04
Nov
Hard antifouling and Ablative antifouling. Everyone has there own method and all seem to work well.
After you apply a hard bottom paint it is very durable and does not wear off.
Ablative vs hard bottom paint. You should not use a hard paint if you boat comes out of the water such as on a trailer or a lift. After 72 hours the hard bottom paint will oxidize on the outer surface from the air and becomes ineffective. If you are trailering your boat or keep it on a lift you should always use an ablative bottom paint.
Ablative bottom paint also known as self- polishing bottom paint is softer and allows the. The two different types or categories of bottom paint include a hard bottom paint and an ablative bottom paint. Hard Bottom Paint is bottom paint that is a hard modified epoxy.
After you apply a hard bottom paint it is very durable and does not wear off. Hard bottom paints typically have a higher ratio of pesiticides usually copper in them that are exposed in the outer surface of the bottom paint. Hard paint is great for boats that dont get used often.
Ablative paint is soft antifouling paint. It gradually sloughs off releasing more antifouling as your boat moves through the water. The movement of the boat through the water helps keep it clean with a diver gently cleaning it when necessary.
Two coats with an additional coat around the water line and leading edges is required for. Hybrid Ablative Paint releases biocide like a self-polishing copolymer ablative but has more hardness similar to a conventional antifouling paint. Hybrid bottom paint can be burnished for extra speed and is perfect for a racing boat that requires added speed might remain in the water for a time but will also be trailered.
Hard Antifouling Paint is also known as contact leaching paint. Ablative Or Hard Bottom Paint. Here are the very basic pros cons of each type.
Hard- A quality product properly applied and properly maintained will be longer lasting than any ablative. Hard paints only come off with sanding or blasting. The ablative paints are great in terms of keeping layers of old paint off the bottom.
This makes it easier to keep the bottom smooth free of the craters that flaking old paint leave behind. A light sanding before recoating is all you need. BTW Ive been using E paint ablative with great results.
Hard bottom paints are typically less expensive than ablative antifouling paints. Among the ablative marine paints the single-season ablatives are typically less. Ablative paint is softer and is designed to wear away like layers of a bar of soap taking with it any living thing thats trying to adhere.
If you use your boat regularly this is a good bet. Copolymer or self-polishing paints are somewhere in between. My 33-2 will be hauled out in the spring and her bottom will be painted with a hard paint vs the ablative paint she now has.
The boat is for cruising not racing. Any suggestions regarding hard paint for best results in the waters she sails Gulf and San Juan Islands. Home port in Sidney BC.
Ablative paints which physically erode over time exposing fresh biocides to the surface are more efficient at delivering the biocide and contain fewer biocides. There are numerous hard and ablative paint types and brands from which to choose. It is preferred to use the same brand and type of bottom paint used previously for greater compatibility.
Agree almost entirely but in my experience the most build up with ablative paints is at the waterline or at least the upper edge where the bottom coat is visible. But definitely add extra coats to any leading edge. I use Bottomkote ACT since I sail in both fresh and saltwater but Micron 66 is the tops.
Just note Micron 66 is salt water only. Before diving into the data you probably want to answer the age old question. Should I use an ablative or a hard paint Hard paints tend to have a smoother finish that better resists repeated scrubbing and burnishing although there are some hard ablatives that scrub well.
Ablative paints wear away over time so you dont get the layer-cake build-up over time that you get with a hard paint. The choice between a hard or ablative paint has less to do with effectiveness than with how the boat is used and maintained. Hard paints tend to have a smooth tough finish that stands up well to frequent scrubbing or can be burnished for reduced drag.
The downside to a hard paint is the build-up of paint layers over the years. Contact leaching paint releases the biocide at a steadily decreasing rate leaving the hard coating of the original thickness at seasons end. Higher copper content rather than the type of paint binder as with ablative paints generally means greater effective performance in this paint type.
Today paint choices are abound but the main choice is between. Hard antifouling and Ablative antifouling. When a bottom gets fouled the first sign is a slime covering the bottom called biofilm which then leads to algae growth which in turn leads to barnacles and other creatures attaching to the bottom.
One coat of hard bottom paint different color than final coats not really necessary though Multiple coats of ablative paint of your choice they all seem pretty mediocre to me these days. Everyone has there own method and all seem to work well. Hard paints can often be reapplied much less frequently but many of them require heavy-duty tools or a high degree of training to be correctly applied.
Some civilian bottom paints are in the middle-ground featuring aspects of ablative paints and hard paints. Applying hard vinyl paint over a modified epoxy paint or ablative paint will result in paint failure due to the solvents that hard vinyl paints contain. Since the solvents in some antifouling paints can damage a plastic or nylon depth transducer we suggest you use special transducer antifouling paint to keep the transducer free of marine.