What antifouling for a commuter cruiser?

[DDW]

Let's say boat is kept in dry storage until used, and this might be one or a couple of 1-4 month periods in the year. Most hard antifouling paints require launching in 60 days and hauling requires repainting. Many ablatives say you must repaint after 12 months. Boat will be moving when being used. Pettit Vivid is the only one I've seen so far that claims to be good for this use. But I've also heard it is crappy paint. Maybe crappy paint is ok for this, not sitting still more than a day or two anytime it is in the water?

What's your favorite antifouling for this use?

 

[Ishmael]

Micron CSC.

 

[DDW]

I was pretty unimpressed with Micron CSC last year, developed a thick layer of slime very quickly. Just spent many hours and $$ sanding it off. The claimed "self polishing" did not actually seem to occur. I was hoping there was something better. 

 

[saboteer]

Hydrocoat suggests it offers unlimited dry time for long dry storage. 

 

[Hobie Dog]

Where is the boat going to be???

 

[Bugsy]

Fresh or salt water?

 

[Max Rockatansky]

My understanding is that in general, hard paints cannot be out of water for any length of time, so you’ll want an ablative. 

Otherwise it’s best to find what works in your area. Ask your local bottom cleaning guys. 

In the Keys, the divers think well of Micron 66. I have Vivid on my saildrives and it’s as good as the Trini Pro on the rest of the hulls. This is not to say that Trini Pro will work for you; it can only be out of water for 72h. 

 

[DDW]

Boat will be in the Salish Sea and north.

 

[TwoLegged]

@DDW, have you considered a copper coat option?

 

[DDW]

Haven't considered the copper plating option, cost and I'm not sure it fairs well out of the water either. The thing that seems to work well is Trinidad SR with the magic juju that is Irgarol. But it can't be left out of the water. Curiously, the data sheet for the Trinidad Pro SR says launch in 60 days, but the label on the can says there is no limit to launch date. 

Anyway I thought I would have this problem last year as I could not find a place in the water to keep the sailboat, so I did Micron CSC which I was assured would "mostly power wash off". Well it did a lousy job of antifouling, and did not remotely "mostly power wash off". Today the sailboat gets two coats of a "Trinidad Pro SR like substance" and will go in the water for 2 or 3 years. My new to me sailboat for the PNW (that would be a trawler....) will be dry sailed, so the performance of the coating is probably less important, I just do not want to be in the position of having to repaint all the time, and have to sand to do it. Currently we are sanding all the poorly adhered Pettit Unexpoxy off the trawler. The Hydrocoat SR seems attractive as it can be recoated by just power washing according to Pettit. But like all bottom paints, one can find good and bad reviews for it on the internet. 

Unfortunately at a lot of boatyards their idea of bottom prep for painting involves one pass with a piece of 80 grit by hand, leaving some vague scratches. This achieves paint that falls off in large sheets. They did this to me in the John Williams yard in Maine, and the boatyard where the trawler was last painted must have done the same as there are big areas missing. 

Maybe copper plating is the answer after all. 

 

[jimbojones]

Ive used epaint for a boat with similar usage and had good experience with it

 

[TwoLegged]

Haven't considered the copper plating option, cost and I'm not sure it fairs well out of the water either. 

I have zero experience with copper coats. However my understanding of it is that it consists of copper particles mixed with epoxy.  The outer layer loses some effectiveness as it tarnishes, and the antifouling is re-activated by a light sanding to expose fresh copper.  I don't see how it can degrade more when out of water.

I stress my zero experience.  But if I had this use case, I'd be investigating it