cleaning bottom paint

jann · Jul 28, 2018

Gentlemen
I just got my Mainship 34 bottom painted with two coats of Pettit ablative hydrocoat. Also running gear was painted with protective paint.

In the past I had divers clean the bottom but wish to do it my self with tanks.

I need some advise from someone who has experience.

First I understand I should do nothing ( except use the boat ) for the first 6-8 weeks after boat is back in water.

After that I'm at a lost to know how to clean bottom. What do I use?
Can someone advise me

Thanks

boomerang · Jul 28, 2018

Good morning Jann
If the paint is doing it's job, you shouldn't really need to clean for any reason other than aesthetics. Every time you take a scrub brush or power washer to the bottom paint, especially ablative paint, you're prematurely removing the agents that are there to inhibit growth. Regarding the running gear, I just jump overboard with a face mask & paint scraper to keep the hardware free of growth.

HopCar · Jul 28, 2018

When I put a high quality ablative bottom paint on my boat I could go 8 to 12 months without cleaning. Then a diver cleaning every 4 to 6 weeks could stretch it to two years.

I wouldn’t clean it until you see some hard growth. You paid a lot of money for that paint. Let it do it’s job.

DavidM · Jul 28, 2018

Good advice. I use a Scotch scrub pad along the water line and down a foot or so where most of the soft growth is. Since I put a third coat on originally in that area, a periodic scrubbing (every 3 months or so) doesn't loose antifouling effectiveness.

Then for the hard stuff which I tackle only after the first year in the water, I use a wide dry wall knife for the wide hull surfaces and a smaller putty knife for the prop and strut.

David

Shrew · Aug 2, 2018

If the hull is in the water, then a green scrubb pad or a brush will do the job. If the baot is hauled a pressurewasher will do the job if done immediately. If the boat is hauled and slime is allowed to dry, it will be much tougher to remove.

cleaning bottom paint

jann

Senior Member

boomerang

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HopCar

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DavidM

Valued Technical Contributor

Shrew

Guru

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