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Best non toxic anti-fouling for PNW?

• Thread starter adamv
• Start date Monday at 9:53 PM
• Tags anti-fouling painting
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

my boat is in water year round in the pacific north west and needs new AF - i was going to go with the boat yards recommendation of 3 layers of Micron CSC,... that was until i looked up how these products work (through toxicity, and with a long half life). I just cant justify putting stuff into the water that will clearly be laughably illegal in years to come. So im looking for less lethal alternatives. I read about Silicone based products, Auqaguard, VS721 and others but its hard to understand which will last closest to the toxic types and whether there are now yet better products on the market.  

Don S/V ILLusion

Ever consider the irony of the aversion to using copper based bottom paint because it’s “toxic” while drinking water out of copper pipes?  

Don S/V ILLusion said: Ever consider the irony of the aversion to using copper based bottom paint because it’s “toxic” while drinking water out of copper pipes? Click to expand

Hayden Watson

It is certainly not coper free, but I get 8-years out of my Trinidad Pro. I hauled out and painted in 2005, 2013 & 2021. I have never had anything but soft growth on the fiberglass hull. I pull to paint when the keel starts holding on to hard growth.  

Charles Erwin

Your personal goal is evidently twofold: Paint that is safe and paint that works. You can have paint that fits in one category, but you cannot have paint that fits in both. Consider reading the Washington Department of Ecology November 2023 (3rd) report.  

Charles Erwin said: Your personal goal is evidently twofold: Paint that is safe and paint that works. You can have paint that fits in one category, but you cannot have paint that fits in both. Consider reading the Washington Department of Ecology November 2023 (3rd) report. Click to expand

adamv said: What irony? AFAIK all minerals have the potential to kill any life if used in sufficcent ways and quantities. Cuperous oxide is specifically used as a biocide, AF paints are also designed to leach from the boat. Knowing this, would anyone eat muscles that live near CO covered boats? I used to dive down to clean my boat - my mouth was in that blue cloud. Dont think i'll be doing that after reading up about these paints Click to expand

"Non-toxic" basically means "useless" when talking about antifouling paint. However, even the most "toxic" and expensive antifouling failed to do the job reliably. I could buy my antifouling paint outside the US, so it wasn't limited by those rules, yet it really didn't matter. I never found an antifouling paint that did what it was supposed to do, for more than 6 months, so I ended up buying the cheapest bottom paint I could find. After that it was necessary to scrub the bottom monthly, by hand. I bought a "deck snorkel" from Sea Breathe and it saved me thousands of dollars over the years.  

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

adamv said: Auqaguard Click to expand

“If you’re doing something then you’re less a party to the problem.” Is a statement often heard. I wonder what the government’s military ships are doing about the bottoms of the boats. I sail past the USCG ships on my way to the sound, they all use a red ablative paint. Suspect they use a questionable composition, as the shipyards where they paint the ship have all the workers in protective hazmat suits with personal breathing systems.  

jssailem said: Suspect they use a questionable composition, as the shipyards where they paint the ship have all the workers in protective hazmat suits with personal breathing systems. Click to expand

On my last paint job, I sanded down the full previous coat and most of the one before that. I used my 6"ø Dewalt sander with a three-stage filter. [ cyclonic, water, paper ] I used the four sheets of 80-grit Abranet and ended up with 30-lbs of dust in the cyclonic plus whatever was in the water filter, and none got to the paper element. I used one N95 dust mask which was still white when I got done except for the fingerprints I put on the surface when I took it off. I was also wearing a white Tee shirt and it was still completely white except for a place on one shoulder where I brushed up against the hull. I was really amazed at how well the vacuum system worked with the Mirka Abranet paper and how long it stayed sharp and cutting.  

Hayden Watson said: On my last paint job, I sanded down the full previous coat and most of the one before that. I used my 6"ø Dewalt sander with a three-stage filter. [ cyclonic, water, paper ] I used the four sheets of 80-grit Abranet and ended up with 30-lbs of dust in the cyclonic plus whatever was in the water filter, and none got to the paper element. I used one N95 dust mask which was still white when I got done except for the fingerprints I put on the surface when I took it off. I was also wearing a white Tee shirt and it was still completely white except for a place on one shoulder where I brushed up against the hull. I was really amazed at how well the vacuum system worked with the Mirka Abranet paper and how long it stayed sharp and cutting. Click to expand

Davidasailor26

adamv said: data sheets for all the paints ive looked at are pretty clear they are harmful to life Click to expand

adamv said: Would i be correct in guessing the non toxic ones are best suited to small boats or ones that are regularly hauled and so can be recoated? Click to expand

adamv said: . If it was just organic copper that was steadily washing off i wouldnt be too concerned but the data sheets for all the paints ive looked at are pretty clear they are harmful to life Click to expand

Would i be correct in guessing the non toxic ones are best suited to small boats or ones that are regularly hauled and so can be recoated? Click to expand

Don S/V ILLusion said: What “non-toxic” paint? Click to expand

adamv said: This was one of the ones i found: https://auroramarine.ca/vs721-bottom-coat.html The text implies its only good for one season- of course if you could get 2 seasons or more out of these kind of alternatives then they start to become attractive. Click to expand

Davidasailor26 said: From the MSDS and other forum posts it looks like that’s some kind of wax. If you try it do report back on how it works. Click to expand

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