Hi Charlie: When I purchased my boat in 2008, I had the yard strip the bottom and apply a hard bottom paint. The second year I applied Petit Vivid and pretty much followed the process you described. This is the method the Petit representative recommended: First, I cleaned the bottom and wiped down using many clean cloths and lacquer thinner. Then, I rolled three thin coats (thinned to 10%), using a foam West roller, and had my wife tip with a brush as I went along. (Vivid dries quickly). After that, we burnished using McGuire’s diamond cut on a clean wool pad. This process made a really nice bottom, but I don’t do it anymore. I still use Vivid and I roll and tip, because I found it works well in the brackish water of the Upper Chesapeake. However, now I do not burnish nor do I apply three coats. I apply between one and two coats as needed. (I use a different color Vivid from the original bottom paint, so I can see when it is getting thin). I do race PHRF and beer can, and find this bottom is decent. (Tipping the paint after rolling is the key). However, it is not quite as smooth as my friends who use a hard paint like VC17 and burnish.
The truth is that Vivid is a “hard” ablative, but it is still an ablative. As a result, it is not as hard as the epoxy paints. I think James is absolutely correct that the benefits of sanding go away in a short amount of time. However, I find Vivid is effective, and it’s pretty easy for a decent bottom. (It is within my limited ability and time constraints). I don’t hire a diver, but I do go down with a mask and snorkel and wipe down the bottom before bigger races. The Vivid wipes clean easily. I win or place in a fair share of local races, so it is good enough for my needs. Personally, if I were going to pay someone $4,000 to $5,000 for my bottom each year, I would use a hard paint and burnish rather than Vivid. For what it is worth, the Vivid works well in my area. However, the original hard paint the yard used as the tie coat is just starting to fail in a few areas. Drew Adair C&C 32 - Aurora North East, MD
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