ACT Paint color

[paskyhawk]

After soda blasting and base coating the bottom of our 1979 36 Tri, we put on Interlux ACT ablative dark blue bottom paint. It went on near black and after contact with the water it changed to medium blue above the water line (close to Trojan Blue). As the season went on it got lighter and chalkier. The next year we tried black with it turning to light grey. Is there an ablative paint that holds the color better or is that the nature of the beast.

Thanks,
Rich
River Oaks Marina
Grand Island, NY

[prowlersfish]

All bottom paints will get dull to some degree . I have had very good luck with west marine PCA Gold ablative in Blue . They Had some issues with the black going on with a slight brownish tint but it was hard to tell in the water and they said its been resolved . My blue still looks good and the black on the boat behind me also looks good . No issues with growth also . I am in year round lower part of Va

[WayWeGo]

+1 on the blue West Marine PCA Gold. I believe it is a private label of Petit Ultima SR-40.

We are going on one year in the water with ours and planning on staying in for two years before pulling the boat and putting on another coat. The previous owner of our boat was going three years with annual haul out and minor touchup of the bottom paint.

So far, the PCA Gold seems to be holding color better than whatever the previous owner was using, though it does get a shade lighter once it has been wet.

[paskyhawk]

Thanks, I'll check it out

[P-Dogg]

I use Woolsey with great results. In year-round, but practically fresh water.

Welcome to the forum! Great looking boat, if I may say. What year? Pre '81 I think... One of my current projects is upgrading my bow pulpit. Let me know if you are interested in a good deal on a slightly used but perfect fit bow pulpit. Comes complete with partly removed varnish!

[paskyhawk]

Thanks, I'll check that too. It's a 1979 with Chrysler 360s. My wife and I restored it for my parents, who had let the maintenance slide as they approached their 90's. My wife did most of the cosmetic and interior work, including all the woodwork and carpeting (I don't know how she cut a single piece from the v-bunks to the aft cabin). I was stuck with the plumbing, electrical, instrumentation and engines (I learned that if it breaks on one engine you might as well do the other side too). We both did the hull and topsides, all in all we put about 600 hours into it.
My parent got to use it for about 3 years before my dad passed away, my mom still goes out with us.

I've been lurking here for a wile, getting information on how to fix everything. Thanks everyone!

Rich and Deb Milazzo

[LandVF36]

After soda blasting and sealing our F36 with Interlux Interprotect 2000e we applied Interlux Micron CSC. We rolled on black. It fades out a little over the summer, but if you are at a beach, you can simply scub it with a brush or course rag and the oxidized layer will sluff off. I think its been 3 seasons now, and after pressure washing in the fall, I just put a little "lipstick" around the water line in the spring and she's good to go. Its expensive, but I spend a fraction of the time on it that I used to and there is no cracking and flaking anymore.

[prowlersfish]

For what its worth West marine has PCA and other bottom paints on there Friday sale today .$50 off (2-17-17 ) . If your going to use PCA today is the day . I think You can buy online and pick up later at the store if short on time .

[WayWeGo]

$160 per gallon for PCA Gold is a great deal -- thanks for posting Paul!

That is the same price I got last year on sale and hard to beat when Ultima SR-40 is going for $50-100+ more. If you are buying a few gallons, that really adds up.

Last year they were using 50% copper since Irgarol had been banned. Now, it looks like they have added PTFE (Teflon) and are still showing a 40-50% copper.

If you buy some and are going to use it soon, WM will shake the paint for you. Once you pick up that can, you will realize that you are not going to get very far shaking it yourself. The paint is quite heavy with all that copper in it.

[WayWeGo]

Just saw that West Marine has an even better sale on PCA Gold March 16-26. $150 per gallon is the cheapest I remember seeing it in the last few years.

Compare that to Interlux MicronCSC on sale at $234 per gallon with an additional $20 mail-in rebate.

[oil&water]

Yep, West Marine here I come...

[Misty]

Try Seahawk. I'm never using anything else.

[paskyhawk]

Thanks for the advice on the PCA Gold paint, it's holding the color much better than the ACT. The new top helps also

[WayWeGo]

West Marine is having a 25% off sale on all WM branded products, which brings PCA Gold to $157.

After 2 years in the water, I just had a chance to see how it held up on our boat. I only put 2 coats on and it still looks pretty good, so just one more coat all over and two at the water line for this time. It did a great job of keeping soft growth and barnacles off the hull.

[WayWeGo]

Just got the gallon of PCA Gold yesterday. I wonder what the UPS driver thought -- that was a very heavy package for the size!