Re: Water Based Paint - SailNet.com

Charlie asked: > anyone have any sage words - good or bad - regarding water based bottom paints? We're very happy with Petit Hydrocoat. We left Jambalaya in the water over the winter in 2009-2010 after we had applied it for the first time at the start of the 2009 season. Last October, when I went to scrub the bottom for the first time in those two years, there was a little slime on the sunny side of the boat (as it sits in its slip) but only a thin film on the other. No hard growth. (When we hauled later last fall, there were a few barnacles on the prop and shaft, so they certainly were out there, even on the Bohemia.) Adhesion of the past coats was excellent; we had not done any special initial prep, but just sanded the old ablative and painted two coats over that. It took less than a gallon to put a new coat on this spring. The only issue is that the color came out uneven this year in spite of thorough and frequent mixing. Since nobody gets to see our bottom very often (we're rather modest), I don't count that as a big fault. The lack of stinky solvents that flash off and leave most of your expensive paint in the tray is a huge plus. Count me as a fan. Alfred Poor 1973 Tartan 34C #288 "Jambalaya"