# BottomPaint -- Can it sit out of water for awhile?



## Spencer28 (Jun 19, 2007)

Hi, I have a brief and simple question regarding bottom paint. I have read and heard in different places that a big advantage to ablative paint is that the boat can be out of the water for extended periods without losing it's antifouling effectiveness. Implied in this is that a hard epoxy paint CANNOT sit out of water without losing antifouling effectiveness.

I am in the process of painting my entire boat (deck, topsides, bottom). I've been trying to decide where to start. Deck first? Top or bottom first? any ideas from folks?

I will most likely be painting with hard epoxy antifouling paint. Should I paint this last since it might sit awhile until I'm done with the rest of my boat? Or does it not matter? If I paint the bottom with hard epxoy, and it sits for, say 1-2 months before I haul the boat back in the water, will it have lost some effectiveness?

Any insight into this is greatly appreciated. Thanks.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Some hard epoxy paints can sit out of the water... but they are very rare. Ablatives, since they ablate—or wear, will expose new surface as soon as the boat starts moving, allowing them to survive being on the dry for extended periods of time. 

As for your answer, yes, most hard epoxy bottom paints have a very limited time that the boat can stay out of the water after application. Do the deck, then the topsides, then the bottom. This will also help with the clean up of any drips... 

If you want a hard-epoxy bottom paint that can sit out of the water for extended periods of time, I would look at C-Guard or CopperCoat, both of which are made in the UK. While they are a good deal more expensive than standard bottom paints, they are designed to work for a much longer time period. CopperCoat says they will work for 10 years or so, C-Guard is similar in their claims.

The major difference between C-Guard and CopperCoat and other hard-epoxy paints is that the latter use a copper-based biocide, which IIRC degrades with extended exposure to air. C-Guard and CopperCoat use very fine pure copper shot in an epoxy base. The copper leaches in the water and kills off the barnacles and other underwater growth, but isn't really harmed by exposure to air.

It would help if you said what kind of boat you have and where you sail, as different areas require different bottom paints, as do different use boats. A trailer sailer would be best off with an ablative, since they tend to live out of the water and are transported regularly. A larger racing boat, would be best off with a polishable hard-epoxy paint. A cruising boat could use either—but would need to be splashed soon after applying most of the hard-epoxy paints.


----------



## Fstbttms (Feb 25, 2003)

sailingdog said:


> If you want a hard-epoxy bottom paint that can sit out of the water for extended periods of time, I would look at C-Guard or CopperCoat, both of which are made in the UK. While they are a good deal more expensive than standard bottom paints, they are designed to work for a much longer time period. CopperCoat says they will work for 10 years or so, C-Guard is similar in their claims.


Do not, I repeat, *DO NOT*, consider a "copperpoxy-type" bottom paint if you keep the boat in anything but the lowest-fouling waters. These products have the the worst anti fouling performance I have ever come across.

Just my $.02.

BTW, if you do go with a modified epoxy (not a "copper-poxy") you will want to splash the boat within a day or two of painting, no longer.


----------



## SailinJay (Dec 6, 2002)

I use Trinidad SR hard epoxy paint, made by Pettit, on the bottom of my boat. The manufacturer's data sheet indicates that the maximum time between painting and launching is 60 days. Getting the boat in the water sooner, of course, is better.


----------



## yotphix (Aug 18, 2006)

To answer your other question, start at the top and work down, same as any other paint job. That way gravity is your friend, not your enemy and you won't be damaging fresh paint by dragging stuff over it.

But do all of your prep in all areas first if you can.


----------



## yotphix (Aug 18, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> A trailer sailer would be best off with an ablative, since they tend to live out of the water and are transported regularly.


Unless you only daysail, in which case paint with an LPU and clean it off after every use. No need to be slowed by anti fouling if you aren't in the water long enough to foul.

I know a 56' racing sled in socal with NO bottom paint. A weekly visit from the diver keeps the LPU clean and smooth and fast as greased lightning.


----------



## pigslo (Nov 22, 2004)

When in doubt, call the toll free numbers and talk to the techs at the paint manufacturers.
pigslo


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Fstbttms said:


> Do not, I repeat, *DO NOT*, consider a "copperpoxy-type" bottom paint if you keep the boat in anything but the lowest-fouling waters. These products have the the worst anti fouling performance I have ever come across.


Just curious as to which copper-poxy type paints you've worked with??


----------



## Fstbttms (Feb 25, 2003)

sailingdog said:


> Just curious as to which copper-poxy type paints you've worked with??


Copperpoxy, for one. Couldn't give you any other product names off the top of my head. Might as well paint your bottom with house paint, as far as I'm concerned.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Related question. I have a J/24 with blue bottom paint. The boat is out of the water right now for maintenance, and I notice the blue gets on you if you touch it. Most racing boats have no bottom paint... I'm fixing this up to sell... should I attempt to remove it, or what would make the best finish for the bottom at this point?

Plus


----------



## Fstbttms (Feb 25, 2003)

yotphix said:


> I know a 56' racing sled in socal with NO bottom paint. A weekly visit from the diver keeps the LPU clean and smooth and fast as greased lightning.


I'd be very surprised if that were the case (that the bottom is staying clean and smooth.) I am currently diving a paintless Transpac 52 up here in Alameda. Weekly service is not enough to keep the growth off. What attaches to the hull ain't a lot, but it's tougher'n hell to get off and it gets worse each week. Not the first time I've had this experience with raceboats that are normally dry-sailed. Thank God the boat is leaving this week.


----------



## LaPlaya (Jun 12, 2007)

Like Yot said....%$#@ flows downhill. Ya don't wanna be climbing over and putting ladders against the fresh stuff to work ur way up.
On a side note I had a disasterous painting day...all was going great little wind no sun...and then the gust from nowhere picked up my shelter panels and "deposited" them against the freshly painted 8" hull /deck joint white stripe...Back to the sanding board. Also if you are painting large white areas outside ya kinda get snowblind....sunglasses help some
AL
AL


----------

