Practical Sailor: Hard Antifouling Paints and Haulouts

In the March 2013 issue of Practical Sailor magazine, they rated the performance of more than 50 different kinds of bottom paint. Some of the best performing antifouling paints in their most recent test were hard, modified epoxy paints.

One of the drawbacks of these paints is that they can lose their effectiveness after being hauled out and stored ashore for more than 30 days. Even newly painted hulls can lose their effectiveness, if the launch is delayed too long – something to keep in mind, if the boat you are buying is newly painted, but has been in storage for a long time. What many people don’t know, however, is there are ways to reactivate a hard paint on a newly painted boat that has been stored ashore for less than a year, or one that has been hauled out for less than 30 days.

Kop-Coat, the maker of Pettit Trinidad bottom paint, which earned the highest “Best Choice” rating, offers this advice for owners who intend to launch or haul out and re-launch a boat painted with Trinidad: http://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/-11003-1.html