Bottom Paint is faded after 2 seasons of boating

[Mikezowie]

Has anyone reviewed how long a bottom paint should last when boating in fresh water? I painted my bottom of our 22ft Starcraft with SeaHawk -Mission Bay Blue paint in July 2018. Used the boat in August for 10 days in fresh water. Next spring 2019 the color started to look faded. I took photos and showed the Paint can and the original color. Used the boat 2 times July and August 2019 and the color looked even more faded. This May 2020 I photographed my boat again and can't understand why it is now very very faded when viewed next to the Original SeaHawk Mission Bay paint can. The SeaHawk company said it was just the nature of the PH in the water! Their web site shows they last 30% Longer that Interlux brand paint. So why fade in a very short time span and the boat not left in the water more then 2 times for 2 weeks? See My photo examples. Anyone have experience like this. Was It a bad batch of paint? Anyone please? PS- 8-2018 I did a Pirate Boat wrap.

 

[roscoe]

I'm no expert on bottom paint, in fact I've only applied it one, but know plenty of people that use it.

Maybe I'm a bit ignorant, so I have to ask:

1st, why are you using bottom paint on a trailer boat, and one that gets so little use, and in freshwater?

2nd, did you use the proper primer?

3rd, how many coats of paint did you put on?

4th, did you expect bottom paint to hold up like a polyurethane or enamel paint job?

 

[Scott Danforth]

bottom paint is there to protect the boat, not look pretty. if its ablative paint, it should be flaking off as well.

 

[Chris1956]

The blue antifouling paint I use turns light green after a while in saltwater. However, it keeps the barnacles off, which is all I care about. As Scott says, A-F paint is not supposed to look good.

You can get a hard gloss antifouling paint, which has a shine. I do not know if they make it for aluminum hulls, though.

You want something to look at, but not protect against marine growth, use a polyurethane paint.

 

[shrew]

Bottom paint is to prevent marine growth (slime, barnacles, etc). It is not cosmetic. The area exposed to UV has faded, the portion underwater has not faded. This is pretty normal. Some paints require yearly coats. some are multi-year applications. Some require that they be reactivated after each haul.

Ablative paints scour layers like a bar of soap and are better for planing boats. Non-planing boats will use a hard paint which will need to be removed when teh layers build up too thick over multiple re-coatings.

Paint should NEVER flake. That is indicative or an improperly prepared hull prior to application.