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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Bottom Paint

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mtward
Deckhand

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USA
11 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/02/2008 : 23:20:35

I am preparing to haul-out my Catalina 25 at the end of Jan 09 to inspect the bottom, hopefully not find blisters and to redo the bottom.

I would to like hear opinions on whether I need a barrier coat and which brand of bottom paint or I guess it's anti-fouling paint you would recommend.

My boat is located in a fresh water lake in the mountains of South Carolina. It has been approx. 3.5-4 years since last bottom job.

This summer i could rub my hands along the bottom and they would be blue, I mostly see algae growing on the bottom, kinda slimy.

Also advice on the quantity needed to do the best job, I would like to get 4 years off this bottom job.

Thanks for your advice.

Michael Ward
mtward1@hotmail.com
Catalina 25 #3621 TR FK
1983

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2008 : 00:09:24

You'll get several suggestion here, but you should really see what people use on your lake as an additional guide. A cool mountain lake probably doesn't require any thing to toxic. I use WM's CPP+, but I wouldn't recommend it there.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2008 : 08:32:46

VC 17 plus will change your life, try it and you will NEVER go back. The problem is that it has a reputation as a racing paint but is actually great antifouling paint which is easier to use than ANY other paint. The racing rep will cause many locals to advise against it, especially people who get paid to do bottoms; with VC 17 you will never pay anyone to do your bottom for you again because it is so easy to do it yourself. At our lake you can find a direct correlation between well kept boats and VC 17.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2008 : 11:11:10

The PO put VC-17 on our boat.

I recoated before launch last spring, and when we pulled the boat this fall there was no growth on it. Nothing. I didn't even need to pressure wash (but I did anyway...)

FWIW we are on a freshwater lake with a weed problem, North of Toronto.

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2008 : 12:05:45

We are in a low fouling lake. We use VC17M and it is a great product. The only better alternative would be to see if you can get away with no bottom coat at all. Increasingly I think this is a good option for boats that are in fresh water for the sailing season.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2008 : 12:53:16

VC17 unless you are doing some serious, serious racing that stuff handles just about everything. And as previously mentioned it is easy to apply, easy to recoat, easy on the eyes....

Do you have a barrier coat now?

I'd advise against going without bottom paint if you plan on being in the water for more than a weekend at a time, the boat previously had a bottom paint or you have ever had blisters.

Edited by - Champipple on 12/03/2008 12:57:02

glen
Captain

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359 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2008 : 15:31:34

I have used VC 17 in the Great Lakes for years and years. If I do a good job applying the paint, I will often be able to get two seasons use out of it. When I first used it, I started out by stripping all the old bottom paint, then applying an Interlux barrier coat. I did that over 18 years ago, and have not yet found any blistering. One note (not sure of this)but I have been told that when you use VC 17 you can't go back. No other paint will adhere to it. Does anyone know if this is true. Either way I plan to continue to use VC --- Glen

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3467 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2008 : 17:30:04

This seems to be a VC-17 crowd. It must be good stuff.

I leave the boat in the water year-round (on the Potomac River, Wash, DC area) and use a multi-year bottom paint. The bottom paint the previous owner used was on for 4 years and I left it on another year. The boat was only taken out of the water once a year for pressure washing. Two years ago, the boat was bottom painted with Micron XT and I have continued with yearly pressure washing. We mostly have to be concerned with a lot of slime, etc growth in our area. There definitely was slime, etc to be pressure washed off but not that bad.

For me, if I were to have the boat taken out each year to be bottom painted, it would cost a lot since the only close marina with a travel lift has a long way to travel to put the boat in the maintenance yard and their travel lift creeps along at about 2 mph. I think it cost about $1000 last time the boat was painted (and that was using my paint). By using a multi-year paint which works in my area, it only costs $75 for a pressure wash versus a yearly $1000 to have it put in the mtn yard, painted and returned to the water.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2008 : 19:16:25

I always hear people talking about VC 17 for boats used in fresh water. Will it work for boats used in saltwater?

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2008 : 20:08:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by GaryB
 I always hear people talking about VC 17 for boats used in fresh water. Will it work for boats used in saltwater?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Depends. Here is what the manufacturer says:

VC17m Extra's thin film yields a super smooth racing finish that would normally take days of tiresome sanding. The Teflon finish is great for racing sailors and powerboats looking for that extra knot. Whats more, VC17m Extra is easy to apply by roller or airless spray and dries in minutes allowing for same day launchings. When it comes time to recoat the next year no sanding is required, just clean and apply. Now thats easy! VC17m Extra contains metallic copper and Biolux Slime blocking technology to protect your boat from zebra mussels, teredo worms, weed, algae and slime fouling. Its the ideal paint for the Great Lakes, inland lakes and low fouling saltwater areas. How Biolux Technology Works As sunlight diffracts through the water, it provides energy for algae to use in colonizing on the boat hull. Biolux acts at the surface of the paint film to inhibit the algaes ability to conduct photosynthesis. Algae cannot therefore grow on the surface of the paint. Without Biolux, the surface of the paint film becomes coated with a layer of slime. That coating inhibits the release of copper, the primary antifouling agent in Ultra. Here, Biolux keeps the paint surface cleaner, allowing a greater release of copper. The resin technology system then assures a more even release over an extended period of time. What this means for boaters is simple: Biolux boosts antifouling performance by reducing slime build up. This assures less drag, better fuel efficiency, less time spent scrubbing boat bottoms and, finally, longer lasting antifouling paint. Coverage: 85 square feet per quart.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2008 : 20:27:21

Biolux is great for controlling slime. Other brands of paint use "Irgarol," which also retards photosynthesis and prevents slime. They seem to be the same product with different brand names. If you're looking for a paint with slime retardant, either Biolux or Irgarol should do a good job.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2008 : 20:27:42

My boat is docked in a lake just off Galveston Bay. A fresh water creek empties into the west end of the lake, flows through it, and empties into the bay. Because of this I'd say that most of the year the water is brackish except in the summer when it becomes a little more salty due to the reduction of inflow from the creek.

I'll have to check around with some of the other boaters in the area.

Edited by - on

Chris Z
Captain

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452 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2008 : 06:52:58

My friend who is the boating industry suggests VC Offshore and even uses it on his Dad's boat on Lake Erie. He said that it has been on there for 4 seasons and they are planning on going another season on it. When the rest of my VC-17 runs out I will be changing to it. I understand it will work right over the VC-17. I wasn't sure if anyone else had used it in the past.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2008 : 08:34:42

"Will it work for boats used in saltwater?"

Usually not unless you're going to scrub every week or two.
I hear VC Offshore is ok in low-fouling saltwater areas. In high-fouling waters most folks use paints like CSC Micron (ablative), Trinidad... etc.

Edited by - ClamBeach on 12/04/2008 08:35:10

David Scott
1st Mate

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USA
74 Posts

Response Posted - 12/05/2008 : 21:58:14

I thought I would experiment with VC17 on my rudder first and then decide. The rudder gets the most sun and tends to fowl at a high rate so I thought it would be a good test. We trailered to the Northwest last year to sail islands of the San Juans, Canadian Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound. After 7wks in salt water VC17 did a great job protecting the rudder. The boats sides and bottom were heavy with green algae and critters that looked like mini sand dollars. The boat has always been in fresh water(Lake Tahoe) and has never had bottom paint. It took three pressure washes at the local car wash to clean this mess. It did all come off, but once again the rudder was clean with only minimal washing to clean it up. I vote for VC17 but agree with earlier comment that seasonal use may not require bottom paint at all.

Edited by - on

Deric
Captain

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USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 12/06/2008 : 10:29:52

Many sailors use VC17 at the marina I am at in Central New York. I had to be unique, I went with Micron Extra. Supposedly, it was a solution that yeilded the least amount of maintenance compared with others.

After my first season with the paint, I am extremely pleased with the condition of the hull. The hull cleaned easily, I merely need to apply to a few areas for next season. I had painted three coats: one red and two blue. Areas where I see some red color are the areas I touch up.

Micron Extra is not considered a racing paint. It does have the Biolux, and it wears off like a bar of soap would.

I do not know if VC17 is a paint that has been on the market longer, or if Micron Extra is considered newer technolgy type of paint. My main goal was to have less maintenance in terms of bottom painting.

Okay, my two cents has been thrown in.

Here is a picture

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