| Boats with fouled bottoms can use as much as | | | | next coating will adhere well. |
| 10% more fuel. This means that now, more than | | | | 3. The boat bottom color will darken as the |
| ever, you need to employ the technology that | | | | copper oxidizes, turning a dark brown/gray. |
| racing sailboats have been using for years: | | | | Cost may not be a major factor. A 20- to 30-ft. |
| antifouling, non-stick, copper/Teflon boat bottom | | | | boat can be coated for under $100 in materials. |
| paint. These easy-to-apply bottom paints, or | | | | Not a bad price to pay for a 10% savings in fuel |
| bottom coatings, can save every boat owner | | | | costs. |
| money. | | | | Protecting your boat bottom from growths also |
| How non-stick, racing-type boat bottom paints | | | | helps maintain the value of your boat. In years |
| work: | | | | gone by, ship hulls allowed for rusting to wear |
| 1. To produce smooth hulls, racing-type boat | | | | away 2/3 of the steel over the life of the ship. |
| bottom paints use the same molecule contained in | | | | But today, with urethane Teflon-type bottom |
| non-stick cookware, the largest molecule known, | | | | coatings, ships can go 11 or 12 years without |
| with a drag coefficient smoother than ice. | | | | recoating or loss of steel thickness. In the 70s, |
| 2. Copper is often embedded in these fast | | | | the U.S. Navy tested these non-stick coatings on |
| Teflon-type coatings, causing barnacles, zebra | | | | five ships and were impressed that residual |
| mussels, algae, and other water growths to | | | | growths that had not come off after speeds of |
| reject them and seldom attach themselves to | | | | 10 to 15 knots were reached could be removed |
| your bottom. | | | | with simple pressure washing. This eliminated |
| 3. These coatings slough off like a bar of soap, | | | | grinding and the associated hull wear. |
| taking growth away with them as water passes | | | | For more information on these types of coatings, |
| over the hull, keeping the boat bottoms smooth. | | | | visit |
| A few negative aspects to using non-stick, | | | | |
| racing-boat bottom coatings: | | | | . Charts are provided which will allow you to |
| 1. The boat bottom requires recoating every few | | | | identify the amount of material required for your |
| years as the finish wears away. | | | | boat. |
| 2. Sanding is needed every few years so the | | | | |