boatyard

What happened to the bottom of my boat? Your motor seems to be running OK but your boat just isn’t as fast as it was at the beginning of the season . . . and it seems to be really using a lot more gas lately . . . so you pull it out of the water at the launch ramp to take it in for service when you suddenly realize there is something very creepy living on the underside of your boat . . . “Wow! what is all that weird slimy stuff stuck to my bottom?” Simply put, any boat left in the water (especially saltwater) for an extended period of time without an effective coating of antifoul paint on it’s bottom will quickly begin to look like the unfortunate boats pictured below! Mother nature is well equipped to fully saturate our local marine waters with billions of microscopic baby barnacles as well as mini-mussels, gooey tube worms, stringy little algae spores and opportunistic oyster spat and they are all swimming around or moving on the tides looking for a friendly, uncrowded place to call home where they can attach themselves and grow up! What better place for these little critters to choose as a landing spot than a nice clean boat bottom?  To prevent this from happening  we apply specialized bottom coatings that have been formulated with ingredients that marine organisms find disagreeable and tend to avoid as they float through a harbor looking for nice spots to attach themselves. The infested boats pictured below were either not bottom painted before they were put in the water or their existing antifoul bottom coatings had finally lost their effectiveness after a few short years resulting in our friendly little sea creatures wasting no time in taking advantage of the opportunity. All these boats were moored in greater Puget Sound waters and were brought by their owners to our shop, Agate Pass Marine, for a major bottom makeover. Click on any photo for an enlarged view! Oysters Mussels & Tunicates Barnacles Algae, Tunicates & Hydroids Barnacles Tunicates What happened to the bottom of my boat? • February 5, 2026 What happened to the bottom of my boat? Your motor … Is bottom paint containing copper still available in Washington State? • February 5, 2026 Is bottom paint containing copper still available in Washington State? … A nice 26′ sport cabin gets a much needed bottom makeover! • February 5, 2026 We’ve all done it, its approaching mid-summer and we finally …

Is bottom paint containing copper still available in Washington State? Antifouling paints manufactured with powdered copper as the primary biocidal ingredient have been in use worldwide for hundreds of years. For preventing marine growth on the bottoms of boats it works very well but it brings some negative environmental baggage. Use of copper bottom paint was set for eventual elimination in Washington by the state legislature in 2011 with full compliance of a copper ban originally scheduled for 2018. The driver for this legislation were findings which determined that copper in bottom paint eventually leaches out of the paint coatings and becomes a waterborne compound in Puget Sound that can affect the ability of migrating salmon to find their natal streams as well as to sense when natural predators were in their proximity. The conclusion reached was that the copper was adversely affecting the salmon’s sense of smell which is critical for these two important natural abilities to function effectively. Additionally, it was found that when the copper compounds eventually sink and settle into the bottom muds the organisms that live in that environment are also adversely affected. However, due to Ecology’s review of the replacement biocide compounds offered by the paint manufacturers it was decided to postpone the ban on copper until it could be determined that the new biocides would not introduce potentially worse environmental issues than the copper they would be replacing. As it stands, as of this writing (October 2023) the Dept of Ecology is preparing a report of their findings on several alternative biocides for the legislature to consider that will recommend either approving their use and finally enforcing a permanent ban on copper bottom paint or enacting another postponement of the ban while continuing to evaluate the latest developments from the paint companies.  A postponement of the copper ban would be re-evaluated again in 2029. So yes, for the time being, bottom paints containing copper as a biocide are still legally sold and applied to boat bottoms in WA State. At Agate Pass Marine we are prepared to provide great bottom paint jobs that comply with whichever way the state law happens to evolve.  Since a large percentage of the boats we paint are made of aluminum we are very familiar with the copper-free antifoul products that are typically used on those hulls and they are all currently approved for application on any type of boat including fiberglass. At this time we are well situated to apply the best of these environmentally friendly coatings on vessels that have traditionally depended on copper paints to accomplish their marine fouling control needs. Just let us know when you drop your boat off for bottom painting if you would like us to apply a non-copper product.  We will first strip any pre-existing copper antifoul off of your boat to ensure great adhesion of the new style paint. Additional WA State Links: WA Dept Ecology – Antifoul Site Boater’s Summary 2017 Report to WA Legislature 2019 Report to WA Legislature In-Water Hull Cleaning Directives Alternative Bottom Paint Research Is bottom paint containing copper still available in Washington State? • February 5, 2026 Is bottom paint containing copper still available in Washington State? … A nice 26′ sport cabin gets a much needed bottom makeover! • February 5, 2026 We’ve all done it, its approaching mid-summer and we finally … Clean up the sides of your trusty old aluminum workboat! • January 14, 2026 Clean Up the Sides of Your Trusty Old Aluminum Workboat …

We’ve all done it, its approaching mid-summer and we finally take delivery our new boat from the dealer and our family members don’t want to hear about any more delays that will keep the boating adventures and festivities from starting ASAP!Its understandable . . . . since we are only going to keep the boat in our local marina for a couple of months this year due to our late start we resist burning up more valuable time by taking the boat to a qualified shipyard to have antifoul paint put on the bottom.  I mean . . . “What’s the downside to waiting until winter to take care of that?  Lets head for the islands!” A beautiful 25′ expedition cruiser . . . but mother nature has a say in this! https://agatepassmarine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_0529.mov#t=2   There really aren’t many things more disappointing than to haul your new boat out of the water to discover that the previously shiny white bottom is now covered with a thick coating of rough, smelly barnacles! Yikes!  Even the bow thruster and the engine is choked up with these crusty, hard critters. This is a job that is going to require an experienced shop to perform, someone who knows how to avoid damaging the hull during the barnacle removal. The first step in our process for a severe case like this one is to use stiff plastic scrapers to remove the bulk of the invaders, being careful to not scratch the smooth gelcoat bottom. Unfortunately barnacles leave behind their rough, ring shaped bases that now have to be removed. For this we employ our low pressure air jet abrasion process as shown in the video posted above. As you can see, we finally have this bottom cleaned up and free of all traces of barnacles without using the grinders, metal scrapers and disc sanders used by other yards that can leave divots and gouges in your hull and can’t even come close to this Agate Pass Marine level of hull prep. Even the thruster, trim tabs and engine bracket are spotless! With your boat now moved into our enclosed paint shop we apply the epoxy barrier primer coats that will permanently seal up the gelcoat and provide a solid foundation for our premium grade antifoul paints to adhere to. Finally, the antifoul bottom paint is applied that will prevent further infestations of barnacles and other growth for years to come on this cool boat. Your boat is then loaded back on it’s trailer, given a wash and is ready for a continuation of your on-water fun! A nice 26′ sport cabin gets a much needed bottom makeover! • February 5, 2026 Clean Up the Sides of Your Trusty Old Aluminum Workboat … Clean up the sides of your trusty old aluminum workboat! • January 14, 2026 Clean Up the Sides of Your Trusty Old Aluminum Workboat … A nice 26′ sport cabin gets a much needed bottom makeover! • October 20, 2023 We’ve all done it, its approaching mid-summer and we finally …

Clean Up the Sides of Your Trusty Old Aluminum Workboat Bare aluminum boats that are used hard tend to start looking pretty grimy and beat up. Yeah, it’s just a cosmetic thing, but once in a while, it’s good to give your old workhorse a facelift; she deserves it! We’ve figured out a way to make your aging alloy boat look young again without resorting to acid washes, polishing, painting, or wraps, and it’s dead simple to maintain. Ask us about our topside rehab process when you bring your boat in for bottom paint! At Agate Pass Marine Boatyard, we’ve been a trusted destination for boat owners far and wide for decades when it comes to antifoul bottom painting.  So, if you’re ready to give your old workhorse the facelift it deserves, look no further than Agate Pass Marine Boatyard. Bring your boat in for bottom paint; your boat will thank you for it! We understand that your boat is more than just a vessel; it’s a trusty workhorse that deserves some TLC from time to time. That’s why we’ve perfected a simple yet effective method to rejuvenate your boat’s appearance and restore its youthful charm. Clean up the sides of your trusty old aluminum workboat! • January 14, 2026 Clean Up the Sides of Your Trusty Old Aluminum Workboat … Clean up the sides of your trusty old aluminum workboat! • February 22, 2024 Get rid of dock rash, grime and oxidation! Bottom Antifoul … A nice 26′ sport cabin gets a much needed bottom makeover! • October 20, 2023 We’ve all done it, its approaching mid-summer and we finally …