Best ablative bottom paint

[Crusty Coastie]

BLUF: The net savings of better paints that give you a FULL two years of coverage make them worth the up-front cost.

This year, I had some supply chain challenges sourcing my normal paint: Interlux Micron CF (copper free). So, I went back to the old standby we had used in the past, Interlux Micron CSC.

We have gotten superior results with both—two full years. A few years ago I switched to copper free to protect the seafood food chain in the Chesapeake Bay. Neither of these paints are inexpensive. However, we have tried less expensive brands and these slightly higher products are the only ones that give me a full two years performance in the Chesapeake Bay without ever having to employ a diver or do a short haul during that timeframe. With less expensive bottom paints in the past, we had to do an annual diver service to keep the bottom clean. I buy our paints from Defender.com. And I receive the modest member discount that we signed up for (and pay for annually).

On their website today, Micron CSC sells for $219 per gallon and the copper free CF is $243 a gallon. Interlux runs a mail-in rebate of $20 per gallon this time of year so the net price is even less.

Bottom line: I don’t know that there is a truly effective bargain price bottom paint—we have tried them and we’re disappointed. At approximately ~$200 per gallon, we enjoy the highly advanced chemistry and expensive additives that make these paints so effective for a FULL two years— We keep our boat in the water year round. Eliminating the need to do a short haul or diver service makes the overall net effect of this seemingly more expensive paint upfront result in a very very inexpensive total-duration bottom job because we avoid the expense of the divers. Note: The copper free paint is a little thicker to apply, so it took a full 3 gallons to cover our legacy 42. The micron CSC covers better, and we only used 2 1/2 gallons. These photos are of the Micron CF when I hauled this spring after two years—photos taken BEFORE pressure washing. Other than a little slime: zero growth.
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I used it with their shark white color,so far so good

 

[P18Flirt]

Not cheap, but have used BioCop TF for years on both our boats. The anti-foul for my area is excellent, and folks always comments how little growth after a full season. Basically just a slime.

For the BHM I plan to paint every other year and touch up as needed.

Our Pointer 18 has three full seasons on the BioCop TF bottom and still works great. Painting this year, but really only because the waterline is flaking a bit and need good bit of touch up.

I also used Seahawk AF33 the first year we had the boat since I knew I was soda blasting the next fall. Worked really well and was impressed.

 

[Mobcat]

Jotun Sea guardian there simply is no other just put 5 coats on of differing Colours and you good to go for 5 years plus when you get down to your base colour you get to do it all again, fantastic product and just sooooo cheap

 

[Genius]

Jotun Sea guardian there simply is no other just put 5 coats on of differing Colours and you good to go for 5 years plus when you get down to your base colour you get to do it all again, fantastic product and just sooooo cheap

5 years…you’re not stretching the truth a little?

 

[Mobcat]

No its all about building up the layers, and just keep an eye on it, when you get down to your base coat colour around the water line, it’s time to re apply the coats, I actually think I could of got 7 years out of the coats to be honest last time I slipped my boat

 

[MBILL]

I used Micron ablative bottom paint when I was on Long Island and would touch it up every year prior to launch, then redo it all every 2-3 years. Worked fine on L.I.

In Florida I use Sea Hawk BioCop on the bottom and Petit Barnacle Buster on the metal. The growth rate here is unbelievable compared to the north east.

I have a diver clean up the bottom every month and I'm only going to get 14-16 months out of a paint job.

 

[CaptMD]

No its all about building up the layers, and just keep an eye on it, when you get down to your base coat colour around the water line, it’s time to re apply the coats, I actually think I could of got 7 years out of the coats to be honest last time I slipped my boat

Where do you buy it?

 

[Mobcat]

In Australia it’s available everywhere, Jotun is huge in Europe and Australia, but when I was in the US moving boats around can’t remember seeing it, maybe it’s got something to do with its chemical makeup but honestly I don’t know if it’s available in the US or not but if it is give Jotun sea guardian a go it is truly incredible in waters around the Tropic of Capricorn and it’s durability with multiple coats is really incredible and that’s why a lot of shipping lines use it, it is a paint that likes to be moving due to its ablative nature, so not the best for dock queens, bust most ablative paints aren’t good for dock queens unless they a dived on regularly to maintain.

 

[Genius]

I've used Jotun Glass Flake and other coatings. Great products. Industrial setting, never seen anything outside of it. Think it was in Brazil when we used it.

 

[Quik Fix 16]

Anyone ever mix cayenne pepper?

 

[Alexpsa]

5 years…you’re not stretching the truth a little?

He may have forgotten to say the boat is on a trailer and launch only for the day

 

[Crusty Coastie]

Anyone ever mix cayenne pepper?

I've heard that but never tried it

 

[Pitou]

5 years…you’re not stretching the truth a little?

This is no BS .. I'm going into year 5 on my last bottom job. Two coats of Micron Extra, with a tell tale beneath. Touch up the leading edge of the keel and waterline annually and full coverage on the rudder. The key is, I use a diver to clean the bottom just before haulout and NO pressure washing to blow the paint off. Just before launch I use a white scotch brite on the entire bottom to reactivate the ablative.

Next year it'll be time to sand and paint the whole hull again. With Interlux doing away with the old Micron Extra ablative I'm going to give the new Micron Extra SPC a try.

 

[Mobcat]

He may have forgotten to say the boat is on a trailer and launch only for the day

Well each to there own as they say. I learnt about doing antifoul this way by someone telling me about it and it has worked very well for me……and I am just passing it on for others to learn this method if they wish to, it’s the different colours in between coats that is the secret you, can keep a check on wear levels, I slip our boat annually to do bottom jobs but those jobs certainly don’t involve antifoul, why would I when I still know I have 2 coats of antifoul left and that’s why I’m saying it possible to take this to 7 years between bottom jobs.

 

[Quik Fix 16]

Just put 10 coats on and your good for 7 - 8 years.

 

[AJ2020]

Ablative paint is designed to shed off the boat....if it lasts for years it isn't working.

 

[Pitou]

Ablative paint is designed to shed off the boat....

I absolutely agree .. On to year five and it's probably getting a lttle thin .. I might be pushng the season five.

....if it lasts for years it isn't working.

Still worked great after four seasons. No growth or fuzz, just a little slime for the diver at season's end in October.

 

[Genius]

Every time I've used a diver or did it myself...the hard growth came back stronger. Micron CSC. Not only is there an ablative action, but I also imagine some chemicals are exposed that are doing something. Ideally using the boat more often seems to always be better all around IMO.

I'd rather put one coat on every year than 5 every five years. Once I have the hull in good condition, prepping was very easy. I can't imagine what the bottom looks like after 5 years without any maintenance.

 

[Pitou]

Maybe I'm an anomaly, but the bottom of my boat is as smooth as a babies bottom and because I use ablative the only spot where I do get some growth is on the transom if I don't go for a dip and break out a brush. The yard that I store at and other self maintenance guys in my storage yard can't believe it and they see it year after year when it gets hauled and when it gets launched. On the years that I do sand and prep, doing it all myself, I'm a meticulous son of a gun, there are no chips or divots and then two coats of ablatative go on.

I will say that I didn't figure this out on my own.
One day visiting a local yard where I know some of the guys that work there, I saw the guys working the bottom of one boat with white scotch brite pads before launch. I asked a buddy who is the yard mangaer what they were doing and he said they do this for a handful of blow boaters and never hit the hull with a pressure washer and use a diver in the fall to get any slime off. All I've done is monkey see, monkey do with pretty darned good results. I used to be an every other year guy on a bottom job, but not anymore.

 

[jsakovits]

Use micron CSC and Propspeed on running gear.