Paints
Antifouling for Aluminum Boats
Are zinc-silicate paints good for protecting aluminum hulls?
When Achim and Erica Ginsberg-Klemmt upgraded to an aluminum sloop, they had to confront one of aluminum’s major pitfalls: copper-based bottom paints don’t like aluminum. After years of good performance from a foreign-made, expensive-to-import inorganic zinc-silicate coating called Inversalu, the couple sought an affordable option distributed in the U.S. Their research led them to a PPG Amercoat product, a hard two-part zinc-silicate paint called Dimetcote 21-5. Practical Sailor’s report covers their prep and painting experience, a look at how zonc-silicate paints works, and Dimetcote’s performance after eight months in Florida waters.
More Paints
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Bottom Paint Test Checkup
Subscribers Only — When we last reported on bottom paint, several manufacturers were introducing new copper-free paints in response to... -
Clean Bottom, Fast Bottom
— Determining how much faster a boat can sail with one paint versus another would be difficult as the prep and... -
Traction in Action: PS Tests DIY Nonskid Options
Subscribers Only — Boat owners looking to put some stick back into a slip-and-slide deck have a few options: apply a deck paint with a... -
Slippin' and Slidin
Subscribers Only — A good DIY nonskid offers effective traction (obviously) and is easy to apply, easy to clean, durable, and gentle... -
Bottom Paint Stripping
— Although we’ve tackled our share of varnish with a heat gun and scraper, we’ve never used them to strip... -
25 Paints Make it Past the 24-month Mark
Subscribers Only — In July 2009, 61 samples of antifouling paints, including several new formulas, went into the water in Sarasota,... -
Semi-Annual Antifouling Paint-Test Checkup
Subscribers Only — Practical Sailor continues its search for the best antifouling as we test a large field of bottom paints, including... -
Rating Paint Panels
Subscribers Only — The paint samples were applied to 6-foot-by-2-foot fiberglass panels for testing. Testers follow the makers’... -
Baked-on Prop Coating Still Repelling Barnacles
Subscribers Only — Last November, we began field trials of Mussel Buster, a baked-on powder coating that relies on its slick, hard... -
ebook — Gelcoat Restoration & Maintenance
