Bottom Paint

ncpirate

New Member
Advice is needed on the pros and cons of bottom paint. If we were to bottom paint the boat, is it reversible? Currently, I can only leave the boat in water for two or three days at a time.

Has anyone built a floating platform to float a capri out of the water?

Thanks for your assistance.
 
I bought my boat used and it came with bottom paint, and I see no reason to sand it off. Racers might want the extra speed, and it might be worthwhile in that case, but for all the effort it would take to remove it I am not going to.
 
I bought my boat used and it came with bottom paint, and I see no reason to sand it off. Racers might want the extra speed, and it might be worthwhile in that case, but for all the effort it would take to remove it I am not going to.

Same here. I dont race so I'm sure I won't miss the extra quarter of a knot. I would say if your boat doesn't have it and you are only leaving the boat in the water for a few days at a time then don't paint it. No need to and it probably does reduce resale value a bit.
 
Nope

For just a few days, I wouldn't. Matter of fact, it will be faster if you don't paint it. Keep it clean and waxed for speed.
 
From this conversation I'm gathering that it is implied if you plan on leaving your boat in the water for more than a couple days then bottom paint would be a good idea?
Is this true?
 
Maybe. If you're talking about leaving it in a slip for a few months, then yes. If you're talking about a week or two every so often, then no. Bottom paint is great, but can be a real PITA to keep maintained. It does come off (that's how it works) and needs to be reapplied every couple of years. Most bottom paints are nasty stuff, and you can't just sand it without serious protective gear. The dust is bad and you need at minimum a full mask, better to have a suit. It also looks like crap after a few months. Again, for a boat that stays in the water, it's a good idea. For one that spends most of it's life out of the water, then no. Trust me, it's easier to clean the hull than keep up with the bottom paint. And remember, most bottom paints do not protect your hull from blistering, they just make the moss slide off as soon as you move, nothing more.
 
My boat is berthed in a slip at our freshwater lake all summer (4 months usually). I put Collinite No. 885 Special Heavy Duty Fleetwax on the fiberglass at the beginning of the summer. The bottom cleans easily with a damp cloth at the end of the summer.
 
My mod 3

has the bottom painted with this crud, and it's all on even. Looks like a two year old applied it.
So, my plan in short order is to knock it down with 400, 800, and then wet and dry it at 1200 grit.
Have any of you went thru this process? I am planning on having some buddies help me turn it up side down on some saw horses. Then go to it.
I was planning on doing it wet so I am not breathing the junk.


Bill
 
I have bottom paint on my Catalina 30 that sits in the water and it get dived monthly to keep the growth from getting out of control and its not an old bottom.

To remove bottom paint from an old C14.2 , I used chemical stripper.
 

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