Pettit Trinadad SR Hard Bottom Paint

Hello,

Does anyone have a comment about Pettitt Trinada SR Hard Bottom Paint, and a good source for this?


Larry
s/v Galileo

Hi Larry:
Petit Trinidad Bottom Paint is fantastic! It is also very expensive, but it will last many seasons and it is non ablative so it is not wearing off and into the water. On the contrary, it does build up so that’s the price of non ablative. We have used Petit Trinidad since 2001 and several years we stayed in the water and then in June did a short haul and power wash and went right back in; the bottom came out and looked like we had just painted it. We could have easily gone 3 years with no problems. Petit states that, when the boat is hauled and on land for over 1 month, that it will need to be repainted. I have always followed this guideline, BUT, this year, I am thinking of an experiment. I plan to NOT paint, after being in the yard all winter, and then in the spring, hire the yard to simply scuff the existing paint with a sander and launch me. I have plenty of paint, I will simply need to activate the copper or sand off the oxidation that they say happens to the copper when in the yard over a month. Worst case, I have to hire divers over the season, or haul and paint. But this will be my test in the season of 2010 to see if the paint will really work or not work after being in the yard all winter.

Her is a photo of the bottom after a full season of Maryland to Maine, 1500+ miles, no diver all season, and this is what it looks like after a power wash. No flakes, no bare spots, it always looks like this after haul out.
Hayden image missing http://ipyoa.com/images/fbfiles/images/IMG_3605.JPG

Larry:

If you are hauling out each winter then I would go with a good ablative. If I was going to keep the boat in the water I would go with a good hard paint for multi-season coverage.

Bobby

Hello again,

Well, prepped the bottom down to its original hard-bottom paint and applied two coats of Pettit Trinad SR. Moved the stands last week and have so far placed one coat on those patches. Will place second coat on those patches next week after storm passes by east-coast.

The thing I noticed about this paint versus previously used soft-bottom paints on two boats now over 23 years is that it applies a lot easier in that its consistency seems to be thinner than soft-bottom paints. Will be able to cover our IP-37 with 1 1/2 gallons when finished.

It may be more costly initially, but it may balance out in long run with less paint needed and ease of application (helps my old back and arms).

I am impressed and it wasn't significantly more costly.


Gerry & Larry Rossi

Hayden,

How did your bottom paint experiment go this Spring?


Gerry & Larry Rossi
Galileo

Gerry & Larry:
I am in the water, with only one quart applied as a science project. The one quart did both sides one foot down from the waterline. Then I sanded the entire starboard side and rudder thinking this would expose new copper, and the port side I left untouched as a control side. So far, I cannot find any growth other then the usual slime which brushes right off. I can not tell any difference from one side to the other. So maybe this will work. A haul out will tell, but I will wait ti see if the growth gets bad, so far, it seems to be just fine! I will let you know as I discover more.
Hayden