My experience with Vivid has been different and I don’t know why. I had the bottom stripped a few years ago, barrier coated and then rolled with 3/8” using Vivid white. I found it so difficult to burnish using the procedure they gave, I decided not to do the whole hull that way. It is relatively smooth, but nothing like the Black Widow hulls I have seen. My problem is that while it seems like a hard paint when out of the water, it is extremely soft in the water. The only thing I can clean it with and not strip all the paint off is a soft microfiber mitt or cloth. When I complained to Pettit about the clouds of white when I used a slightly more vigorous brush, they said I should use a microfiber cloth, so they seem to know it is soft even thought they advertise it as hard. Even with a soft microfiber cloth, there is a cloud of white in the water just from wiping it down. I have read of others on various sites that have had the same experience (but not everyone). I have bare spots every Fall and need to repaint large areas each spring. On the other hand, it has done a good job at preventing growth (except slime which I have not seen anything prevent) and I love the white because I can so easily see what is growing. I plan to change paints when I run out of the Vivid I bought last year, but not sure what I will use. Waiting to here more about the Magic stuff. Dave S/V Aries 1990 C&C 34+ New London, CT
> On Jan 9, 2021, at 2:15 PM, Charlie Nelson via CnC-List > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Thanks to all who replied with their experiences with bottom painting--much > food for thought! > > Some info not previously supplied: > > Yes, Petit Vivd is a hard ablative (although some articles classify it as > hard--see Practical Sailor for instance)--in fact I went to it from VC-17 > primarily because the VC-17 did a poor job locally (IMHO) on keeping the > barnacles at bay--or at least that was my impression. > > Thus I changed to Petit Vivid as several others in the Neuse River/Pamlico > Sound of NC claimed that it was a good paint for the local brackish waters. > > I did have it sprayed on, not rolled, for many years until the paint build up > was such that the hull needed taken down to the gel coat and then properly > barrier coated about 3 summers ago. Although an ablative, large sections of > the hull were flaking the layers of paint such that it was clear that > ablative or not, an entirely new bottom was needed. After about 20 years of > being in the water in NC, it also seemed about time to bite this bullet. > > Having seen info about Petite Black Widow, I decided to have that applied via > spraying. Between the yard's unfamiliarity with that paint and the local > waters, the paint job was uneven and the barnacles were heavy in places > within 6-8 months of the paint job per my diver such that it was clear that > the application/paint had failed. The guy who has done much work on my boat > and who I believe to be truthful admitted to me that he was certain that he > never got the Black Widow properly diluted for the spray application or > didn't spray enough coats and, seeing the result, was convinced even more > that he never got enough layers of paint on the hull. Since it was new to the > entire yard, mine was the first application of it--not a good place to be! > > After this expensive FAIL, I decided to go with a rolled application of > Petite Vivid (it had been sprayed on previously) in order to save some yard > labor/fees. They used a short nap roller but I don't think it was tipped. > > Absent Covid, Water Phantom was due for new paint last summer but since there > was no racing I decided not to have it done. Now the barnacle build-up per my > diver is such that I need to repaint. (BTW, since I club race, my boat > bottom is scrubbed via a diver before every race and no less than monthly > whether I am racing or not). > > The comments about the ablative characteristic of Petite Vivid raise some > interesting questions however, especially about repainting it: > > After it is applied/rolled on and then sanded smooth, I assume that it > would stay pretty smooth as it ablates, especially as it ablates and is wiped > down by a diver regularly. Mostly true? > > If so, the next application would just need rolled/tipped and sanded to > remove the roller impressions from this reapplication. Mostly true? > > Regarding going to a hard paint, say Baltoplate as Dennis uses, I would > need to completely remove the current paint (Vivid) and then apply the paint, > either by spray or roll and tip if I understand the process. If so, this is > likely outside my budget. Continuing with the Vivid would allow an > application on top of it--not so with adding a hard to an ablative. > > Going to Trinidad might also be an option but its a hard paint so it > would also be outside my budget, as with Baltoplate. > > Thanks again for everyone's input. > > Charlie Nelson > 1995 C&C 36 XL/kcb > Water Phantom > > > > > > Thanks to all of the subscribers that contributed to the list to help with > the costs involved. If you want to show your support to the list - use > PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks - Stu
Thanks to all of the subscribers that contributed to the list to help with the costs involved. If you want to show your support to the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks - Stu
