[C320-list] Bottom Paint

[Pat Ireland]

John

You might start looking at the environmentally friendly paints and see if a
shift is appropriate.  There may be incentives available if your marina is
participating in one of the copper reduction programs.  Most of the SC
basins seem to have some sort of program, but there may no longer be
incentive money.  Even if you go back with the Proline, at least you'll be
better informed.

And you might drop your State Assembly Rep a line to express how you feel
about CA SB 623 which, if passed, will have a major impact on the AFPs
available in California.  It passed the State Senate on a straight party
vote, but is on hold in the Assembly.  The current version allows only AFP
with low level copper content and if copper contamination does not reduce
per plan, all biocide AFPs will be banned.  Read it if you have not had the
opportunity.

Prior to SB 623 the standard recommendation was to use Petit Trinidad if you
wanted a hard paint and Micron 66 if you wanted an ablative technology.
Latitude 38 had the Micron applied to their big Cat in Mexico because they
wanted 3 year performance and the paint they could get in SD would only last
2 years.  YMMV and all that.

We have the Trinidad.  It's lasted 3 years and has held up well to cleaning
and two short term haul outs.  Planning to do a new bottom job in the
spring, so I'm struggling with the same question.  Stay the course with a
paint that is working well or experiment with a green solution.  I would
likely move to Micron 66 if I was certain it would be available going
forward.  I like the ablative approach and am not looking forward to
removing layers of hard paint.  Since the future remains in question, I keep
thinking that the Trinidad may be the best alternative for this cycle.

Hope you are not put off by the long winded response and what for some is a
bit of a political slant.  Would appreciate hearing your decision when you
get to that point, as well as anything you learn in the investigation
process.

Pat, 801     Alameda, CA