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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

2 seasons on a VC-17 bottom??

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/20/2009 : 13:40:42

So I painted the bottom last year. Did a fine job of it too. I know that because at the end of the year when we pulled the boat, there wasn't so much as a film of algae on the bottom. In fact there was nothing. I powerwashed the boat because thats what the book said to do, but nothing, nada, zip, zilch was on the bottom.

Since I am in freshwater for 6 months a year, shouldn't my bottom paint last longer than it does for you saltwater sailors who leave your boats in year-round? Can I just paint the bottom every 2 years? Anyone tried skipping a year or two? What were your results?

"Iris"
1984 FK/SR #4040
http://frosthaus.blogspot.com/

Take a minute to register your boat with the association!!
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Edited by - on

bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2009 : 15:27:41

The bottom of my '95 C250 has never been touched, it is only in fresh water here in New York 6 months out of the year and power washed every pull out.

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2009 : 15:55:24

I know a lot of folks do that Bear, but we don't trailer sail. Since we only power wash at fall haul-out, I was wondering if we could stretch the paintjob out for an extra season.

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Steve Blackburn
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1091 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2009 : 17:54:02

I'm wondering the same thing. I had the same results as you did and where my boat is you can see the powerboats with bare bottoms with HUGE algea growth. I had nothing, didn't even powerwash it (will do this spring). Only a few spots needs to be touched up.

Edited by - Steve Blackburn on 01/21/2009 00:31:08

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2009 : 18:51:53

This year I am going to VC17 just the 18" below waterline and the leading edges of the rudder and keel. Those are the areas that get the most fouling and wear. The rest should easily go another year. I plan to use 1 QT instead of the 3 it takes to do the whole bottom.

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DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2009 : 18:55:08

Absolutely guys,
If that bottom's looking peachy still leave it alone! As a matter of fact my salt water bottom is still looking quite good and I may not pull Bamboo this year.

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2009 : 20:49:49

This Side Up is kept on a hoist and thus only 90% of the keel rests in the water (inland lake). I had VC17 Offshore put on it at least 10 years ago and it only needed re-painting last year.
With VC17 the more you clean it the harder it gets!

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Steve Blackburn
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1091 Posts

Response Posted - 01/21/2009 : 00:33:34

With the very evaporative nature of VC-17 I can`t imagine covering the bottom with 1 coat with a roller. I hear that you can use a cheap chineese made spray gun ($20) then just throw it away after use. Spraying is the way to go with VC-17 I think.

Edited by - Steve Blackburn on 01/21/2009 00:34:27

SailCO26
Captain

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USA
457 Posts

Response Posted - 01/21/2009 : 08:40:21

I use VC-17 and typically only do touch-ups between seasons, with 1 new coat about every 3rd year or so as needed. Touch-ups include waterline, all keel/rudder, centerline bow to keel. I usually put a lil extra on the leading edges of the bow, keel and rudder. Annual touch-ups are definitely less than 1Q total.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/21/2009 : 08:53:35

With one can of VC-17, I can single coat the entire bottom and double coat the rudder, keel leading edge, and from the waterline down about a foot around the entire boat. The key is to not slough on a thick coat like other ablative paints where you are trying to build up thickness. Also, due to the highly evaporative nature of VC-17, application technique can save a great deal of paint. After mixing in the copper power, I put the lid back on the can then poke a small hole in the lid to pour in my small roller pan as it is needed. Generally, I only pour enough in the pan to wet my small 4" foam roller. I try to avoid leaving any liquid paint sitting in the pan because it will only evaporate away before I get chance to re-wet my roller. I'll probably use the ketchup squirt bottle technique someone suggested here last year. An excellent idea, but I forgot whom to credit for the idea,...sorry!

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 01/23/2009 : 08:36:13

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Steve Blackburn
 With the very evaporative nature of VC-17 I can`t imagine covering the bottom with 1 coat with a roller. I hear that you can use a cheap chineese made spray gun ($20) then just throw it away after use. Spraying is the way to go with VC-17 I think.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Steve - I don't think I would go the spray route with it. I have heard of folks doing that, but I am leery (your boat, your choice...)

What I heard was that the VC will partially dry before contacting the boat, and not form as good of a bond as with a saturated roller. How good of a bond you need, I don't know, but I don't want $100 worth of paint to peel off the boat any faster than it has to.

My technique (only done this once...) is similar to Don's with a couple exceptions. I mix the copper in, and then using a dollar store funnel, pour the paint into an empty dish detergent bottle (The "Sunlight" bottles can be trusted, some others, not so much). Squirt enough into the roller tray to just wet a thin foam roller (from West marine for $1.00) and roll on quickly.

I don't remember whether I used one can or two last year, but I remember I had to borrow a squirt from another sailor in our club to finish off th elast couple of spots. I was surprised with how far it went after hearing horror stories from other folks about going through ghastly amounts of bottom paint.

This year I think I'll just touch up the spots where it went thin last season, and maybe do the whole bottom next year. Thanks guys!

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Steve Meyer
Deckhand

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USA
22 Posts

Response Posted - 01/24/2009 : 13:02:20

I took a houseboat vacation on the Trent Severn waterway a few years ago. You don't have any growth on the boat because you sail in some of the most beautiful and pristine waters in the world.

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Steve Blackburn
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1091 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2009 : 01:43:03

The Ketchup bottle idea was mine, however I have to admit I stole the idea off another site. Last year I used 3 quarts to do 2 coats (and had a little left over. I doubt I could stretch it enough to only use 1Q however it may be possible since last year I started from a bare sanded bottom (lots of mini sanding groves to fill in maybe?). The idea that the VC-17 can evaporate faster using a spray gun makes sense. I think the problem in my case is that I was overlapping too much with my roller. Also started out with an improper foam roller. I now use a 7" wide short nap roller as my sailloft suggested and it was indeed better. You've got me convinced, I'm going to try the same roller again this year at 1Q, start covering the waterline and important areas and do the bottom if I have some left.

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2009 : 08:27:31

Thanks Steve! I wish more folks would take a day or 2 off their trent-Severn trip to venture to our end of Lake Simcoe. There are some really nice beaches down there (well nice for an inland lake anyway).

Steve, I was cleaning th ebasement this weekend (on going, perpetual, ad nauseum...) and found the VC cans. Iris came with 2 cans of VC17m original, adn I had 1 full can with the copper still in the cap, and a second can with a bit of vc17m-blue which I had gotten off a friend to finish the job last year. Looks like it took me a can and a squirt to do the boat - but I did put it on fairly thin since it was already in good shape (thanks PO!) Looks like this year my touch-ups will be blue.

Swapping part-cans is common in our club - once your hull is done if you have a dribble left it isn't worth saving. One guy in our club painted lightening bolts on his keel last season - he said they make him go faster...

Edited by - Prospector on 01/26/2009 08:29:29

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