best bottom paint

[basswacker]

what is the best kind of bottom paint for about $100 a gal, just want it to look good and get a couple years. i trailer the boat. how man gallons does it take to paint a 23?

[BigLew]

For a New England season?

When I worked at Boat US I would purchase a gallon of their ablative and it lasted the whole season with no problems. My boat is also a 23' and it would be moored or docked in the Merrimac River in Newburyport.

As an employee, I paid as little as $6.83/gal for clearance stock. I would purchase next season's paint at the end of the current season when they would be blowing it out the door. At those prices and with that strategy, I would put a coat on every year. I will pay for it when the time comes though. I suspect I will bite the bullet and have it soda blasted. There has been about a 10-15 yr build up.

BTW, there are really only two companies making it and I forget who they were right now. I'll check to see if I can find out. Interlux and Petit are brand names for a parent company or two. Boat US would contract one of them to private lable their "shop" brand. You'll have to check the product claims against both the private lable and the name brand to try and determine which formulation you're getting.

PS. The only real problem I had was at the water line where the river water would deposit the typical scum through the season. It really had to be cleaned when hauled in the fall, otherwise it was a real PITA in the spring.

[bigeasy1]

If ever there was a product category that needed thinning out,it's anti fouling paints.I help a buddy out in the marine supply business occasionally,and I am completely confused by the sheer amount of bottom paints.There's ablatives,hard ablatives,conventionals,and within each of those categories there are all kinds of other formulations.There's Irgarol,biolux,slimeguard,Aqua guard,etc etc.
I shiver just thinkig about them and how to make a decision as which one to use.Thank god I don't slip my boat permanantly and boat in the fresh water of the great lakes.

I'm no help in which paint is best,but AKZO NOBEL CHEMICALS, is one of the largest makers of Marine and industrial paints.
They own Interlux,-awlgrip,-Sikkens,-Glidden and a load of other coatings companies.You may find useful data on one of their sites.

here's a link

http://www.international-marine.com/...outUsHome.aspx

[fdheld34]

Pettit Ultima SSA..works good on my trailered boats both past and present...
can get 1 gallon under 100 bucks...2 coats of course!
I bottom painted my 20 foot Shamrock..had existing bottom paint on it...took 2 coats and had more than a 1/4 gallon left...8' beam
Painted my Grady White 20 footer with it..2 coats and had plenty...again existing ablative in both cases...1 gallon might do the trick for you..depends on coverage of bottom paint you select
Obviously stay away from hard antifouling!!




-Fred

[basswacker]

@fdheld34
where do you get it for under WM has it for $128?

[fdheld34]

boatbandit.com....
printout the ad from boatbandit for Pettit SSA Ablative..and take into West Marine..thus less than $100.00. They will beat it..at least my local store does!!!
-Fred

[basswacker]

thanks

[fdheld34]

Matt..how did you make out with WM discount on Bottom Paint
-Fred

[thehermit]

one word....Ablative Dont start layering on cheap hard epoxy bottom paint year after year if you can avoid it. You will pay later with the sander