Using the right bottom paint makes a difference.
Every year, people in the U.S. spend millions on the look of their boats above the waterline but, according to Don Casey, one of the boating experts for the Boat Owners Association of the U.S., "the paint that protects the underwater portion of their boat's hull is scarcely given any thought." The kind of paint you use may protect more than your boat's hull.
Anything but Children's Watercolors
A paint that's appropriate for a steel or aluminum hull, like a two-part marine epoxy paint for use in international service, is very expensive overkill if your boat is a wooden lapstrake boat that you built from scrap lumber over the course of the winter, but it would work. So would a water-based alkyd house paint. You might think not because the paint's water-based, but it lasts for 10 years or more on the exterior of a house.
The Way It Works
If you paint your boat, the paint becomes the boat's outer skin, the barrier between your boat and the outside world. No matter what type of paint you use, the paint has a thinner -- whether it's turpentine or water -- and a binder that forms the "layer" part of a paint job. Most paints contain a pigment that adds color to the paint and additives, like those that make the paint flow more easily to prevent brush strokes in the finished work.
A Little More on Additives
If you sail in salt water and if you leave the boat in the water most of the time, the boat's bottom is part of the marine habitat. It will become the home to pestiferous creatures like the barnacle. The barnacle is a cousin to the lobster but not one that you'd want for dinner. The barnacle glues itself to your hull, increasing drag and making you waste fuel. Certain algae also fasten themselves to your hull, with the same effects. Bottom paint, with a special additive, keeps them away.
Fresh Water and Aquatic Pests
Waterborne pests aren't limited to salt water. Invasive species like the zebra mussel infest freshwater lakes and estuaries across the United States, destroying fish stocks and killing off the natural plant life in these aquatic ecosystems, leaving bodies of water devoid of all life. Other invasive aquatic species can foul outboard motors or, by changing the murkiness of the water along a shore line, lead to outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases.
Bottom Paint
Bottom paint contains copper or cuprous oxide, a chemically altered form of copper. There are two types of bottom paint that prevent aquatic growth. In one the copper dissolves out of the paint to create a chemical barrier around the hull. In the other, the paint wears away during normal boating activities, exposing the copper to create the chemical barrier.
Related posts
When you decide to paint your bedroom, you may not have any idea on choose the right colors. You don't want to simply pick your favorite color because it may not match or look right once you put t...
Maintain your fiberglass boat.Fiberglass boats are popular among fishermen and recreational boaters alike. Over time, air and salt water exposure causes the glossy finish on fiberglass boats to we...
Some door frames should be painted with high-gloss paint.Whether you choose to paint a door frame in high-gloss or semi-gloss paint is partly a matter of preference. Both sheens are washable and c...
When choosing a non-yellowing paint, choose water based over oil based.White paint provides a fresh, clean look where it is applied and transforms both rooms and furniture. To prevent white paint...
The most important aspect of painting an aluminum porch is preparation and priming. Good preparation and priming will create a surface to which the paint will adhere. Additionally, good preparatio...
