Hello Warm Water Cruisers,
I am in Costa Rica and will be entering the canal zone in a couple
of weeks.  Meanwhile my bottom paint applied in Newport Calif in Oct/07
is doing miserably.  I will probably get the bottom in Panama or
Cartegena before I leave the area.  I had convinced myself that a hard
bottom paint was the way to go since I'm having to clean the bottom
every month.  With the ablative I just see mucho dollars going up in a
cloud.  I guess the argument could be that if the ablative had enough
copper/tin additives the scrubbing wouldn't need to take place.  Well we
aren't on the move all the time so the self polishing lags a bit when we
are "smelling the roses" for a month or two at a time.
Curious as to what is the common practice where high content
biocides are available?  Hard or soft?  I was told by Shelter Bay Marina
that they have a very hard ablative with all the additives. Is this a
good compromise.
The next potential haul out will be in a year, probably stateside.

Thanks,
Les Dobbe
"Voyager"
Cocos, Costa Rica

My research on this subject has led me to specify Jotun SeaQuantum Ultra for
my next repaint: http://tinyurl.com/44w5jg

Thorstein Midttun
NORNA

Les,

Before leaving on FUBAR I had Driscolls in Shelter Island repaint the
bottom.  I asked them to use Petit Trinidad SR but they said Seahawk
Sharkskin was a much better paint at 1/2 the cost.  Since you put ablative
paint on, you may have other issues to deal with, but I would recommend you
consider Sharkskin.  Good luck!  Scott