Fouling and Lightening

[Ron Burgundy]

From what you describe it sounds like primer wasn't used. The paint is about the thickness of an egg shell when it flakes off.

Here are a few pics of what I am dealing with. What does it look like to you?










More stains. The color of the stains is a bluish/green on the anti-fouling paint.

[badmoonrising]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that green = copper paint was used. The white is your aluminum hull getting eaten away by the combination of copper and seawater. Essentially your pontoon logs have become a battery where the aluminum is being sacrificed to the copper.

Do yourself a favor and get that paint off ...yesterday. I'd find who painted it with copper paint and kick their ass with a pillow case full of soap bars.

It wasn't Gregf was it ?

[GregF]

Before you go nuts, be sure that is the black anti-fouling paint everyone uses and not something with copper in it.

I only see the green on one picture, is that something else?

[badmoonrising]

Ok since Greg is going to try to argue here again, here's some pics of a pontoon painted with copper paint and the resulting damage. This was a Starcraft in our marina a few years back. Some dumbass tech put Micron CSC on it. One season later, this is what it looked like. This is in a body of water with just a little salt. Our marina had to pay to repair the boat. My photos and advice got the guy's boat fixed after our marina claimed they had done "everything by the book".


Copper and saltwater create a green powdery crust. You'll notice more green above the waterline as the corrosion is exposed to air. When you take your boat out of the water, those white crusts will also turn green.

The paint "everyone" uses on fiberglass contains copper. Paint made for aluminum boats has no copper.



Look familiar ?.... white powder with a green tinge.

For more advice, you can read up at http://www.yachtpaint.com/. When this happened, my photos were sent to a specialist at Interlux who concurred the wrong paint was used. Send them your photos and they will verify everything I am saying here.

[Ron Burgundy]

Am I totally screwed, or will it be okay with new paint?

[Ron Burgundy]

On my way to work at 3:00am in between cold sweats, nausea, and uncontrolled shaking I called my local marina and left a voicemail asking what they charge to remove the copper paint from my pontoon's and repaint with the correct type. Can the paint be removed with a chemical striper, or is blasting the only way to go?

I am that there is only superficial pock marks that will be covered with the new paint.

I am also trying to think of some new names for my boat. Here are a few -

Florida's Largest Floating Battery
The Copper Top
The Energizer Bunny
If You Are the Guy Who Painted This Boat Please Come With Me For A Ride (that probably won't fit)

[badmoonrising]

Am I totally screwed, or will it be okay with new paint?

As long as it's just surface pitting, you should be fine with new primer and paint. If it's deeper than that it's a problem. Pontoons logs are alot thinner than most people think.

[badmoonrising]

On my way to work at 3:00am in between cold sweats, nausea, and uncontrolled shaking I called my local marina and left a voicemail asking what they charge to remove the copper paint from my pontoon's and repaint with the correct type. Can the paint be removed with a chemical striper, or is blasting the only way to go?

I am that there is only superficial pock marks that will be covered with the new paint.

I am also trying to think of some new names for my boat. Here are a few -

Florida's Largest Floating Battery
The Copper Top
The Energizer Bunny
If You Are the Guy Who Painted This Boat Please Come With Me For A Ride (that probably won't fit)

As long as you caught it before those pits became holes, consider yourself lucky.

[jrolin1]

I am also trying to think of some new names for my boat. Here are a few -

Florida's Largest Floating Battery
The Copper Top
The Energizer Bunny
If You Are the Guy Who Painted This Boat Please Come With Me For A Ride (that probably won't fit)

Great sense of humor! I hope your boat is ok. Who applied the paint? I would be talking to them!

[Ron Burgundy]

I wish I knew who put on the paint. I am the third owner. I am considering contacting the guy I purchased it from, but ultimately it falls on me. Buyer beware. I have been doing a little research online, and there are a lot of stories similar to mine. Hard to believe that someone couldn't read the large print on the paint can.

I am trying to keep my sense of humor. I think I will be okay because from what I have looked at, and felt it seems that there is not any damage to the hull. It feels smooth underneath the chips.

I will probably stick with the name I have been planning on because this definately requires some "Anchor Management"

[GregF]

I just suggested having a chip of the paint checked out before you lose your mind about this. That is all I said. Moon just wants to pick a fight with me every chance he gets.

There is a lot of stuff that turns green here, having nothing to do with copper.

[badmoonrising]

Moon just wants to pick a fight with me every chance he gets.

That's not exactly accurate either. You called me out several times, I responded. You should blame yourself for getting into debates you can't win. Start backing up your side with real data and not bullshit like stainless is harmful to aluminum and you won't embarrass yourself further.

This thread is an example. I backed up my side with years of experience, photos of another boat with the same damage and advised a stripping and repainting.

Your contribution to the thread was to disagree just to disagree and say everything in Florida turns green. Never mind it's the same damn color and symptoms as copper electrolysis and that white powder you've mentioned 1000 times here.

I hate to see boats damaged by morons that can't read a can of paint that says not to be used on aluminum. He can listen to you and have his boat sink in a season or two, or listen to me and get it fixed right.

His choice.

[GregF]

It is just that the boat in your picture had huge holes in the paint in a year of fresh to brackish water (only in for a summer?) and I believe Ron said he thought this paint was 3 years old in salt water with nothing but a few spots that look like barnacles to me.

Getting an opinion from someone who can actually look at the paint and the spots seems prudent before you panic.

[Ron Burgundy]

I spoke with my local marina on the way home from work, and think I came up with the best solution for the situation. One of their services is to powerwash and scrape off barnacles for $120. I need to do this anyway so when the boat it up on a forklift both myself, and the expert can get a good look at the paint and hull. If it is the wrong copper based paint they also do full service bottom painting. The cost will be $840 ($42/foot) which includes striping the old paint, new primer, new paint, and a pressure test to make sure no holes have developed. If indeed there is a small hole they are equipped to weld a patch if need be.

Just to be clear I don't know exactly how old the paint is. The previous owner did use the boat in the Gulf, but it didn't live (or die as may be the case now) in a wetslip. He trailerd the boat and only kept it at a dock for limited time. I bought the boat in September of 2010 and it has been in the water since then, about six months.

Also, the bluish/green wraps aroung the entire boat half way up the logs where the antifouling paint ends and the unpainted toons begin.

Thank both very much for your insights. I am not in panic mode, but I definately don't want to wasted time if a problem exists. My marina is accessible by water. It's about 7 miles from my house. I would of gone today, but we are getting hit by some pretty heavy thunderstorms.

That's some damn irony right there. I started this post with a jackass question about lightning and now that is precisely what is keeping me from the marina. Spooky

[GregF]

This front will be gone Wednesday and you can find out what is going on.

Good Luck