Lowtide
marine creatures attach themselves to your boat’s bottom Ablative Anti-fouling Paint: Ablative paint is a soft bottom
while it’s sitting in its slip or at its mooring. Barnacles repro- paint that is designed to wear away as your boat is used. As
duce rapidly and deposit millions of eggs, which cover the the water moving over the boat’s surface wears away the
boat’s bottom quickly once they get started. paint, fresh layers of biocide are continuously exposed, so
Plants: Weeds and water plants can also attach themselves that the anti-fouling characteristic is constantly refreshed as
to the boat, most often near the waterline where there’s long as some of the paint remains on the boat’s hull.
plenty of sunlight. Ablative anti-fouling paints can be applied over other anti-
Algae Slime: Algae can form a gloppy, gooey mess on your fouling paints, so that you don’t need to remove the previ-
boat’s bottom, blooming rapidly and creating an environ- ous paint before applying a fresh coat. It can be useful to
ment that attracts other organisms. This creates a nasty, apply two or three coats when applying an ablative anti-
hard-to-clean bottom situation, and slows your boat tremen- fouling paint. Ablative paints work well in marine environ-
dously when it’s moving through the water. ments with high levels
Mintos Mingle at Dockton
of marine growth.
The drawback to ablative paints is that, because it’s
Using quality anti-fouling bottom paint on your boat’s hull such a soft paint, you will remove some of the paint when-
can help prevent bottom fouling from forming in the first ever you scrub down the hull. Make sure your diver knows
place, protecting the hull and saving you a messy clean-up that your boat has ablative paint. I’ve seen new paint jobs
job. Anti-fouling paint uses chemicals called biocides that ruined by a diver who was too aggressive with the scratch
are released gradually during the boating season to reduce pad
As
when
usual,
cleaning
the wind
the bottom.
played
A
a
lso,
fickle
ablative
role in
paints
this
will
year’s Minto
or eliminate marine growth on your boat’s underwater sur-
Mingle
wear away
2009.
faster
Most
from
of
trailer
the heats
rollers
started
and bunks
like gang
and in
busters,
high-
faces. Most anti-fouling bottom paints use cuprous oxide, friction areas such as the rudder.
and the
and generally, the more cuprous oxide in the paint, the bet-
wind usually held for most of the fleet to finish. However, there
ter it will protect your boat’s bottom.
wer
Hard-Finish
e a few boats
Anti-fou
that finished
ling Paint:
only
These
because
paints
of a favorable
are not
current,
and not naming any names, one skipper had to be towed in, twice. designed to wear off the way ablative paints do. If you fre-
Types of Anti-Fouling Paint: quently
Held
use
once
your
again
boat,
at
or
Dockton
if you give
Park
the
on
boat’s
Vashon’s
bottom
Quartermaster
a
There are two main types of anti-fouling paint: Ablative and
Harbor
good scr
, the
ubbing
June 19-21
after
event
each use,
drew
a
13
har
Mintos,
d paint
down
is probably
slightly from the
hard-finish anti-fouling paint. Ablative paint is suitable for
18
your
that
better
participated
choice. The
in 2008.
hard
However
anti-fouling
, all
paints
13 came
start
ready
leach-
to compete
sailboats and slower powerboats, while hard-finish paint is
better for racing sailboats and faster powerboats.
for
ing
“Minto
out biocides
Champion
on contact
of the
with
World,”
the
and
water
all
, in
six
a
heats
sort of
timed-release fashion.
were hotly
contested.
After a
During
period
the
of time,
two days
most often
of racing,
6 months
three
to
dif
a
fer
year
ent
,
skippers
had
the paint
first place
has leached
finishes,
out
and
all of
thr
its
ee
biocides,
different
and
skippers
a new coat
had second
place of paint finishes. will be Howeverneeded, , Pete thus Galinas increasing (Pete your with haul-out the big, frsee-thre- ough
sail),
quency
the
and
2008
costs.
runner up, took three first places, and was the overall
winner
Additionally
. Ron Moblo,
, har
the
d
2008
anti-fouling
winner took
paint
second,
needs
Susan
to be
Moblo took
thir
removed
d, builder Mike Ellis took fourth and Pat W
before a fresh coat is applied.
aters took fifth.
In Summary
Word has it, Pat Waters will be coming with a new high tech sail
next
Whether
year,
you
as I am
opt
sur
to
e
use
others
bottom
will
paint
also.
or
Oh
not,
yes,
your
the Satur
vessel’s
day pot luck
and
hull
wine
integrity
tasting
is one
party
of the
afterwar
most
ds
important
were again
aspects
great
to
fun.
con-
Thanks to
David sider Prand oper Marilyn care and Jones knowledge for so efficiently on how rto unning protect the yourraces, and to
Paul
hull in
and
the
Car
conditions
ol Jones
it
for
is
pr
used
oviding
will extend
chase boat
its life,
support
improve
and setting
the race marks.
performance and ensure the owner more time on the water.
When

considering

paints,

resear

ch your

options, consult
Mike Ellis Sonja Hazelton, (daughter of your 48° North Editor)
with
Seen my Minto? - see page 10.
your local contractor or marine store to ensure you or
your contractor applies the correct product for the vessel’s
said she would have done a lot better if she didn’t have
intended use.
to drag her big ‘ol Dad around the course.
SIZE MATTERS
REPLACE WITH
THIS THIS
World’s Smallest Bilge Switch
• Electronically detect water level
• No moving parts
Easy installation: Simply slide the
mounting tab under a hose clamp or attach 1 screw to a surface
www.WaterWitchInc.com 800-654-4783
News & Views for Southern Sailors 48° No r t h , Au g u s t 2009 PA g e 30 SOUTHWINDS April 2009 53
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90