# Micron CSC vs Micron Extra --- Mid-Chesapeake



## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

I stay in the water and paint every 2 years, generally mid-summer. On my last boat I used Micron CSC Extra (which I'm guessing is not made anymore) the last few times (I forget before that) and was semi-pleased with the results. Toward the end some scrubbing was required, and if I didn't do it, I got slow, paint built-up, and there were some adhesion problems (spots under pads that weren't preped, I think).

My current boat was originally Micron CSC. I then used Micron 66 (2 coats lasted 24 months), which was the best paint I have used (little build-up, clean bottom, no adhesion problems). I followed that with MIcron Extra, after postings scared me away from Micron 66. But it's not doing as well as the Micron 66.

So, what is the local knowledge re. Micron CSC vs. Micron Extra? Micron CSC claims a harder surface, which sounds like more build-up to me, and in a Practical Sailor test, Micron CSC was rated a tick lower.

----

I'm really thinking of going back to Micron 66. I stay in Deale, MD in a marina that is at local Bay salinity (little freshwater flow into the creek). I'm told that the salinity soon after launching is critical, and the last time I immediatly left on a trip around the Delmarva. Additionally, the Bay is more saline in late summer. The local Interlux rep told me that folks that use their boats a lot, scrub, and minimize build-up have been successful at mid-Bay, while others have had failures.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

PDQ,

I used Micron Extra with good results up to 3 years ago and switched over to Ultima 60.
For us the reason was that it sloughed off at a slightly lower hull speed. I keep by boat in the water 3 years out of 4. It is going ontop its thrid year and the bottom as stay clean with great results. I do have a diver go down in June and September also, but he has said the hull is clean and only takes 10 minutes..the prop is waht gets the growth too.

I am also in the mid Chessie in Rock Creek the end of the Patapsco and we spend 3 weeks in the Atlantic Ocean/LI Sound.

FYI Defender has a killer sale right now on Ultima 60 with aRebate


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

I have had great results with Pettit SR40/SR60 as c2s mentions. SR 60 does note it should be applied by a "professional".


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

chef2sail said:


> PDQ,
> 
> I used Micron Extra with good results up to 3 years ago and switched over to Ultima 60.
> For us the reason was that it sloughed off at a slightly lower hull speed. I keep by boat in the water 3 years out of 4. It is going ontop its thrid year and the bottom as stay clean with great results. I do have a diver go down in June and September also, but he has said the hull is clean and only takes 10 minutes..the prop is waht gets the growth too.
> ...


I was also leaning toward Ultima SR-60. I'll check Defender.

And what is "professional" about the application? I see the additional precautions about effective mixing, coating thickness and prep; all easily done.


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

I'm conflicted about what to do about bottom paint this year. We used black West Marine PCA Gold (supposedly same as Ultima SR-40) 2 seasons ago putting 2 coats over a coat of Hydrocoat, which was over an unknown blue ablative. As the boat sits now only the rudder is showing a fair amount of blue. There are a couple of spots on the hull where the blue is showing but they are small and seem perhaps more related to some spotty adhesion rather than wearing away.

I'm thinking I will likely scuff the entire bottom, paint the rudder, touch up the thin spots and use the rest of one gallon to paint a band about 18" down from the waterline with the growth tends to be the worst and call it good for the next two seasons.

Am I setting myself up for a headache? I don't want a thick paint build up, but I don't want a furry hull either.


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

Personally (assuming you are on the Chesapeake and haul every winter) I think you're setting up for a furry bottom. Hauling costs more than the paint. But then again, I stay in the water and like it to go 2 years.

I haven't found paint build-up to be a problem, if I stretch to 2 years and scrub once or twice near the end. My last boat had 30 years of paint on it without a serious sanding and still managed 15 knots in a 12 knots breeze during pre-sale sea trials (very light cat with chute up, of course). Fast as she ever was. But the point is there was little build-up. Always 2 coats for 2 years.

I think a single coat of ablative paint each year is reasonably safe from a build-up stand point. But heck, the worst that can happen is a furry season and you will have learned something about your boat and your local waters. Better than listen to blokes on a forum, sometimes.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Do you have a diver go down at all during the seaon. That would mean you are expecting four seasons out of the Black PCA Gold over much of your hull.

I ight try one more year and do what you said as long as i had it dove on twice.

Then next year take all the old off so you dont build continual layers. Do you have a epoxy barrier under it all?


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

@pdq...
I looked up the on line info on SR60, I see nothing now that states it should be applied by a professional, sorry...I just recall reading that on the can when I purchased it. I have no idea why, this is the only thing I found even related "Utilizes the same proven formula as Ultima Pro from our Pro Coatings line" LOL
Also, it seems Defender is still selling Interlux CSC, 66, and Extra


@Dave, you sure you used SR60, I used SR40 

Does anyone know if these paints expire? I have a can of SR40 thats been sitting indoors for three years, I want to use it this Spring


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

5 quarts of micron extra on a Cal 29 hull










After season one and a full on aggressive powerwash to leave the stink at the boat yard 










After season two with a second full on aggressive powerwash the barrier coat just started showing

The paint got a light wipe down with a washcloth every two weeks in high growth season

I live in the worst barnacle larva area on the planet right by the Northport sewer plant outflow which passes my boat every tide cycle


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

T37Chef said:


> @pdq...
> I looked up the on line info on SR60, I see nothing now that states it should be applied by a professional, sorry...I just recall reading that on the can when I purchased it. I have no idea why, this is the only thing I found even related "Utilizes the same proven formula as Ultima Pro from our Pro Coatings line" LOL
> Also, it seems Defender is still selling Interlux CSC, 66, and Extra
> 
> ...


Positive I used the Ultima SR60.I just looked at my invoicefrom Defender from 2 years ago.I didnt apply it myself,Youngs Marina did, I supplied the paint

Defender SR60 on sale for $208 plus a $20 rebate
Defender SR40 on sales for $179 plus a $10 rebate

Ultima SR40 has more copper than Micron Extra


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

Having used Micron the last two times, that is all previous owner used for 20 yrs. I used WM PCA 2 yrs ago, held up well, did not have as much junk on it. Could have gone a third year in water all year in puget sound. But had to pull a month ago for a leaking PSS shaft seal. Boat was out, so on went another coat. 

The PCA seems to ablate easier and better per say than the Micron did, and at slower speeds. Probably a softer paint too, so it may not be as good per say.......but getting a clean bottom after sitting for 2 months on news years day after a 1-2 hr sail.....can not complain. It was after that new years sail I cam back to the boat and found water over the floor boards and a slow leak in the shaft seal.

I do not recall who said it, but some ablatives are softer, and only need 2-4 knots of speed to clean themselves. Where as the Micron IIRC needed 5-6 knots to start to ablate. So if you have a 6.5knot hull speed boat, the softer could be better.

marty


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## walterzoy (Mar 5, 2010)

I use Blue Water ablative 45% copper and get one year of a very clean bottom, no paint build up to sand and only pay $120.00 per gallon at Old Bay Marina on Old Road Bay off of the Patapsco. Blue Water anti-fouling is rated close to #1 in all the sailing and powerboat magazine tests.

If you want to get 2 years or more, they have a 65% copper, but I haul-out at the marina very winter so that I do not have to worry about the boat bouncing around during those winter storms.

I have Old Bay Marina paint my Catalina 30 bottom, the labor including tape, brushes, rollers, and supplies is $195.00 and they use about 5 quarts of bottom paint but still only charge me for one gallon at $120.00 per gallon. Best prices on the Chesapeake and they do a nice job for what a lot of you guys are spending for just the paint alone. $315.00 for paint and labor on my Catalina 30!

I also have them give my prop a coat of PropSpeed and and I never need for a driver to go down mid-season and clean my prop. When I had the driver clean the prope it just fouled up again after a few weeks and was just a waste of my money. With the PropSpeed coating the prop stays clean, it is the only thing that works and stays on the prop until the end of the season.

My marina charges me $175.00 for the PropSpeed and labor - not bad considering two small cans of the stuff (smaller than a cat food can) at West Marine is about $300.00. Old Bay can do two sailboat props with one kit. They buy/use so much PropSpeed that they must get a good discount, so its cheaper for me to let them do the application.


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

Threads always drift.

I've not heard a lot of Chesapeake area discussion of Bluewater, their 40 and 60% Cu paints are always rated highly, and they're cheap. Less marketing budget?

The other thing is that paint test programs by magazines never include any scrubbing. Since most owners do scrub at least a little, I wish they would. I find myself wondering if the Pettit Ultima holds up as well to that as the Interlux Micron.

I guess I could flip a coin and not know the difference.


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## lancelot9898 (Dec 30, 2008)

I've had good luck with the Bluewater ablative product line too. I can get at least 2 years and sometime even 3 years between haul outs with the boat having been located in the Annapolis area. Prior to using the Bluewater I've used numerous other brands of ablatives over the life of the boat(28 years) and have quite a build up of paint over those years even with frequent use and also a good scrubbing whenever hauled out. Now the boat is getting a new barrier coat(it had a coal tar barrier coat put on back when the boat was new) and I'm considering useing the Micron Extra since I'm using the Interlux product line on the barrier coats. Need to consider some of the other ablatives from Interlux however if there remains a significant price differance between Interlux and Bluewater....I'll go back with the bluewater since hot coating can be achieved with either regardless of brand.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

walterzoy said:


> I use Blue Water ablative 45% copper and get one year of a very clean bottom, no paint build up to sand and only pay $120.00 per gallon at Old Bay Marina on Old Road Bay off of the Patapsco. Blue Water anti-fouling is rated close to #1 in all the sailing and powerboat magazine tests.
> 
> If you want to get 2 years or more, they have a 65% copper, but I haul-out at the marina very winter so that I do not have to worry about the boat bouncing around during those winter storms.
> 
> ...


Old Bay Marina has good prices as does Youngs where I get mine done. Guess thats because they are close to each other. A friend of mine keeps his boat in Old Bay. I also use the petit product on my prop

I find its easier on the rig that the boats in the water, covered for the winter
where when the wind blows the boat can give instead of vibrating in jack stands. Our club has good protection and my slip is 11 ft deep so no danger of bottoming. Boats are better supported by water than 8 jackstands placed under them. Beside I pay for a slip year round and save on having the boat hauled and blocked which in your case would add $15/ ft or $450 per year to the price.

Right now you can get UltimaSR60 from Defender for $188 a can or a cost of $68 more, however it lasts at least 2 years. I am on my third year with it. If you add in $100 a year for the diver and look at a two year analysis it looks like this.

2 haul outs ( $900)+2 cans of paint ($240)+2 labor and supplies( $390)= $1540 for two years
vs
1 haul out ($450)+ 2 diver($100)+ 2 cans of paint ($288) + labor and supplies ($195)= $1133

Thats a savings of $400 by using the the paint that lasts for two years and also having a diver clean the boat twice each season. If you can get a third year out of it like I will this year by using this paint which seems to perform really well., I will actually save another $770 and also the wear and tear and stress o the boat having it lifted/

I suppose if I took the boat of the water you could put almost any ablative on it as I think in the PS tests all did well the first year.


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

I was spoiled with my Gemini, I could put it in 3 feet of water and walk around it scrubbing the bottom (or pay a kid to do it, buck a foot). I used hard paint, so scrubbing was not a problem. 

Now I've got to pay attention to this thread.


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