Blue Water brand bottom paint...any experience?

[krush]

Has anybody used Blue Water brand bottom paint? Practical Sailor and some other places tested it a few years ago, and it did the best. I don't know exactly what test criteria is.

It's significantly less than Micron CSC that I was planning to use, and there is a nice special going on here: http://www.bottompaintstore.com/Free-Bottom-Paint-Booster

Many forums say people switched over the years (Copper Sheild would be equivlent to CSC) and the only thing they noticed was more $$$ in their wallet. I'm in fresh/brackish water.

 

[KPTIM]

I used it on my previous boat and had poor results. I boat on the lower Chesapeake Bay and fouling can get pretty aggressive where I am..

In Fresh/brackish water it might be satisfactory and cost effective for you.

Tim
53MY

 

[Boatsb]

Don't waste your money. It was worse than Trinidad hard paint.

 

[krush]

Don't waste your money. It was worse than Trinidad hard paint.

Which model, what location?

They all have the same active ingrediants. According to this, Micron CSC is 37.2% and Bluewater CS 45 is 45%. http://www.boatzincs.com/pdfs/Antifouling Paint Comparisons.pdf

 

[bobk]

Don't waste your money. It was worse than Trinidad hard paint.

I like Trinidad Pro. One coat every three years ain't bad.

Bobk

 

[jim rosenthal]

I have watched bottom paint tests for years. From what I have seen, the percentage of metal compounds in the paint is part of the story, but not all. Different paints have different release rates, which seems to affect their ability to repel fouling.

 

[BOATER BOB]

What was the main ingredient that made the old bottom paint so good that was outlawed in times past.
Bob

 

[Scarlett]

It was tin. We used to get it in powdered form and added it to bottom paint. Never really thought it made the paint last much longer. John

 

[jrbrein]

I used it on my previous boat and had poor results. I boat on the lower Chesapeake Bay and fouling can get pretty aggressive where I am..

In Fresh/brackish water it might be satisfactory and cost effective for you.

Tim
53MY

What do you use?

Jon

 

[KPTIM]

I use Pettit Trinadad Pro hard (Black).
I get three years on it.
I have a diver once a month. I alway get a good response from him since I have been using it.

Tim
1979 53MY
Hampton, VA

 

[Boatsb]

I like Trinidad Pro. One coat every three years ain't bad.

Bobk

With your mileage I could see ablative not lasting very long. That said with far less travel I get 4 years out of 3 good coats of micron 66 cleaning 2 to 3 times a summer.

 

[q240z]

I used Copper Shield on our Commander. It works fine, but the boat's moored way upstream on the Potomac where the water is considered fresh.

 

[fissioneng]

I used it on my boat and it was going strong after 3 years, in the lower Chesapeake. Very pleased.

I had a diver monthly from May-Oct.

 

[krush]

So, Blue Water it is! Looking at the various products, and old marketing info, I got confused, so I called up Blue Water directly and got the inside scoop. Not only that, he can beat any prices I found on the internet and appreciates the order because he gets commission (plus he spent 20 minutes explaining it all to me).

Here is the deal: There are 4 major makers of bottom paint: Interlux, Pettit, SeaHawk, and National Paint Supply (Blue Water and Jamestown's Total Boat products: https://www.ipaint.us/).

I may mix up details, but National Paint used to make Nautical for many years and then sold it off to Interlux and the owner went to them. After a few years, he left and started Blue Water...or something like that.

Anyway, currently in ablative, they make Copper Shield (45% copper) and Copper Pro SPC (38% copper and 3.3% zinc pyrithione). And they also sell a "booster" that is a zinc omadine biocide.

The two above replace 3 paints from before: Coppershield 45 (45% copper), CopperShield 45 SCX (same as coppershield, but add Irgarol biocide), and CopperPro 67 SCX ( 67% copper plus Irgarol boicide).

Now, something that I learned in this research is that BASF (I think) stopped making Irgarol biocide, so all the paint manufactures had to reformulate a bit. This is why there isn't a true Interlux Micron Extra anymore. And what Blue Water rep explained to me is that "reformulating" requires new EPA approval for each product...EVEN THOUGH they are just REMOVING Irgarol from the paint, it has to get a new approval (2+ year). He said that they hope to have a 67% copper paint available next season, and also Irgarol may start being made again.



Wow, lots of info. So with all that said, my current choice is Coppershield (45%) and Copper Pro SPC. Both will come with free zinc "booster" (1 quart for each gallon). The price difference is about 20%, so I'm going to get the Pro SPC (which is comparable to micron 66 EXCEPT it can be used in fresh water...oh and is way less $$$$). He said there should be no difference in durability for hauling and it can go over any other bottom paint.

He quoted me prices that beat the special online sale prices by 5-10% (that and no worry about sales expiring). I think it was $129 per gallon for the Copper Pro SPC shipped with free booster (Copper Shield $98). Compare these with Jamestown at $179 and $129 +shipping! I'm going to place an order in a few days, also ordering other paint for my barge and stuff.

To order or ask questions, call Steve at 800-432-4333 extension 374

 

[KPTIM]

OK, I'll bite. Why would you want to buy a product that is supposed to be so good but yet you need to add an enhancer to it make it better? If the adder is free, it comes from the paint manufacture and the sales guy you should add it, you would think the paint manufacture would already put the secret elixir in the paint to have a quality product right out of the can?

Anything more than a little brushing thinner per the label would concern me.

Tim

 

[krush]

OK, I'll bite. Why would you want to buy a product that is supposed to be so good but yet you need to add an enhancer to it make it better? If the adder is free, it comes from the paint manufacture and the sales guy you should add it,....

In copper paints, the additive reduces the pot life significantly. And some people don't need to biocide. Additionally, my understanding is by selling the additive separate, they don't have to endure EPA approval again for the paint that used to have another additive, but doesn't now...because said additive isn't made.

 

[Bugsy]

I had the bottom of a Tiara done in Baltimore area using Bluewater. Four months later in Florida, the boat was hauled for survey and the surveyor noted significant wear on the bottom paint with growth.
That was the one and only time I had a boat painted with Bluewater. Perhaps its fine up on the Chesapeake but based on my experience, I would not recommend it for warmer waters.

 

[q240z]

Fun factoid: bottom paints are antifoulants, which under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodencide Act are pesticides, and EPA has regulatory authority over them. There are two kinds of entities that can make or distribute pesticides: primary registrants and distributors. Interlux is a marketing name for products registered to International Paints. Pettit used to be a primary registrant, but they appear to have transferred all of their products to Kop-Coat, Inc. Seahawk appears to be a marketing name for products sold by New Nautical Coatings, Inc. And Blue Water...it's a distributor for products that are actually registered to Flexabar Corp.

Whatevah. Flexabar's Blue Water product has worked well for me, and you can't beat the price.

 

[bobk]

I had the bottom of a Tiara done in Baltimore area using Bluewater. Four months later in Florida, the boat was hauled for survey and the surveyor noted significant wear on the bottom paint with growth.
That was the one and only time I had a boat painted with Bluewater. Perhaps its fine up on the Chesapeake but based on my experience, I would not recommend it for warmer waters.

That might be more related to the 1000 mile or so trip than the warmer water.

Bobk

 

[Bugsy]

I don't know, bobk. I had the Hatteras painted in Cortez, Fl in October, 2015 and the boat was in Ft,Myers until April when we boated with tender in tow around Florida to Staniel Cay for a month and then back to Ft.Myers. When we were hauled in May for storage, the running gear paint was almost all in place and the hull paint was unblemished. Acknowledged...I cruised the Tiara at 26 kts and the Hatteras at 17.