[656428]

Last season was a nightmare for growth and slime where I dock in Morgan Creek, Raritan Bay. Many boats had problems. I actually pulled the boat mid-season for a bottom wash to get back almost 4 kts. This year I want to try and eliminate the slime altogether. I have heard that if you add a product called M-1 Mildew preventer to the paint it will take care of the problem. Does anybody have any experience with this stuff? I am also switching to paint with a slightly higher copper content. I am told that Petit Hydrocoat is a great product with more copper than Micron.

All advice is appreciated.

 

[cowkiller]

mix about 1/2 cup of cyann pepper powder into the paint.Been doing it for years, it really makes a difference.

 

[DANSGONEFISHING]

DEEP BLUE
I have been docked in Lockwoods for the past 5 years and have used Micron Extra without any slime or barnicles. I really mean nothing to the point of power wash and paint touch-up when I put her back in the spring. Only area I get some growth is where I spray the clear antifouling on the lower motor bracket. One guy by my slip also uses the pepper however.

PS - West marine has a sale going for the Micron with a factory rebate

 

[DANSGONEFISHING]

One thing I forgot to ask was how often do you use your boat ?

I use mine once a week at least.

 

[MakoMike]

Actually I read some paint tests two years ago that said the west marine brand ablative is one of the best on the market and the cheapest!

 

[656428]

Dansgonefishing...
Thanx for the input.
I have been using Micron and never had a problem until last season. Not any barnacles , just thick slime. You could actually peel the stuff off with a scraper. I'm glad to hear you had no problems. I dock a little further up the creek and maybe there is a biological thing happening that is causing it. The water temps are insanely high at my slip. I'm going to try the cayenne pepper thing(as long as it can't hurt)and hope for the best.

 

[jaws1948]

I've been using the West Marine ablative for 5 years now. Absolutely no barnacle growth with this stuff. To keep the slime down, I agree 100% about the 1/2 cup of cayenne pepper. For whatever reason, this has worked for me.

Mike

 

[MakoMike]

O.K. pepper guys, so what's the ratio 1/2 cup to a gallon of paint?

 

[DANSGONEFISHING]

Can't really say what the ratio of pepper is since I really don't use it but I know other guys who do. Never really asked since I don't have the problem. One thing that must be known is that Ablative paint such as Micron Extra must be used ( boat has to run). The use washes off the paint like a bar of soap thus washing off the slime and barnacles. If you keep the boat in the water without using it look at a different type of paint

 

[KingKeith]

i understand that micron extra and csc are good, multi season paints. what is the difference. i was told that one if for a fast boat and one for slower boats like sailboats. which would be better for a boat with a 20kt cruise?

 

[KingKeith]

last year i had no barnacles but i had bad slime too and lost about 4 kts off top end. this happened after the boat sat for 2 weeks in early september. which paint do you guys find to be the best value as i was leaning toward a multi season paint.

 

[DANSGONEFISHING]

Kingkeith
Go towards the multi - season. I will repeat that you have to use the boat - If you come down to the boat and use it once a month or every 3 weeks try a different paint.

 

[Fishbust]

Slimed...

It is hard to go by what brand of paint works for others. You can be in the same general area but get growth of one type or another that someone else may not get just by being farther up a creek or river in more stagnent water.

The most effective paint I have used and I have used them all over the years (not all brands of course but all types) is the VC Offshore with Teflon. It also has the lowest coefficient for drag with means more speed and less gas. At $200 per gallon but having to paint only every third year, anyone can do the math for themselves.

Back to you slime problem, 4 knots is a lot to lose, I don't even want to know how much fuel you were burning. I tried to do some reading on the cayenne pepper thing, have to weed through a lot of southerners trying to apply for a patent for the great idea everyone thinks they though of, so they can sue the company who winds up putting it in their paint at the factory and cash in......

Anyway, back to your situation again, it seems everyone who uses it says it works and it seems a best-guess estimate on the recipe is 4 ounces of cayenne pepper to a gallon of paint.

I think I would also just put some Biolux additive in with my paint if I was having a problem like yours. A 4 knot loss for marine growth is too much money for gas trying to push the boat. I use the VC Offshore for my hull but this paint is not compatible on aluminum and I use the Biolux for my aluminum outboard bracket. I can tell you it works.

As others have advised........it is best to use your boat regularly.

 

[tonyzfishin]

MakoMike wrote:
Actually I read some paint tests two years ago that said the west marine brand ablative is one of the best on the market and the cheapest!
I agree too, did the bottom about two years ago and it held up pretty well only had to do some touch-up's this year and last, beeing that my canal is fresh water feed i dont have a barnacle problem only some green slime that i get when the water heats up in the late summer........

 

[MakoMike]

I've been using the weat marine stuff since I had the bottom soda blasted and it holds up as good asw anything else that I've seen and better than many of the more expensive brands.