and enjoyed several years of no growth at all.
I have used CSC for many years on the Chesapeake Bay. I haul and paint every two years and have been very happy with almost no barnacles except for a few on the bow and the lower keel which sheds paint when in the mud at low, low tides.
Hydro coat for Long Island sound, just have to hose it down when the boat is pulled at the end of the season (April to November)
Great video, and informative. I'm indeed in the market for paints, so I took notes. One thing I can't seem to find is information as to how long a boat can be left on the hard, with just primer while deciding on which paint to get (hard or ablative) and cost research. I might have to go back to PS archives for that. The current paint is unknown of brand, but definitely a hard paint as it's over 8 years old, and the boat has been on the hard for 5, and pressure washing did not remove all of it, so I have to go to near the gelcoat and then prime and new paint. Good show.
Awesome real world testing, valuable information
Trinidad... for thirty years. Sailed the world with it, Alaska to Australia, Havana Harbor to Bar Harbor and more. Repaint every 2 years, in the water maintainance before passage.
As a few comments point out, for the Great Lakes and our short sailing season with winter haul-out, VC-17 is very popular. We are in the northern part of the Great Lakes with cooler water, so our VC-17 coating lasts better, requiring spot touch-ups each spring. Keel and rudder generally require full recoating. As pointed out, little to no build-up allows us to keep a smooth finish.
This has been my experience with VC-17 as well. I sail on Lake Ontario. I do touchup every year mostly due to coating removed by acid hull cleaner that I use to clean the topsides and waterline after annual haulout. I only do spot touchup to cover missing VC-17. I thin my VC-17 a good deal with acetone during application, and use a very small roller with a ketchup bottle rather than a pan. I should also note that a power washer has taken VC-17 off my bottom side and water line when used, so I use acid on topsides and clean the bottom with soap and water. I don't get any marine growth on the VC-17.
VC-17 is discontinued.
VC-17M is available now (April 2024, USA) at West Marine, my local chandlery and probably many other suppliers. I believe it is the reformulated version of VC-17. As far as I can tell it works the same as VC-17 and sticks to it just fine. I buy a quart every other season. Just search for VC-17.
VC-17 is no longer available (Fall 2023). Many great lakes sailors have a significant decision to make this spring (2024):
What will stick to the Interlux product line after a copper/Teflon coating (VC-17)?
Lady K has a video about the issues (costs) of getting away from VC-17.
I just found the press release saying VC-17 is no longer available in Canada. It appears to be sold in the US still. Ugh.
Have you ever tested Coppercoat?
Used to use VC 17, then tried the Pettit 60, this will be my fourth year with Triton Odyssey. Never had such a clean bottom here on Lake Erie. Everyone who has seen my boat come out in the fall has switched over to it.
I have been using Trinidad HD... When I pull it out after about seven months in the brackish water On the Banana River here in. Merritt Island, FL. I'll find a few. barnacles. I will Scrape off any barnacles and Power Wash. Touch up the paint and put it back in the water for another 7 to 8 months.. But the last time I pulled it. I only scraped and power washed. This time, after about 14 months there was many more barnacles. So it looks like it pays to Recoat at every seven or eight months.
Great review - thanks. I've used Petit Hydracoat for a number of years. I too am on the Chesapeake above the Bay Bridge. I like that I can give it a light scrubbing several times a season without it removing much paint. I've used paints before that you basically can't scrub since much comes off and is bad for the Bay.
I sail on a relatively clean freshwater lake. Something I found by accident is that car wax works well for up to two seasons. Expensive or cheap, slather it on, let it dry, apply a total of three coats. Don't buff between coats.
Great video. A wealth of knowledge. Thanks Tim!
How timely: Getting ready to put on VC17 this weekend, for our splash on 4/17 in Chicago.
Also support an additional video with a more Great Lakes / freshwater focus, since the concerns and products are very different.
I know its expensive and allot of work but Black Widow has ben spectacular for my small racing boat. With the correct prep and polishing its amazingly fast and nearly no growth in my freshwater lake. I clean sand to 150 and a new coat and burnish every 2 years and scrub the bottom about 3 times a year from above.
A very popular ablative paint used at my marina is Hempel Olympic. Probably one of the widest used paints. Our marina is located in a tidal harbour with current running through at all times. I get 2 years out of this no problem.
I'm at Tracy's Creek on the Chesapeake as well. This year I switched from MicronCSC to Micron Extra SPC. The CSC performed well after one season, but didn't do a great job along the waterline. SPC supposedly works even when the boat isn't moving so I'm hoping for better results. I will say the can of SPC green I ordered from defender was very hard to mix, goes on thicker and harder to apply than CSC, also lots of chunks in the paint even after thoroughly mixing with drill for several minutes.
I used the total boat Krypton last year as well
I note very few responses from west coast sailors. I sail (cruise, not race) Puget Sound and British Columbia and haul-out every two years to service the bottom paint. It is due this year but not expected for a few months yet. Over the last two haul outs I have used Trinidad HD hard paint which boasts 53.3% cuprous Oxide. As I look at the photos I took in August 2022 (painted 2020), soft slime growth covered most of the bottom but there were very few barnacles. Mussels/barnacles covered non-painted surfaces i.e. hull zincs, depth sounder, and prop-shaft housing in comparison...the latter was painted but faired worse, go figure. I have not decided on the paint I will use this year but have noted the sharp rise in bottom paint prices...do I dare go to a three year service cycle?
Coppercoat will be my next treatment. It’s a significant job and relatively expensive, but lasts more than a decade, with some in the water scrubbing during the season. Worth it.
Sailing Soulianis featured this in their videos with Tartan 37C.
I’m in fresh water, in Montreal and have always used VC17m. But since it is now discontinued, and I so much like this product, VC Offshore is the way I will go when I am out of VC17m. By the way, I also change colour every year so I have a much easier time seeing where the most wear is.
What about paint compatibility?
Does one not need to match paint chemistry between whatever is on the bottom & a new antifouling?
For many on the Great Lakes we are looking for a new paint now that VC-17 is no longer available.
Lady K has a video about the issue.
Awesome! Thanks for all the informative info!! 👏👏
What about silicone based antifouling like Hempel Hempaspeed TF?
Is it available in the states?
@@slory17 I don't now, in Europe yes
I applied Trinidad Pro (hard) after asking a sailor who keeps his boat in the Chesapeake, and travels North in the summer, and south in the winter. I figured he would know what works best in various areas. We are approaching one year in the water and just have a thin layer of soft growth that wipes off easily. I will not be hauling the boat, (heading south next winter) and wanted a paint that would last as long as possible. (3 or 4 years?) If it lasts 3 years, the almost $400/gallon will be worth the extra money/time of haul out and repainting.
Total Boat Underdog is our spring maintenance ritual. Sailing Lake Erie means we need 6 months of anti-fouling each year. Underdog is cheap and it works.
If you want to do a true test, moor a boat in Matanzas pass Ft. Myers for a month. We have been using Petit Vivid in blue color which is a "hard" ablative designed to endure the rigors of trailering and ablate while in the water. It's a good paint. I wouldn't be opposed to trying the Total Boat Krypton based on your review of it and it's stated price. We also repaint every two years.
Vc-17 absolutely no buildup but needs to be reapplied every year. Don’t think it works well in salt water or if you don’t do a hull out annually. Another good video!
Interesting video but hard to draw conclusions. The speed of the test trimaran doesn’t correlate with most mono hulls. The location of use and the characteristics of that body of water can also greatly influence the results. It’s probably best to observe a similarly sailed and stored boat in your chosen cruising grounds that has minimal fouling and give their technique a try.
Good comparison across different types of bottom paint. I'd love to have a comparison just within one category someday (ex, why are there 30-50+ different ablative bottom paints all with hugely different pricing?). I have to wonder if this is another example of how humans love to compare things, when doing so actually misses the point entirely (all the good bottom paints are about the same).
It seems possible that almost all ablative or hard bottom paints work pretty well, but the differences we hear have nothing to do with the paint used but rather different water types, boat usage (frequent or infrequent, stored on hard much of the year, etc) and care / treatment (dive cleanings, proper paint application, etc).
Great video! Do a Great Lakes version for a typical season.
Be aware some harbors or marinas have rules about copper ablative paints. Check before painting. I’ve heard of people using a two color scheme with ablative paints. When you can see the bottom color, you know the top coat is gone. Anyone tried this?
How about multiple coats of paint starting with hard and then covered over with ablative?
VC 17 banned in Canada. Not what the replacement is, or how to switch to something else. Maybe should have covered this topic?
I have left over VC17 I will put on this weekend. Will look forward to see what replacement Interlux comes out with in the future. Maybe ill give the winner of this video a look too. We sail in Lake Ontario out of Whitby
Trinidad Pro, 3 coats. Splash the boat, wipe off bottom scum, so easy, every month. Will easily last 3 years or longer. I have been there and done this for some time. My boat is always in salt water, occasionally in brackish.
thanks very much great video. I know in our club some have extra cans of copper that looks to be banned in the US from what I hear. I will pass on your site to others who maybe wondering what to do. I will have more questions over the next few days
The cost of haul out and repainting has become so expensive it is an obstacle to the 2 year paint plan. I use the Pettit Trinidad hard. I am in Southern CA so the boat is in the water all year and bottom is cleaned monthly.
Not wise to lift a folding trimaran by its amas. Consequences could be catastrophic structural failure. It should be slung/lifted only by its center hull.
Hi Tim, are there any reviews of ultrasonic antifouling systems or could you do one? Does anyone have any experience they could share? I have one but haven't installed it yet.
Vivid has done a good job of me in Florida
I'm confused. 1.) Amas get more light than the main hull. 2.) The centerbd is not a good test as it's up in the dark. 3.) Are you in brackish or full salt? 4.) Where? Florida is different from New England. 5.) I'm in New England, full salt, where I paint on a coat of sharkwhite CSC each spring, after a light sanding. I have no build up as I do not roll on - I do some PHRF racing so I want it reasonably smooth. By late July I need to start wiping the bottom mostly weekly. Of course, with a white paint I can see beginning slime and growth which others with dark colored bottoms don't.
Interlux micron CSC is what I use
Watching this is simply can’t relate as my boat is IN THE WATER YEAR ROUND. It does not get hauled out and sit on land all winter waiting for the next season. And I have to thank the previous owner. I have to say I have yet to paint the bottom of my current boat and the reason is the previous owner made the greatest decision anyone who plans on using their boat year round where their boat is IN THE WATER ALL YEAR and YEAR AFTER YEAR. And that decision was he stripped the boat put a great barrier coat and then Coppercoat. I have owned this boat for three year and it’s been over 6 years since the coppercoat was applied and yes I get a what I call the ICW beard when in my home port in FL soft growth but a scrubbing at the water line removes that. And 30 min (it’s only a 29ft with 22ftWL ) diving with a hard brush and the bottom is clean. I also take advantage of low tide and the ability of a keel boat to sit on the bottom and expose most of the hull to inspect the bottom, and do a thorough cleaning of the hull. It’s amazing I will never use another bottom coating other than coppercoat. Barnacles? I can count the number of barnacles that is found on one hand and it’s always in areas that get the most wear near the rudder and prop. (This is a full keel boat with the prop in an opening just ahead of the keel hung rudder) but any hard growth comes off with little effort. I mean it wipes off and a few immature barnacles come off with a plastic putty knife. And it always around the prop area. I have no intention of ever using anything else. My advice if you intend to be sailing year round and not a seasonal sailor but a true cruiser who’s boat is IN THE WATER all year,year after year then spend the money and coppercoat your bottom. You won’t regret it. And talk about being a tough coating. I swear diving on the hull in crystal clear water and the bottom looks like it was just coated after a scrub. And it was done long before I bought the boat over three years ago. The key is COPPER why anyone would want copper free bottom coatings amazes me. (Well if it’s aluminum or steel hull without a epoxy bearer coat the copper would not be good for the hull) but when a product is out there that lasts up to ten years why would you use a bottom paint that must be consistently be hauled out and repainted and even worse a anti foul that won’t even last a year before it’s ineffective??? What good is that?? Or any coating that can’t withstand multiple cleanings without it coming off. And ablative paints are constantly shedding chemicals. For me coppercoat is the next best thing to platting the bottom of your boat in sheets of copper plate. I didn’t do this bottoms job but I after buying a boat with it I will never use anything else again. Other bayfield owners have mentioned blistering and having to repair their hulls NOT on my boat last time I hauled out completely was over three years ago when I bought to boat for survey. And she is still as solid as she was then. (I’m sure the previous owner used coppercoat’s barrier coat epoxy below the coppercoat bottom paint. I just can’t say enough about this product it amazes me every time I clean the bottom just how good it is.
Where in FL? What boat? Do you have a diver service it?
@@KevenDRayne I dive so do it myself. It’s a bayfield 29.
Thank you for this review helpfull IF you have access to these products. On our sailing dinghies (Mistral, Siren 17, Potter 15 and now 19) we have used Interlux products with fair to good results. Why Interlux ?? Heck it is the only product available in our neck of the woods - Eastern Canada on Northumberland Straight
Next a good word on what to consider when using a discontinued antifouling paint. The VC-17 maffia 😂 has gone in overdrive it seems.
We blasted and repainted with Trinidad Pro fresh two years ago, sailing from Maine to the eastern Caribbean and back the following summer. Total time in the water about 16 months before haul out. We swam frequently in the Caribbean, scraping barnacles often, but sparse. Soft growth always very light. Waterline growth started to increase as we spent more time in colder waters during second summer in Maine. Nothing a little brushing from the dinghy couldn’t handle.
Overall bottom looks great after power washing at haul out. Now that it’s been sitting out all winter, do I need to sand to reactivate?
I am confused dosen't this guy have his own TH-cam channel, Lazy B or K or something sailing?
I subscribed to PS, who is this?
It's Lady K sailing. He was going to start a competing internet publication and then Practical Sailor offered him a job.
@@slory17 Thanks, capitalism at work. Love it!
And it makes sense, he has been around the block in boats and knows how to deliver to people what they are interested in seeing/hearing. Sounds like a good fit.
Thanks for the explanation.
Bottom paint is territorial. The paint that works fine at your old mooring dosn't work at all at your new mooring 25 miles away. The environment changed and the paint isn't optimized for the new location. It can happen in the same harbor.Two boats using the same bottom paint get different results. One boat is moored in the tidal stream and the other, moored closer to shore, is out of it. Best plan is to ask the boats around you what they use and how it is working for them.
Bottom paint on the centerboard is an invalid test because you can’t use it as a basis of comparison.
Good video. Bought a sailboat in August for Puget Sound but don’t know what kind of paint was used or if it was harder or Who is the worst? Ablative. Seller is not available to elaborate. Any advice for choosing a paint if you don’t know what is already on the bottom? Any preparation considerations or how much of the old bottom has to be sanded off before putting the new paint on? Thanks.
I tried magic antifouling so far so good I think the guy doesn’t make anymore if someone has his phone number
I heard silc one from Ryan and Sophie sailing was pretty good
The video should have talked about the preparation (if any) of the hull & amas prior to applying any paint. Was the boat soda blasted? sand blasted? sanded? Was it wiped with a cleaner or solvent? Was there any barrier coat applied to the bare hull? Any and all of these things will affect the durability of the paint.
FWIW - I applied 2 coats of Pettit Protect Barrier Coat after soda blasting and wiping down my hull with Pettit Brushing Thinner in 2013. I then applied 3 coats of Pettit Hydrocoat Water Based Anti-Fouling Paint(not in your review). I haul the boat every winter and repaint the hull every year before launch. My 35-foot boat only takes 1 gallon of paint for a complete re-coat. The only prep that I do prior to repaint is to wash the hull with a scouring pad and rinse. I will NEVER go back to solvent based paint! This has worked very well for the past 11 years.
How come none of your tests involve fresh water sailing with a 6 month haul out? Here on the Great Lakes VC17 is very popular and it's not even mentioned here.
Thank you
You didn’t include Hempel Silic 1, just the boring same same products.
Is copper coat legal in the US? More effective?
Do you have any experience with Shogun 033, Emperor 034, or Hard racing 035? I read those can last 2-3 seasons?
Great Lakes…VC17
You're saying if you follow a 2 year haul out plan with hard paint, then after 5-7 haulouts, you'd have a whale of a time stripping and re-doing it? So, that would be every 10-14 years? Who keeps a boat that long? Or I'm misunderstanding something (which is probably the case). I'm a total noob when it comes to sailing but I'm trying to learn.
Disregard Who is the worst… in the previous comment.
Thanks bro! Had to go in beaver pond again-finally saw me & slapped his tail half dozen times In futility🦫