Bottom Paint Now Drop in the Water Later?-gctid373738

[Guest]

Hi Guys,

I may or may not even paint the bottom this year for the following reasons:

1. Last and prior years I have had the yard paint the bottom of the boat. I believe the yard maybe diluting the paint with thinner or what ever they would use to thin it, because when it's being applied it seems like you can actually see right thru it, almost like it's a wash and not paint.

2. I use the boat every weekend and then some week days as well. The bottom has never had anything growing on it as far as grass or barnacles etc.

3. However there are some chips from one inch up to about two inches in size. Maybe all in all approx. 6 to 10 of them scattered over the bottom of a 30 foot boat which to me is pretty far and few between. I think the reason is that maybe 7 or 8 years ago before I owned the boat, someone painted the bottom probably with a good heavy coat of bottom paint. Some chips have occurred over the years. Then I bought in 2009 and the yards been white washing it (so to speak) with this thin (bottom paint/thinner solution) and it's so thin a solution it's by no means is it possible that it's filling in where these chips are year after year. Not that theses chip are huge, but there just like a paper thin chip approx 2 inches in diameter that flaked off in a few spots. There are a few assorted size spots like these like I mentioned before.

4. Also and my biggest question is: I would like to paint the bottom now but I have heard that with some paints that you need to get the boat into the water within 24 to 48 hrs of painting the bottom of the boat. The fact of the matter is boat is on the side of my house and the yard has to come pick the boat up with a trailer, bring it to the yard, prep the boat, De-Winterize it, installing the outdrive and doing all of this at their convenience does not really allow for any 24 to 48 hours of timing from when it was painted to getting it into the water. So is there any paint out there that would work where I could paint it and a week or 2 later have the boat dropped in the water.

I would love to hear some advice on this. Should I just leave it alone? Should I sandblast or power wash or whatever would be the correct procedure to remove the bottom paint to get the bottom prepped for a new coat of good bottom paint? Also the color is currently black; I wouldn't mind having midnight blue instead to match the color of the canvasses. Is there any special paint that I could use that does not require a 24 to 48 time period to get it in the water? Or since I use the boat so often can I get away without any bottom paint at all? I am thinking about the boats that are bottom painted with good bottom paint and then the following year is skipped what happens to the paint then does it not work ?

Thanks for all of the advice ahead of time

Ed

[boatworkfl]

Sand all of the old paint off with 80 grit or at least 100 grit, when the paint chips off the whole bottom paint is suspect, remove it all, wash it let dry and then: Wipe with acetone, let dry and re-paint. I have re-painted many boat boat bottoms, 1 bad paint job ruins all, be safe, save money, remove it and follow the manf. instructions. Bottom paint is never thined unless sprayed, it should not be sprayed, each time you pour more paint into the roller pan stir it first.

I always figure out how much paint I need, 3.5 hal for a 3870, then mix it all into a 5 gal pail, mex it each pour into the roller pan. All of my bottom panint jobs in Alaska will last at least 5 years, sometimes charter boats need to touch up the water line. I follow the instructions from Interlux for the Ultra version.

If you put 1 coat on, you will paint nearly every year! Bottom pain should never be thinned!

You must remove all grime and alge from the bottom, sanding is the only way, after pressure washing. I can give a referal.

[Guest]

Hi boatworkfl

Thanks for the reply. What are you doing or should I say what paint and process are you using to last 5 years?

Ed

[boatworkfl]

Electriceddie wrote:
Hi boatworkfl

Thanks for the reply. What are you doing or should I say what paint and process are you using to last 5 years?

Ed

In Seward Alaska, I always use Interlux ULTRA, West marine has a version of the same hard base, non ablative product, at least they used to. The Intrulx has a very high copper content, about 67%, then only reason my bottom paint jobs last is preperation.

There is aTollycraft boat that I did a blister job on he needed a 1/2 gallon touch up on the sides after 5 years, He was a charter boat. INTERLUX ULTRA. My boat was painted in 2008, I will not paint it when I haul it out, I only use it for 3 1/2 months, then it sits in the water until next year. Warmer waters you will get a little less time on the paint because of water temp. what I use works, preperation is the key, bottom paint should never peal off nor should ever flake off.

I use the Interlux instructions, it works!

[smitty477]

Hello Ed,

If memory serves me well you are on the south shore here on long island and that means you could easily be sittimg in any type of envireonment most of the time. Depending uponexactly where you slip the boat you could be in mostly fresh water, all salt water, areas which 'flush' well or areas which are completely oxygen free and have zero growth. On Long Islands south shore all of these palces can be found within a 15 minute drive from one another.

The reason that I mention this is it makes a huge difference in what you 'need' and also what you may want for the bottom of the boat.

We are on the north shore in a highly flushed fully salt water area which has a very high growth rate of 'bottom' stuff.

Therfore we must use a good 'ablative' with numerous coats applied and clean regularly to have good results - similar to boatwkr's idea but will less paint life.

We use a multi year ablative with an initial 'flag' coat so we know what is left on the bottom.

But please know this - just a couple of miles away in one marina here they get no growth at all - zero- due to the water in that marina.

So where your boat actaully 'sits' for most of its life is a big factor in what you want to apply. Unless you take it away from that envireonment for something like 2 weeks at a time you really need to ask your immediate neighbors for what has been working (or not) for them.

Hope this helps