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Last year I used barrier coat on the trim tabs after fully cleaning them and then coated with my bottom paint. 50% of the paint has fallen off including the barrier coat. What is the best way to get the bottom paint to stick to these stainless tabs?


DJ

Why do u want to paint the trim tabs,none of my boats have ever needed this anti fouling protection

Use clear anti foul on running gear and tabs....

That way if you use boat all the time, it stays clean and you know it's working.
Or you don't use boat and loads up with growth... you can blame it on lack of use allowing growth to overcome the anti foul.



Or you can do what Bob recommends for 31 trim tabs....that is don't put them on the boat.


Truth...only thing I have seen stay put and work besides just using the boat is PropSpeed. Too much work and too much money for me...I'd rather keep gear clean by using the boat often.

I like Seahawk bottom paints, have had originally a coat of their hard paint, but two years ago I shifted to their ablative. I am beginning on my third season on their most aggressive ablative and it is holding up very well, so my diver tells me.

I haven't had great luck getting any bottom paints to stay on my metal running gear, but the Seahawk tech people told me to get the metal as clean as possible, and to apply a coat of good quality epoxy primer, and before the primer sets up to apply a coat of bottom paint to it. The theory is that the epoxy primer will adhere to the bare metal, and the bottom paint will adhere to the primer if it is applied before the primer cures.

I know some have tried Propspeed or some other stuff, but I have been told there isn't anything that is assured to do a good job.

The tabs were on the boat and I decided to leave them for now. They are so large and I could not deal with keeping the stainless growth free all season so left them painted. Some of you may have seen this before but, with one engine off the trim tabs can actually be used to over correct the rudders and steer the boat (only useful part of the tabs on my 31 as there is no need to put the bow down!)

DJ

They might come off before next season.

Truth be told...I like tabs on the 31. Sure do not always need them....but those days you want bow down a bit without picking up speed... a little tab does the job.

Why do you want bow down...
-rides better in slop.
-slow speeds you can get on and stay on plane longer for better economy...better maneuverability...boat don't like steering with nose pointed up.
-better economy. Play with tabs a bit and throttle back a hair keeping the same speed with less burn. But this is only in the 15-20knot range...go faster and hull brings bow down, tabs are not needed.

Whatever the case...paint is tough getting to stick to tabs.

My .02

I've used Interlux Micron on the tabs of both my boats with no problems.

Harv wrote:I've used Interlux Micron on the tabs of both my boats with no problems.

Harv

Welcome back to the party. You have been missed.

I have found I can not put any ablative on my running gear. The water pressure at the stern seems to wash it off too quickly.

Tony Meola wrote: I have found I can not put any ablative on my running gear. The water pressure at the stern seems to wash it off too quickly.

yup.

dcasey10,
Dan try sanding the tabs before you put the paint on, the paint has to have something to grab on to stainless is slippery. Like a few of the other guys on the board, I don't like tabs on a 31, especially if you fish a lot, just something else to cut you line off on. I have steered with tabs before, especially on a flat bottomed sport fish. If you sand off all of the old bottom paint down to the bare stainless get a can of clear anti-fouling paint that they use for lower units on the I/O's. Have you launched the boat yet? I am still on crutches, they finally figured out why all my implants have failed, I am allergic to the bone cement, Methyl Methacrylate cement, it bonds to the metal implant but will not bond to the bone(rejection) It only took the doctors 3 implants and 17 surgeries to figure it out. I am going to the doctor June 4 to figure out what they are going to use, I still need to have the one that's in there now taken out because it's already loose. Maybe I'll see you around the waterfront this summer.

Peter, suggest thickened epoxy to hold your parts in place