Practical Sailorvideo
Which Bottom Paint Do I Choose??
4 July 2026 · 12 min · 11K views
What this video covers
Choosing the right bottom paint depends on three factors: where the boat lives, how it's used, and what paint is already on the hull.0:18 Anti-fouling paint is a controlled-release biocide system, not a simple coating, and mismatching it to the boat's situation produces barnacles, compatibility failures, or a buildup so thick it requires stripping.0:49
Four main categories apply to most sailboats. Ablative paints, such as Pettit Hydrocoat, wear away with movement to expose fresh biocide, reducing layer buildup over years — but they require regular use to work.2:31 Copolymer self-polishing ablatives like Interlux Micron CSC wear more consistently and suit most fiberglass cruising boats that live in the water.3:51 Hard modified epoxy paints like Pettit Trinidad or Interlux Ultra Coat tolerate diver scrubbing but accumulate year over year.4:55 Hybrid paints like Pettit Vivid split the difference.5:52 Racing and thin-film paints like Pettit Black Widow suit performance-focused boats; copper-free options like Total Boat Krypton are required near aluminum hulls, sail drives, or outdrives, where copper-based paint causes galvanic corrosion.7:37
Before selecting any paint, identifying the existing hull coating is the critical first step — incompatible layers peel regardless of paint quality.8:42 Surface preparation, not paint brand, determines whether the system holds.9:34
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