Anti-fouling paint or bottom paint is a specialized coating applied to the hull of a ship or boat to slow the growth of subaquatic organisms that attach to the hull and can affect a vessel's performance and durability.hin sheets of copper or Muntz metal were nailed onto the hull in an attempt to prevent marine growth. One famous example of the traditional use of metal sheathing is the clipper Cutty Sark, which is preserved as a museum ship in dry-dock at Greenwich in England.