[Mark]

Hey guys Did anyone ever put on a shedding paint for the ( HULL)?A local paint store that sells this paint said it is the best. ( Schilling enamels Cleveland area )Still dont know what kind to put on but still looking. He told me the paint will shed off with the slime and other good stuff.Told me it will last 2yrs with one coat.What do you think. Thanks Mark

[indykoch]

I've never heard of the "shedding" paint, but I can only imagine the mess it leaves in your driveway after cleaning it off!!!

The common bottom paint contains a lot of copper which is what resists marine growth. Supposedly, the growth can't survive on it. Eventually, the copper dissolves over time, and requires a new coat every 2 or 3 years. If left neglected, the hull will start to show through, and the algae can start adhering to the fiberglass again. I don't know if that's what your paint store was referring to or not, but all bottom paints dissolve and lose their effectiveness eventually.

I'm looking to remove the paint this winter, but I'm not sure how to do it yet. The pressure washer should be a big help, but I'm worried about the disposal of it and any "yellowing" of the fiberglass underneath. I'll post on the "how to" section once I tackle it.

[Mark]

How high over the water line did you paint?

[indykoch]

Mine was painted by a full service marina/dealership that I bought it from. They painted almost exactly to the water line, Maybe a half inch to an inch above. Here's a picture that may help...

[DrMatthewDunn]

Nice to see the boat industry looking hard at lowering environmental impacts. The traditional bottom-paint options have been either "let the paint flake off into the water" (ablative) or "slow poison" (copper, etc.) Wearing out hulls & building new boats isn't a better alternative, though! Looks like there are options.

1) ePaint ZO "Recommended for use on commercial and recreational vessels and for aluminum boats as an effective alternative to tin and copper-based products . EP-ZO contains a newly approved environmentally friendly active ingredient that controls biofouling even in most high fouling areas."

2) Super Slick boat wax.

Stripping
1) Article on environment (and boat owner) friendly stripping compounds.
2) Baking Soda Blast - interesting

I'm going to keep researching, will post research + action here. Suggestions or discussion welcome of course.