War Paint - FAQ
How much War Paint should I apply?
7-8 sq m per litre per coat. 2 coats are required or 125-140 micron wet.
| BOAT SIZES |
AMOUNT TO USE (approx) |
|
| 26 – 28 feet | 7.92 - 8.53m | 4L |
| 30 – 32 feet | 9.14 - 9.75m | 6L |
| 34 – 36 feet | 10.63 - 10.97m | 8L |
| 38 – 40 feet | 11.58 - 12.19m | 12L |
| 42 – 45 feet | 12.8 - 13.72m | 14L |
| 47 – 50 feet | 14.33 - 15.24m | 16L |
Is War Paint suitable for all types of boats?
Cruising or racing yachts and displacement and planning hulls of launches. * Not suitable for aluminium.
What colours are available in War Paint?
Can War Paint be applied over aluminium?
No. The usual isolation distances apply.
Can War Paint be scrubbed?
Yes, although it is ablative, the rate of ablation allows the film to be scrubbed or water blasted without removing large quantities of the paint film. To maximize the performance, we suggest the film can be lightly 'wet sanded' occasionally - with 80 grit, provided the film thickness is satisfactory.
Can War Paint be used on vessels kept in mud (tidal) berths?
Yes. The repeated immersion/drying out over tidal cycles does no harm to the paint.
Does the War Paint coating ablate evenly?
No. All ablatives are exposed to differing conditions on different areas on the hull. Under static conditions ablation at the waterline will occur first. This is due to factors such as temperature and floating contaminants present in the seawater. Under dynamic conditions, increased ablation rates can be experienced around appendages such as rudders.
Does the coating in the splash zone ablate?
No. Not on vessels that are moored in quiet water such as marinas. The coating in this area becomes hard and does not diminish in thickness. It is therefore best to apply only enough to this area to provide the colour – excessive coats will eventually crack since the film build does not diminish.
Does War Paint change colour?
Yes. Most colours become a little cleaner and brighter in the water. Discoloration also occurs at the waterline. Generally, the lighter the colour, the worse the discoloration in the splash zones. Regular scrubbing in this area helps to minimize the impact of colour change. But of course, this cannot be done easily without also removing the ablative coating immediately below the load waterline.
How does the area in which the boat is moored affect the paint?
As with all antifoulings, slime accumulation is more rapid in estuarine waters, especially with stronger tidal flows and performance is better in some marinas than others. Slime will accumulate on WAR PAINT to some extent with time, but weed and shelled growth is rarely seen. The slime is easily removed by any cleaning method.
How long does War Paint last?
Lifetime is proportional to film build. The coating continues to provide protection as long as it is present on the hull.
How many coats of War Paint should be applied?
Two - at the recommended film thickness. But remember wet film application and therefore dry film build is what is important. A boat owner who applies 2 coats at half the recommended film thickness is applying only half what the boat needs. At this application rate 4 coats would be necessary to do the job.
How quickly does War Paint ablate?
Quite slowly in comparison to other freely ablative products on the market, but the film in the water is softer than traditional “hard vinyls”.
What application methods are best for War Paint?
Brush, roller or spray. Suction cup air atomised spray is inadequate. Airless or pressure pot spray is the preferred method of application.
What are the minimum and maximum launch times after applying War Paint?
The coating should be dry before relaunching – overnight is a practical minimum. 48 hours in cold weather is desirable. The product can be used for coating vessels on tidal grids but it is best to restrict this practice to the summer months to maximise solvent release in the time available. If the coating has not reached a reasonable state of thorough dryness before lifting a vessel in a travel lift, deformation of the paint under the lifting straps can occur. The maximum relaunch time is not critical but 2-3 weeks should be suggested.
What type of product is War Paint MFI? Marine Fouling Inhibitor
Mildly ablative copper.
What type of vessels can War Paint be used on?
This product is a general purpose product and has given excellent results on yachts (especially favoured by racing skippers), high speed and displacement powerboats and commercial vessels (fishing, charter).
Which antifoulings can War Paint be applied over?
The hard types present no problems, provided, of course, that the existing system is sound. A wet sand is necessary to prepare the surface for recoat – any defects must also be repaired as necessary. Existing antifoulings of the “soft” type should, in general, be removed. This is to prevent the possibility of the soft system from clearing or suffering cohesive failure beneath the harder, stronger product. Should the soft system not be removed, failure on recoat is not guaranteed – indeed soft systems have been recoated with good results in the past, but the chance of problems is significant.
Which undercoats can War Paint be applied over?
The common 2 component epoxies present no problems. The recoat rules, which apply to other antifoulings also, apply to WAR PAINT. The same applies to single component under water primers and undercoats.
Will War Paint adhere in immersed bronze and stainless steel surfaces?
In most cases, no. All copper containing antifoulings suffer from this problem to some extent or another. The reason for the adhesion failure seems to be related to the electrical activity in the surface of the fitting. No one has the answer to effective coating of metal surfaces (except steel and aluminium) under water. This applies to all brands of anti-fouling.