Ugh - bottom paint problem

[Brodie]

I painted the bottom of the boat today....Interlux Bottomkote ACT as usual. Brought the can to West Marine yesterday afternoon to have them shake it up. Today we pour out the paint, start painting, and notice the paint is much thinner than normal. Well, either they didn't shake it at all, or they didn't shake it nearly long enough. When we went back for more paint what was at the bottom of the can was like paste - barely even brushable. So now I'm worried that what we put on is not thick enough, particularly since it is an ablative. I usually only put one coat a year, and I really don't want to do another coat (and buy another can of paint!).....boat is in the water for 4 months in RI and is used regularly. Do you think I'll be OK or should I bite the bullet and do another coat? Or can I thin out the thick goopy stuff that's left and use that?

[sscoll]

My guess is that it'll be okay for the four months you plan to have it in. In future stir the paint yourself as you begin, and also stir while you use it. It settles that fast. Go sailing, enjoy it. Anyone else?

[sscoll]

You didn't get any of the copper on, rather just the vehicle its suspended in. But you already knew that. That's a very pretty boat design.

[Hirilondë]

Micron Extra, which I use, unlike some bottom paints has no exposure to air limit. I do not know if this is so for Bottomkote ACT. It means the boat can be out of the water and what ever paint is still on the boat is not deteriorating in regards to protection. Last season I didn't even paint the bottom at all. I figured that I still had plenty of paint and in my efforts to minimize build up (ok, and to save money) I chose to take a year off. It worked just fine and I kept my boat in Mill Cove in Wickford, one of the worst growth mooring areas in RI. My outboard shaft did not fair so well, but that is another story. If Bottomkote ACT is not effected by exposure to air, and you still have paint left over from previous seasons, then it is quite possible that you can just launch your boat and consider this season a learning experience about mixing bottom paint. The worst case scenario is that your bottom will be dirtier this season. If Bottomkote ACT is degraded when exposed to air, then what ever is left of your previous coats are of no value and it is best to buy another gallon and do it right.

[Figment]

West marine has a paint shaker?

[Brodie]

The West Marine near me does, or at least they used to. Maybe they don't any more, and that's why they didn't shake the darned can!

Bottomkote ACT does need to be recoated every year. Max time out of water is 60 days. I've pretty much decided that I am going to try and thin out the 1/2 can of remaining paint as much as I dare and do another coat. I figure it can't hurt. Has anyone ever thinned bottom paint before??

[Hirilondë]

I've pretty much decided that I am going to try and thin out the 1/2 can of remaining paint as much as I dare and do another coat. I figure it can't hurt. Has anyone ever thinned bottom paint before??

Paints use a vehicle which is a liquid that holds the solids and when dried or cured becomes a solid that adheres to the surface applied to. Thinners make paint thinner by diluting the vehicles. When this is done in small quantities and according to the directions of the paint company little to no compromise in the integrity of the final result occurs. When you try to replace the missing vehicle with solvent you end up spreading solids which when the solvents evaporate are now just sitting on the surface or your boat bottom and not part of a proper proportion with dried/cured vehicle. I am no chemist, but I see no good coming of this.

[Rachel]

I think I might take the can, with the remaining solids in it, to West Marine and discuss it with them. Although the solids do re-settle, would they re-settle that dramatically, that soon, if the paint had been shaken properly? If not, then I would hope they would give you a new can of paint (even if it was partially your mistake, it would be good customer service to help you out, and they might).

Rachel

[earlylight]

Good luck with West Marine. Our local West Marine does not seem to have the words "customer service" in their vocabulary. Last year I purchased bottom paint from them when they had their spring sale and took the unopened gallon can back to the store 3 weeks later when I was ready to paint and asked them to shake it for me. They refused to shake it since I no longer had the receipt. That was the last of my money they will ever see. I prefer to do business with those who appreciate their customers.

[sscoll]

Interlux ACT separates readily. Expecting it to stay in suspension is a mistake. Stirring it as you use it will assure you of an even application.

[Brodie]

I usually do stir the paint frequently as I apply it. I didn't buy this particular can at West Marine so I didn't want to push the issue with them (plus I'm a wimp when it comes to stuff like that).

I know that normally it is not good to dilute the solids in the paint too much. In this case we had essentially removed everything BUT the solids, so I figured it was worth a shot to try and reconstitute the paint with the appropriate (Interlux 216) thinner. We tried it today and it didn't take too much thinner (certainly not more than the 10% maximum limit Interlux recommends) to get the paint back to the appropriate consistency. The bottom paint now looks much more like it normally does than the first coat, which was very shiny, did. Time will tell if the experiment works. Fortunately, as I stated in my first post, the boat is only in the water 4 months, is sailed frequently, and is in RI, so even if the paint doesn't work as normal it shouldn't be too much of a problem. And I'll stand and watch them shake the darned can next year!

FWIW the West Marine near me actually has decent customer service. Granted I haven't thrown any super difficult questions at them, and I usually come in to the store having already done my homework about what I want, but they are at least friendly and willing to help. BTW this is the store in Newport.

OK, here's some boat porn from today...I finally broke down and re-cetol'ed the teak, too. Still doesn't look great, but it looks better

[Ric in Richmond]

Saturday I took a gallon of paint by Home Depot and they said sure we will shake it for you. It was 8 am and the store was not busy.

The can collapsed partly in the shaker and spit out at least a cup or two or three....

The employee was apologizing profusely. I felt bad they were going to have a mess on their hands. That stuff stinks!!! I told them it was not something you wanted to get all over you!!

We put it in a 5 gallon bucket to contain it.

I later emptied it into the bucket along with 3 quarts then cleaned each can with petit thinner and mixed everything together.

Yes you can paint 2 coats and a third layer on leading edges and wear areas on an alberg 35 with slightly less than 1.75 gallons and a little bit of thinner!!!!

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