Thoughts on Bottom Paint

2017 Bottom Paint

We painted the bottom today. Last year we painted it a not-so-yar baby blue. What can I say, I got a good deal on the ugly on the ugly color.

2018 Bottom Paint

This year we wanted to revert back to good ol' black. I ordered 3 gallons of black Interlux ACT from Overtons.com. Guess what? In lieu of black they sent me, drum roll please, blue! At least it's not baby blue.

For 2019 I'm debating whether to put on any new bottom paint.  Here's the thinking.  We'll haul Nellie in September 2018 and not power wash the bottom.  The first layer of ablative paint will be dust by the Spring of 2019.  Wipe it off (or don't) and go cruising.  According to Interlux, ACT has a "flexible application schedule--paint in the fall and launch in the spring."  So, as long as there's paint, let it keep doing its job.  Worst case is we haul somewhere along the line and do a bottom job.  

Missing Barrier Coat on the Rudder

The stainless rudder has a tendency to sluff off its barrier coat.  Fortunately, it's a simple matter to put more Interlux 2000E back on.  I put barrier coat on the tug's underwater metal surfaces (rudder, propeller, and thru-hulls) because it insulates them from the copper in the bottom paint.  This keeps the bottom paint's copper from reacting electrically with the underlying surfaces and thus gives the bottom paint better longevity.

Bottom Paint Covers All the Metal Surfaces