paint selections????

[zube017]

i'm in need of some opinions of paint selctions for bottom paint,topside paint and no skid paint. i'm on lake erie, and i'm approaching that time of year to get into sanding and prepping for paint. i'd like to keep the cost reasonably down. i've been doing some research but every paint on the market seems to say they are better than all the others. considering my current bottom paint is hard paint i probably should stay with hard. if any of you have some opinions i would love to hear them. lets do it this way.


1. bottom paint and why?
2. top side and why?
3. no skid and why?


i appreciate any and all opinions

 

[Frank Langer]

Dan,

For the topside (ie. hull between the water and the deck) I think there are two main options: one part and two part polyurethane. I have used the one part with good results--Interlux Brightside and Petit EasyPoxy. Both were easy to apply by roller (I didn't tip with a brush and it was still flawless), lots of colour choices available and looked great when done. It needs a week to cure properly before you use it (ie. fenders rubbing on it will smudge it a bit if you don't let it cure properly). This paint can be touched up more easily than the two part polyurethanes, I think. Both times the boat still looked great after five years.

I haven't used two part polyurethanes, but have read lots about them. They need to be mixed, are harder to control re: temp/humidity, but give a harder, longer lasting finish. They are also more expensive. (Awlgrip and Imron are the two I'm familiar with).

As with any paint job, good prep is vital (ie. clean with dewaxer, fill all nicks/gouges, sand smooth, get rid of residual dust, paint only in good temp/humidity conditions, etc.).

Frank

 

[Guy Stevens]

My Recomendations

Petit Trinidad The only one that actually seems to work for multiple seasons.
Topside... Well Sterling or if you can't get it Awlgrip. Roll and tip or spray either, good for about 10 years of really high shine. Both used to be even better before the formula changes and Sterling is still better than Awlgrip.

Non Skid, whatever suits your fancy for add ins to the Sterling/Awlgrip.

Now you may baulk at the price of the two part cross linked polyurethanes and decided to go with something like Brightsides, or superpoxy. Don't it is a false economy. The work that you put in it is the more expensive part of the job, not the paint. The question I pose to my students is this; "Do you want to do this once every other year, or once every 12 years?"

Guy

 

[mherrcat]

I have Trinidad SR on my boat. I asked the guy who cleans my bottom if he could recommend any of the new non-copper anti-fouling paints and he said no. He said the Trinidad seems to be best (at least in our area) and mine looks to be good for at least another year or more. It has been on for about two years now.

The idea of forcing recreational boaters to migrate to non-copper based anti-fouling paints really bothers me. Especially since the requirement does not extend to commercial or military ships. Based on the number of boats I see around me that have not had their bottoms cleaned or painted in years, the amount of copper reduction achieved by the recreational boaters who DO clean and paint their boats will be miniscule. Plus the new paints cannot be applied over old copper paints; all the old paint has to be stripped off first, which increases the cost even more.

 

[zube017]

well

interlux bright sides seems to come up a bit. so theres that one.
i'm caught between blue waters copper 45 hard bottom paint and west marines bottom paint- made by pettit(practical sailor test at 24 months)
anyone ever use kiwigrip as a non skid?

 

[Tom Metzger]

For bottom paint in fresh water the preferred paint in my area is VC17M. The data sheet says it can go over other paint with some preparation.

http://www.yachtpaint.com/MPYACMDatasheets/VC_17m_Extra_with_Biolux+eng-usa+A4+Y+20100608.pdf

The why is because it goes on easily, can survive haul outs, doesn't build up, and it works well in fresh water.

 

[Mort Fligelman]

Fresh water Bottom

Heed what Tom says about VC17M.......been using in Lake Michigan since 1987......he has provided all the information you need......

Just giving a second opinion confirming very sound advice.

Regards

 

[Randy Rutledge]

Dan

Kiwi Grip is the only non skid I will ever use after using it on my Mirage 236. The texture was a cheese grater so I wet sanded the tips off the peaks and now have a great looking and very good non skid. Just lay out the tape for the pattern, spread the kiwi (it is like yogert) with the toothed spreader and roll it out to the testure you want, remove the tapd as soon as you are through rolling to let edges slump or soften. It is water base and cleanup is easy and it dries tough. Attached are a couple of shots of the Kiwi.

I sprayed a single part poly paint on the top side and it looks great but is soft compared to a two part poly.

 

[Dan Morehouse]

I've also used Kiwigrip with good results. It takes a little practice to get a suitably aggressive and suitably consistent result, but it is very forgiving to use. I practiced with it on the hull inside my starboard lazarette, to keep from sliding down into the water muffler & water heater while working there. It allows me to stay in place on that sloping surface, and brightens up the space, which had ill advised brown paint applied at the factory. Then I put it on the leading edges of the companionway steps, where it was a marked improvement over the PO's stick-on nonskid strips. It will eventually end up on my entire deck, to improve the PO's painted on nonskid of unknown pedigree and well known ineffectiveness. And it should be easy to renew/repair. I've also used the nonskid additive made by Interlux in their Brightsides paint and was not impressed; I found the aggregate too fine to be effective.

Years ago, I used an Interlux two part product to paint my first boat. It smelled unbelievably toxic...and was unbelievably durable. But I balk at them because I don't know how to deal with touchups down the road. If I settled that issue, I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. I've used several Pettit and Interlux one part products...and they look best in the first two years. After that, I've gotten used to disappointment.

 

[zube017]

thanks all for the opinions