Note sent to Glen-L about paint experience
Subject: TO: Barry Email for newsletter
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 10:19:13
-0500
From: Ray Macke
To: main@glen-l.com
Dear Barry,
I thought I would pass along some
information I have learned concerning paints
for my Cabin Skiff project. My Skiff
is not going to stay on the water and will live
most of it’s life on the trailer
stored indoors. But once or twice a year it may sit
for five or 6 days in the
water.
Because of this I was not interested
in an Antifouling bottom paint. In fact, most
suppliers I contacted advised
against using an antifouling paint on a trailered
boat. They stated that if the
compounds in the paint was continually exposed to
the air they would quickly oxidize
and loose its effectiveness. Also, from what I
have seen, they tend to chalk badly
when stored out of the water.
Still I was in need of a paint that
could withstand total submersion. All of the
non-antifouling marine paints I was
seeing in catalogs were billed as “topside”
and not design for use below the
waterline. My first thought was to use am
industrial enamel. I went to the
local Sherwin Williams store and explained my
application and ask for their
recommendation. They informed me that they had
nothing that would work for my use.
They stated that their enamels would
weather just fine above the
waterline but would fail very quickly when
submerged.
I then decided to give Interlux a
call and ask what they had available. The first
Paint Tech I spoke to recommended
their “Brightside” topcoat paint. I questioned
its use below the water line and was
told although it really wasn't designed for
that it would hold up if continuous
water contact was limited to seven days. If it
was there longer than that it would
blister. Sounded good to me and I decided
that was the way to go. I asked them
to send me a color chart and spec sheet.
When I received the information I
looked over it and had a few questions. I
called back and got a different
paint tech and asked the questions. In the
process I decided to again ask about
using Briteside below the waterline. This
time I was told it would work OK if
left in the water for a maximum of FIVE days.
A few days later I had a few more
questions. I called and got another paint tech.
I decided to ask about the bottom
use. This tech rep told me that THREE days
was the max and it would blister in
FOUR. Nowhere on their printed spec sheet
did it list the total days it could
withstand water contact.
Disgusted I decided to try a
different brand. I called TopCoat that sells
Pettit
marine paints. I
explained my application and asked about their “EasyPoxy”
which is similar to Briteside. They
immediately told me not to use it. The
explained that it would not hold up
and blister. What they did recommend was
their PolyPoxy. It is a 2 part epoxy
based paint. They explained that their spec
sheet stated that the suggested
submersion time was four days but said that
was a conservative number and that 5
or even 6 days shouldn't be a problem.
The answer still wasn't what I was
looking for but it looked like it was the best I
was going to find. The faxed me a
spec sheet and in reading it I noted that they
stated that the paint would have a
tendency to chalk if used to paint horizontal
surfaces that would be exposed to
sunlight. It added that chalking would be
minimal on the vertical sides on the
hull.
This wasn't the greatest news but it
seemed I had little choice. I found that
Interlux also has a epoxy based
paint called VC Underwater that sounded similar.
But the literature they sent me
didn't even mention it and neither had their tech
reps. It may be acceptable but after
my experience with their “mixed” information
I didn't even want to call them
back. I decided to go with the PolyPoxy but am
only going to use it up to about 2
inches above the waterline. Above that I am
changing to a topside paint. This
should eliminate the chalking problem but still
provide the protection I
need.
I purchased the paint and have
applied it. I used the roll/brush method and it
gave a decent finish although not as
nice as spraying. But there was a lot less
mess evolved. It did require a
certain technique to get it on smoothly and I
would suggest anyone using it start
in an area that will be mostly hidden so they
can get a feel for the
process.
In the course of choosing a paint I
have been very surprised by two things. First,
I am amazed that there is not
actually a bottom paint available other than
antifouling that will handle longer
submersion. I realize this is a somewhat
limited market but I still would
have thought that there would be something.
Second, that a big company like
Interlux that specialize in selling marine paint
has no better tech support
available. You would think that ALL the tech reps
would at least be reading form the
same book not just making it up as they go.
I plan to add this info and more
detailed description of the application technique
I found that worked for me on my web
page at
http://egyptian.net/~raymacke/paint.htm.
Sincerely,
Ray Macke
Berry at Glen-L replied
-
Comment: I have found that generally
the paint company tech reps are very
helpful and very knowledgeable, but
not on this subject. I believe the problem
lies with the manufacturers. Their
paints are not designed for indefinite
immersion, and their "official"
recommendation is that they not be used below
the waterline. The tech reps know
that they can be submerged for short periods
of time, but for lack of concrete
data, they make their own conservative or not so
conservative "guesstimates". I asked
Glen what he used on the Sissy Do. It was
kept constantly in the water for
over 20 years. He used marine bottom paint. -
brw
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