[C320-list] Bottom Paint

[Jeffrey Kapec]

  I have used the water base Pettit Hydrocoat successfully 
for the last four years.  I get two years per season.  it is 
ablative so by the 2nd year it showing its age.  Have slime 
but no barnacles  at the end of the 2nd season.  It is easy 
to apply, does not smell as horrible as the other more 
potent solvent based paints and very easy to clean 
equipment.  I bonded the first coat of bottom paint onto the 
barrier coat whne I did that 4 years ago.  I have no flaking 
or chipping.  Paint surface is very smooth, fast.

See if you can get your hands on the real time non-biased in 
water evaluations performed by "Practical Sailor" magazine.  
If you are not familiar they are akin to the Consumer 
Reports for sailing gear and other practical hardware and 
safety stuff.  They have looked at which bottom paints 
perform well in different environments in 6-12 and 24 month 
intervals.  Bottom paints in Flor4ida for example perform 
different in northern waters like Long Island Sound where 
Petite Suite sails.

Jeff Kapec
Petite Suite 718