Bottom paint???

C

cgpuddles

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Jan 5, 2010
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31926
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To bottom paint, or not to bottom paint. To wet slip or not to wet slip. These are the questions I am asking. I know the answers to these questions are a personal preference about as diverse and sometime passionate as manufacture preference and I/O vs inboard debates, but here is my situation and I am looking for input from all sides. I bought a freshwater boat in Michigan last year and got relocated to WV with the most attractive deep water about equally two hours in all directions. In an effort to reduce diesel consumption (and hassle) of towing both ways each weekend we are considering a wet slip. Short of my childhood living on a lake and having the boat tied up, or on a lift, at the house… I've always been a trailer-boater. I've never had a bottom painted boat. Even when the boat was kept at a dock at the house. Now this was fresh water, boat was used nearly every day and it was the short northern MI boating season. I just think there is something nice about a well kept gel coat, cleaned, polished ect. And since my boats always spend a majority of time on the trailer I care how my bottom looks. Now the facts, I know gelcoat is not impervious to water (what genius came up with that for a boat coating?) And my boat has some gel worn off the bow from the previous owner where it looks like he beached it a lot and then put one of those rubber keel guards on. When surveyed it did read some moisture in there but he said it was very minimal and not worth concern. I do have some small ‘goose bumps' which I am assuming are blisters on the chine's about two feet back from this. However, they are hard and do not give when pressed, do not swell in the water and the meter reads no moisture under them. Now my gut is telling me to rent a parking spot at a campsite near the lake, keep my boat on the trailer and then on Thursday or Friday drive to the lake, hook up the boat, tow it the final mile to the lake, launch and either transient on the weekends we're up there or even anchor out. Should I do this? Man up and bottom paint, it's a boat after all? Keep it at the wet slip to keep the ADM happy and not worry about moisture intrusion on a trailer boat only kept in the water for one season? What is peoples experience with this, anyone wet slip without bottom paint? The lake is Raystown Lake and the marina manager told me the lake is notorious for causing blisters, possibly the Ph he said if that helps any…. Boats that were in this weekend ranged from 50-50 to 60-40 non-painted vs painted respectively. The older boats were majority non-painted and the newer boats seemed closer to 50-50.
 
I don't know what to think of the "notorious" blister concerns but I don't think in a fresh water, short season location that bottom paint is all that necessary. I witnessed plenty of boats like yours here on Lake Erie that went without bottom paint. The bottoms looked bad they got pulled in the fall but cleanup was pretty easy with some chemicals and a power sprayer.

Niles
 
I was also toying with getting a slip and just pulling it randomly... Take it out at the end of the week, take it for a short ride, wash it, get some cheaper gas and then park it and let it sit on the trailer for the week and relaunch it the next weekend and sit for a few more weeks in the water. Keeps the tires, bearing and brakes on the trailer all fresh;-)
 
You could have the bottom painted with Awlgrip or Imron or some kind of epoxy barrier coat paint to provide better water intrusion protection. It can be painted white so it doesnt stand out.
 
sounds to me like you have not identified a cost benifit to painting your bottom based on your application. whether you keep it on a trailer at the lake you like or in the water there its a choice that will give you the most peace of mind.
 
after 3 years with the boat slipped in the river all summer and out for the winter I decided to bottom paint this year. I found that the water stains and scum seemed to get worse every year, this could be due to the water. You can make your boat spotless using chemicals and cleaning compounds but the work I put into it every year made me go the bottom paint way. Total cost (with the expensive bottom paint) $800 plus the time to do it right. I will regain all of that time back this year by not scrubbing the water line EVERY time I went to the boat. I will have lost 2-3 MPH top end but since I dont run there much I dont think it really matters. I will regain the MPH at the end of the year when I found that I would loose about 6 MPH due to the growth on the hull. As you said it really is a personal choice that depends on if you are going to leave it in the water all of the time. After 3 years of fighting it I gave in and bottom painted.
 
I just went the bottom paint route. I live in the city and I have no choice but to keep the boat it the slip for the season. I sliped the boat for three years without bottom paint. The way the boat looked after every season I had to give in. It's a ton of work just to get the scum off the bottom and since my boat is older I started to get concerned for the hull. I'm not too thrilled that I had to paint the bottom, but now I can have a worry free next couple seasons ahead. BTW, there are many options out there if you have a cruiser or performance boat.
 
If your going to bottom paint, lot's of products out there and all pretty expensive. Best I have found that has stood up to time and envirnonment the best after many year of trying many different brands is Super Bottom paint and at a good price.
http://www.supershipbottom.com/PAINT SPECS.htm
 
When I bought my Century Coronado 22 yr. ago, the topsides and bottom had just been painted with Imron; No paint has been added to the bottom, and today the bottom is clean; I see no need to go to an antifoul paint job. Imron seems to be the answer.
 
When I bought my Century Coronado 22 yr. ago, the topsides and bottom had just been painted with Imron; No paint has been added to the bottom, and today the bottom is clean; I see no need to go to an antifoul paint job. Imron seems to be the answer.
 
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