Bottom Paint
 

Anyone ever use Blue Water bottom paint? It's rated very high and has more copper than Interlux and Petit.
Just wondering how it holds up in new England waters.

I used it the last three season, worked very well. Bought the stuff over the web and it was cheaper than the worst marine crap.

Thx which one did you use? Where did you buy it.

Off topic but I wonder if you couldn't buy some milled copper dust from a machinist and add it to bottom Paint to make it more effective.
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I don't recall where I bought it, but I used the one with the highest cuprous oxide content.

I think the active ingredient is cuprous oxide not pure copper you have to oxidize it somehow to get that red power. 4 Cu + O2 → 2 Cu2O
I am not sure how they make it commercially but I know it is not copper flakes.

Pick the heaviest can... that usually works the best. ;)

Avoid the e-paint, it wears off quickly on the waterline and does not work that well below the surface.

My old man uses the Blue Water paint on one of his towboats, which is an aluminum hull inflatable. Of course the variety we use on this boat is aluminum compatible, but it's always held up really well, and all four of our towboats are in from April to November 31, so you could say they're seeing a full season's use.

As far as adding copper, the active ingredient in copper-based paints is actually cuprous oxide, which to copper is the equivalent of rust on iron, or ferrous oxide. Most single season paints have anywhere from 20% to 30% cuprous oxide, with some multi-season paints sporting 35% to 45%. Pettit Trinidad has 60%, but it carries a price tag to show it. Obviously the higher the cuprous oxide the better the paint, but you can count on paying a higher price, especially if a secondary biocide like irgarol is included, which essentially increases effectiveness.

IIRC The Bluewater paint I used was 60% cuprous oxide.

Just got the bill for a gallon of Micron CSC..... Dayem! Wish I could increase my prices like that over a three year period. I have only needed to touch it up with a quart can over the past two seasons. Anything over two bills a gallon should have gold in it......

It's not really that bad when you amortize it over 3 years. And...it actually works.