Bottom Paint?

[gofast24]

Question to something I have no experience with, bottom paint.
When the vessel was dry docked 4 years ago the surveyor indicated the bottom paint was in good shape. Not sure if the previous owner had it re done or not? I am In the process of having the boat dry docked to pressure wash the hull, remove/get port prop fixed (minor ding in one blade) , and while out have the hull re painted with bottom paint if required.
So, questions =
1) What is the "best" bottom paint to use (will stay with black as currently in place) Looking for the best to use as saving a few dollars on the paint just comes back to haunt you in the near future, the labor is about as much as the cost of the paint.
2) If after pressure washing the bottom the current bottom paint is good? should I just leave it alone?
3) Our fresh water lake is really clean and virtually no barnacles etc., from experience with our dock mates who have not had their bottom cleaned and re painted for more than 5/6 years they dont have any problems.
4) Our current problem is we are loosing about 4 to 5 knots (OK, 5-7 MPH) at WOT and assume it is the hull crud, the 2X Inboard VP 420 HP engines are running great! No loss of RPM at WOT, just loss of vessel speed.
5) Is bottom paint applied with a roller or sprayed on (guess it depends on the type of paint used)?

Appreciate any thoughts/comments you guys might have!

Thanks

[Chris_in_Texas]

Check with who does bottom paint in your area. Typically they can recommend a good one for you lake. There are two types the hard bottom paint and ablative (soft) paint. The soft come off as you drive preventing things from sticking and over time will wear down and have to be sanded down and repainted. The hard paint will be a bit faster but require a diver to clean if you get a lot of growth in the summer and can be trailered.

Both are applied with roller and normally one or two coats. The hulls have to be sanded with 80 grit paper normally to get a good bond. There are bottom paints that aren't compatible with each other, so depending on what was used prior you may have to sand down even more to get the old off. Around DFW area at least we see prices from $30-50 per foot for a bottom job depending on the amount of prep required as it can vary wildly.

Talk with other dock mates to see what paint they have / recommend and who they might use. On our lake there are maybe 4 or 5 shops that can do the job, some better than others.

[kthurt]

I use Interlux ablative paint. My water conditions, though maybe not as clean, are probably similar.... Chickamauga Lake. We don't get barnacles, just slime. With ablative, I see reduced performance if the boat sits for a month, but once I run it 5 to 10 miles it cleans up and performance returns. If yours doesn't have similar results, you probably have hard paint. I get about 5 to 6 years from ablative...it begins to thin out and expose hull in certain places. I have touched it up on occasion, allowing me to get a little extra life. The last bottom job I used Interlux NT, it's suppose to be something in between ablative and hard. It's seems to cleanup with running, similar to full ablative. I'm pulling it next month and will found out how well it has endured....will give you a report.

[gofast24]

Thanks guys! Appreciate the responses!

[Underwater254]

Been doing alot of research on this and also spoke with Regal. They used Pettit initially and they recommended staying with that. I compared a bunch and for me the Pettit Hydrocoat SR seems to be very good and compatible with what Regal initially used. Whatever you get make sure it is compatible with what is on the boat. I'm in freshwater so it may be a little different for you. If your bottom looks good just a light sand and roll it on. Good Luck

[gofast24]

Been doing alot of research on this and also spoke with Regal. They used Pettit initially and they recommended staying with that. I compared a bunch and for me the Pettit Hydrocoat SR seems to be very good and compatible with what Regal initially used. Whatever you get make sure it is compatible with what is on the boat. I'm in freshwater so it may be a little different for you. If your bottom looks good just a light sand and roll it on. Good Luck

Thanks for response! So, question = What year and model vessel do you have. Have to ask as on our 2001 4160 (Also on fresh water since first splashed) regal may have used another bottom paint or, as others have suggested, the bottom paint may have been done by the dealer originally selling the boat?

Thanks

[Underwater254]

I have a 2006 3560.

[gofast24]

I have a 2006 3560.

Thanks for reply!
Maybe put this info in your salutation (or create one) in your profile along with your lake (location) and propulsion system info? It help a lot so we dont have to ask this in a response post. Unfortunately, when replying to a post the OP's info is not shown while composing the reply, maybe I am missing something?

[kthurt]

Here's an update to my previous comment. I pulled the boat Sunday and the 3 year old bottom paint (Interlux NT) looked great. It has endured better than the Interlux Bottomkote I have used in the past. The marina has faucet with higher than normal pressure. I was able to clean off the slime/growth with the hose spray. Along the water line I used a brush to clean it. I'm pleased with the NT.