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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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bottom paint: what kind do I have?

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/06/2012 : 09:11:42

I'm trying to figure out what kind of bottom paint is on my boat. It has a sandy surface (feels like a low grit sandpaper on your hands), but doesn't feel soft like an ablative paint or rub away when brushed. Any ideas on what it could be? Based on the current condition of our hull I don't think that I need to do a bottom paint too soon, but the rough texture also can't be great for boat performance.

Back story: It was unseasonably warm this weekend (for Seattle anything above the low 80s is hot) so my wife and I took the boat to a dock with good swimming and checked out the bottom of our boat. We've never had it hauled out.

Overall it is better condition than I'd expected. There were some barnacles on the keel, but I was able to scrape them off with a dinghy paddle. The hull didn't have a single one, which makes me wonder if the keel has a different bottom paint (that would be strange). There was a bit of brown slime on our hull, but nothing bad at all.

We keep the boat on fresh water, but it'll end up spending about 3 weeks (total) in salt this year.

Alex W
Seattle, WA
Express 37 "re-Quest"
previously owned 1984 Catalina 25 "Lutra"

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5909 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2012 : 09:25:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by awetmore
 I'm trying to figure out what kind of bottom paint is on my boat. It has a sandy surface (feels like a low grit sandpaper on your hands), but doesn't feel soft like an ablative paint or rub away when brushed. Any ideas on what it could be? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
We can only guess, but if a boat has been coated with Interprotect 2000 barrier coat, it could have a sandpaper-like surface. Interprotect 2000 consists of interlocking layers of platelets that create the protective barrier to moisture, and, after 5-6 coats of it, those platelets create a sandpaper-like feel. When I barrier coated my C25 and C&C 35, I lightly sanded the hull between each coat, to minimize the effect and smooth the finish. If that's what is causing it, I suppose you could give it enough of a sanding to smooth the surface, the next time you haul it out for fresh paint.

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2012 : 10:24:23

Thanks, it is helpful to know that there are other coatings that could leave it feeling a big rough. I also realized that maybe it is something like they used a heavy nap with a hard paint and it left it a bit rough.

I will probably smooth it over next time we have it hauled out for paint.

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2012 : 21:04:55

Pettit Trinidad SR?

sten

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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3478 Posts

Response Posted - 08/07/2012 : 03:24:24

Alex,

I just had my boat waterproofed with 7 coats of interprotect and 2 coats of copolymer (ablative/soft) anti-fouling paint. I did not notice the Interprotect as having much of a texture type surface but maybe a little bit but once the soft anti-fouling paint was applied, one would not notice. As you indicated, you probably have a hard anti-fouling paint and perhaps the nap of the roller had something to do with the texture/feel.

You indicated your boat is in freshwater. So is mine. In freshwater, my experience has been only with slime and no barnacles and I keep my boat in the water all year-round except for this past winter when I had it waterproofed. I only have it raised out for about a 1/2 hour for a pressure wash to remove the slime and then it is lowered back in. I get about 4-5 years on the copolymer paint before repainting is necessary. This based on buying the boat in fall 2005 and having it repainted in Fall 2006, then hauled out Fall 2011, anti-fouling applied in March and back in the water believe it was early April.

The slime can slow up the boat significantly. After slime removal, I can see about 1+ knot speed improvement.

Edited by - OLarryR on 08/07/2012 03:34:34

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 08/07/2012 : 05:39:10

I scrubbed the slime off pretty well on Saturday and tonight is the local beer can racing. I'll see if I notice a difference. The slim wasn't very thick at all, and we are a bit overcrewed tonight which could slow us down as much as the slime removal speeds us up.

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