For several years, I’ve been testing a variety of high-end, ablative copolymer paints, fortified by slime-reducing chemicals. They’ve performed great, as you can see for yourself by typing “antifouling” into the search box above.
Last year, I coated my coastal boat with a moderately priced paint, Interlux Fiberglass Bottomkote NT. The NT stands for “new technology,” and it’s intended to give the superior abrasion resistance of a traditional “hard” paint while delivering the benefits of low paint buildup provided by ablative coatings.
Fiberglass Bottomkote NT dried in four hours at 50 degrees, allowing me to apply two coats in the same day. It’s compatible with other ablatives without a sanding. After a seven-month season aboard a boat docked in brackish water and used three times per week in salt water, I hauled it to discover a bottom clean of plant and shell growth, and just enough slime to be noticeable.
For its price, and for those who may also beach or trailer their boat during the season, the anti-fouling properties and durability of this paint make sense. It’s available in quart, gallon and three-gallon containers. $55/$130/$365; overtons.com
