Hull Paint: Alexseal or Awlgrip

Bottom Paint

Good Morning,

This off season I need to repaint the bottom of our fresh water (Lake MI) Tiara and although this thread seems to be more focused on hull/topside paints, it caught my eye. The boat (2008) currently has Awlgrip (Awlstar 502 Deep Blue) bottom paint so I was planning on using the same. However after reading this thread I have to ask if using the same is the correct answer? Were there also issues with Awlgrip bottom paint? If so is there another paint MFG 's product that would adhere to the existing bottom paint? I'd rather not spend the $ (nearly $250/Gal) on the Awlgrip paint if we're going to have problems later. At the same time if the paint is fine I don't want to run the risk of another mfg's product not adhering to the existing either.

Thoughts?

Hey Maxwell,
In your waters, there are actually no problems with the Awlstar system.
As a professional, I prefer the International systems, as they combine their many years of Commercial experience with the yachting experience, and my experience has shown that they actually have the better Anti foulings.
The Pacifica could be interesting for you, but as I normally don't work in Fresh waters, you could check with your local dealer.
It can be applied on top of the Awlstar, you only have to ensure that the leach layer (dried flaking stuff) has been removed by light sanding with 120 grit. I'm sure the Interlux dealer will want you to put a sealer/primer on first, but that's only the Salesman coming out!! ;-)
They also have Blue for ya.
Hope to have helped.

The Painter

well thats been an interesting trawl through all the posts and some very interesting opinions.
I have been using Alexseal for all my metallic work for 4 years now and have to say the system works very well and as TK-F430 has said his boat looked as good after 18 months.It is now 2 years and it still looks fantastic,I visited the boat 2 months ago !!!
I also use Awl Grip and mainly for My solid colour projects.I am very much a pure polyurethane Man and that was the reason I ended up using Alexseal as the Awl Grip SE range is designed for use with Awl Craft 2000.Now I know the 2000 has a place in the market and is very popular but for me there is nothing like a Polyurethane Paint that has been applied correctly.It looks great,It Lasts !!!!
I know semi acrylics are easier to repair but lets face it,They are easier to damage.
So why do I use Alexseal for Most metallics and Awl Grip for most solids?
Both Polyurethane systems fit with my ethos on Yacht painting and i do not have all my eggs in one basket.
There were a lot more politics in the decision to split but that is for another disscusion.
Anyhow Been great to read all the comments and see one of my paint Jobs getting so much attention and yes it was definately the reflection of the shed and not join lines.
I have painted 40 plus boats with Alexseal over the last three years and been over the moon with every one.Repairability is the same with any met system,The darker colours are easier than the light ones which is reversed for solid colours.
Great thread
Keep up the comments
Jim the Painter

Front view

Front view of TIKY on hard after painting

1962 62ft Feadship TIKY paint

Thank you. Here is an another view

Tiky

Then, in the 1980s she had a very boxy PH added. The decision as to whether or not to keep it was made for me when it turned out to be rotten as a pear.

Tiky

PH in build

The Europeans are leading the charge on a set of coating standards with ICOMIA and Joop is doing a great job. While there are other coating society's in the U.S. and in Europe ICOMIA is strictly focused on the marine sector. Between ISO and ASTM
standards they're going to find a middle ground of agreement for distinction of image gloss and what refraction measuring equipment and measurement angles are to be acceptable . How much suspended debris in the topcoat is acceptable per meter. where and IF any sags are to be permitted and the subsequent method of removing the sag IE , complete panel repaint or a cut and buff depending on the area affected. Materials used and so on. this will be good for an industry where expectations of the finished product often don't measure up to the delivered product and up front standards and contracts will save the owners and the applicators in the end.
What paint system are you referring to that's not getting much keyboard time? Could it be Jotun? Very good company known for excellent commercial marine coatings and tank coatings but are now making very big inroads to topcoat systems that are as good if not better than the leaders.

When you look at the EPA guidelines for VOC reductions by 2024 the chemistry is really just bringing the coatings industry back from the edge of using several exotic solvents and pigments like hexemethylene and isophorene found in todays high performance Aliphatic urethanes and back to the days of the so called "good" chemicals of the 1960 such as tulene and phenylmethane that mom and dad used?? While it has spurred some good research in water based or "water bourne" urethanes, up till now they've been limited to low solids clear coatings such as spar varnishes for interior uses due to the low UV resistance. acceptable concrete coatings and steel coatings have come to market using H2/0 based urethane but high quality Pigmented water bourne urethanes are still a work in progress and the compounds out there that you use to coat your garage floor still have solvents suspended in water that use evaporation in the curing cycle rather than off gassing through chemical reaction and into the atmosphere so the misnomer of 'water based only means that yes, there's water in the compound and yes, you can clean up with water but that's about as far as it goes as these are still toxic compounds by any stretch of the imagination.. Aromatic urethanes and acrylics have had good success with the water bourne one component or type IV coatings but are far and away not as durable nor do they have the image of gloss and hardness as the exotic solvent based coatings.

Nordlund just launched a 115' Yachtfisher with a dolphin blue iridescent paint made by Alex Seal...from what I can see and incredible finish I'd like to see what it looks like in a couple of years. I tried to cut and past the photo's to no avail, so here's the link:

http://****************/Netto/nordlund_115_01.html