Coppercoat

[barrybrown]

Coppercoat was represented at the Newport show this fall, I haven't heard much about it in recent years but recall that it had disappointing results when it first came out. They claim to have greatly improved it by switching to a water based epoxy. I will be redoing the bottom this spring and the thought of putting on a product that will last for 10 years is tempting. I observed a copper grounding plate on my last boat collect large amounts of soft fouling, up to 2" thick, the thought of having to clean the whole hull of that sort of growth a couple of times a year is a concern.
Has anyone had any recent experience with Coppercoat or any opinions about it? Even experience with the old formulation would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Barry

[Case]

I'm not sure if you can get a good Coppercoat nowadays. Due to EPA laws, copper content has been lowered.

I did read from cruisers that the old style Coppercoat used during the 1970s and 1980s worked damn well. Those same cruisers complained about Coppercoat recently...

The old style formulas are still available but not in the US, from my understanding.

- Case

[Al]

I read the British sailings magazines and the editor of one of them (I forget whether it is Practical Boat Owner or Yachting Monthly) used CopperCoat on her own boat. She reported that it needed a bit of touch up at nine years and failed at 11 years. She had photos to prove it. There is no reason to believe that the copper content in the US version is lower since this is not an ablative coating; the copper stays locked in the epoxy matrix.

[barrybrown]

I'm not sure if you can get a good Coppercoat nowadays. Due to EPA laws, copper content has been lowered.

Reading the website for Coppercoat USA and the one in England both show the same amount of copper per liter. My memory could be faulty but I remember some disappointment in the early version.

She reported that it needed a bit of touch up at nine years and failed at 11 years. She had photos to prove it.

Al, do you recall what failure looked like, was there no more or very little of the product left on the hull or had it just stopped working?

Thanks,
Barry

[Case]

I have to hasten that all of my info is hearsay - comments from cruisers who spent time in the Pacific and the Caribbean.

One thing that I have noticed about antifouling paints - any types... success seems to vary greatly. For example, Pettit Hydrocoat which is a water based ablative antifouling paint... I have had good success with it. Others hated it totally...

However, I have to say this about copper contents - I do think they are less now than in the past due to EPA regulations. Its possible that I am wrong on this, though.

- Case

[Al]

Barry:

She reported that there were a few relatively small spots of hard growth on the hull, so apparently it simply stopped working and she touched it up. At year 11, or so, it was pretty clear that it had lost its effectiveness generally. CopperCoat, like many other antifouling paints, does not contain an anti-slime agent, so you do need to dive and clean it periodically or power wash when your boat is hauled.

Al

[barrybrown]

At the end of my second season with CopperCoat I want to update my experience with it, after the first season I had a lot of barnacles and heavy soft fouling.
For some reason I had been led to believe that sanding the coating before launching was not essential, that was my mistake.
This year I sanded with 150 grit before launching and have zero barnacles and only a light coating of slime.
I bought a 'hookah' rig for my tank and cleaned the bottom of slime, it was a little clumsy the first time but I suspect that with a little experience and better technique
it will be a fairly easy task.
If CopperCoat performs this well for the next 8 or 9 years it will have been worth the expense and effort.

Barry

[Peter]

I too am contemplating a copper bottom paint on my latest project, now that she's down to bare gelcoat.
It just doesn't seem right to use ablative paint anymore, to me, anyway.

I've contacted C-Guard in the UK and find them very helpful. Also, their product (water-based epoxy) only requires two coats. I'll need 3 kits, and they'll ship direct to me via FedEx. They don't charge VAT to out of country orders, which lowers the price to £60 per kit.

[Skipper599]

Peter,
A few questions if you will:
How did you contact C-Guard ... did you phone them or did you have an e-mail address?
What made you choose their product and why?
Have you had previous experience with that product or know someone who has?
How does one determine the quantity of bottom paint required for various types of boats?
I've heard tell it is Length X Beam X .85 ... but would those dimensions be for the full size boat or waterline only?

[barrybrown]

Peter,

I looked at C-Guard and Verometal as well as Coppercoat before doing my boat, I couldn't find much or any independent information on any of them
so I went with Coppercoat only because I had known about it for years and had only discovered the other two while attempting to get information
on Coppercoat.
I agree with you, if the boat has a clean bottom there is little to lose by trying one of the copper coatings.
I hope you will post your experiences with C-Guard both with the application process as well as updates on its performance.
Barry