Do I need to bottom paint?

firecadet613 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:26 am

I'm thinking of getting a slip for two months this summer at one lake, and then a week later getting a slip for two months at another lake.

Really don't want to bottom paint a bare bottom if I don't have to, it won't help or hurt resale that much since we trailer, but since we are selling why go through the expense.

So leaving an '04 in the water for two months at a time, will it hurt the bottom? I understand I may have some growth, but we plan to run the boat often.

aguyindallas · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:29 am

Honestly....I probably wouldnt bother with it. Its a lot of expense and probably not anything you will get any real benefit from. Be prepared to clean the heck out of it when you pull it though. Also, while its in the water, get a soft deck brush on a pole and keep the sides and bottom clean while you are floating in a raft/on a noodle. Dont spill your beer though.

acguy · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:34 am

I kept my sundowner in the water for a year when we had it, no bottom paint on it. It will be fine but you will spend some time scrubbin it. If you don't plan on keeping the boat don't put more money into it

ric · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:42 am

Fresh water? Make sure you install magnesium anodes on the drive. I've had my boat in fresh water docked for a year now no barrier coat. Every few months I have to pull it out to clean the hull and repaint the outdrive so it looks pretty, otherwise no adverse effects or blisters. I also beach it every few weeks and scrub the scum off.

Now, my neighbor did this with his 2005 Regal deck boat. Within 6 months he had to pull it out to get severe blister damage fixed. The guy who laid that gelcoat down must have been in a bad mood that day when the boat was being made. Another neighbor keeps her Key West 176BR in the water 24x7x365 with no barrier coat, and it never has any adverse effects.

Bottom paint is to keep barnicles and sea life from sticking to the boat. Epoxy barrier paint keeps water from getting in the fiberglass and maybe blistering it.

Personally I will never coat the bottom of my boat, I have a cheaper/nicer alternative that I will be buying this summer: Shoremaster boat lift. They're all over used for around $1500

Blisters are a fact of life, you WILL get them one day. All fiberglass boats get some. It's no different then having rock chips on the front of your car. It is what it is.

Ccmblack · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:56 am

I have kept boats in the water for the 5 month season, every year for the past 10. All with the same Rx 180. No problems but make sure you pull it every once and a while and power wash the hull and out drive. Or run the boat a bunch. Also, muratic acid will clean the bottom well, (this is what marine shops will use). The only reason you would bottom paint is due to avoiding blistering and inhibit growth....ever had that issue. I keep googles and a sponge on the boat and do a wipe down while at anchor.

There are reasons why you will not want to bottom pAint- primarily, once you do it, you are committed. you will loose top end also. And it is an added expense.

Your boat should have an anode already on the front of the out drive. Just make sure it hasn't eroded. That anode is there to mitigate the electrical currents that travel through out the dock area.

ric · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:56 am

Ccmblack wrote:

Your boat should have an anode already on the front of the out drive. Just make sure it hasn't eroded. That anode is there to mitigate the electrical currents that travel through out the dock area.

Yes, but different metals for different water. The factory anodes are for brackish water, not very good in fresh. Magnesium is the best for fresh water. I just installed some new ones 4 months ago and they're already pitted pretty good and the outdrive still looks new. They're doing their job!

If you're really concerned and have $$$$ to blow..

Paul I. · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:05 am

Not to put foot in mouth, which I do all the time. But every body of water is different. I would seek advice to the other boaters on that body of water! Temp, salt, rain run off, & more will make up how fast the growth will build up were you are.

If your worried about osmotic blistering (hull protection) than I would use something like: http://www.pettitpaint.com/catalog_brow ... ictNbr=207

They do make "white" bottom paint too, thats is too bad to look at. http://www.pettitpaint.com/catalog_browse.asp?ictNbr=14
This is a ablative paintpiant, which for us power boaters, we would want for a lot of reasons.

As to top end, yes you might loose 2 or 3MPH. But which is better depending on the growth in you area. To pull the boat every month or so and clean it with acid, (which if you read up on this is not to good to use) or paint it in the spring and in the pressure wash it in the fall.

I boat in salt water, keeping up with the bottom paint is easy once you do the first year of prep work. First year takes about 4 to 5 hours & every year after that is about 2 hours a year.

LouC · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:19 am

agree with the last point, conditions vary and you don't want a huge mess when you pull it for the season. Here we have to bottom paint unless you pull it every week. Even in fresh water you can get growth, it all depends on the water composition, so ask around....

Ccmblack · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:58 am

Agree with all the posts, but reading the original..he is only looking to leave in the water for two months then pull. I wouldn't bottom paint for a two month increment of lake exposure. Growth build up will be minimal especially if you are running it as was stated. Onc you comit to bottom painting - you are committed.

As for acid washing, it is done here at both fiberglass shops. It is a muratic acid and diluted. (can be bought at West Maring too). Completely fine for the gel coat. Although, for 2 month exposure, I would bet you would not get the yellowing or browning - therefore would not be needed.

We bottom painted our 42 Gozzard in the Chesapeak every year and it did great. Big fan of blister and obtrusive growth prevention...just not sure it will happen at a lake in two months time.

JMO

firecadet613 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2012 12:33 pm

Thanks, I got my answer which is what I thought.

Anodes are not an issue, I changed them out when I bought the boat and keep an eye on them since I have a genset.

Lift would be ideal, but not for this situation.

Just trying to maximize boating, minimize fuel costs this summer and still be on the two lakes we love.

Decision · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2012 6:42 pm

"Really don't want to bottom paint a bare bottom if I don't have" ---- You don't have to.

However, even in freshwater lakes there is consider variation in fouling conditions. Even in lakes that have moderate fouling conditions, if you don't mind giving the sides and underside a scrubbing every couple of weeks you should be fine.

Our freshwater lake can produce a "shag carpet" effect on the sides on a non bottom painted boat in about three weeks, but I resisted the urge to bottom paint for a couple years on our 25' Doral Citation as I was accepting to going out to a local sand bar, putting the googles on and taking about 3/4 hour every 3 - 4 weeks to do some bottom and side scrubbing.

I finally came to the conclusion though (like 98% of the boats that spend their summers in the water) , that if you are going to leave your boat in our lake for the season, bottom paint long term is the way to go.

For a season though, if you don't want to bottom paint then don't. A little scrubbing shouldn't hurt any one.

Mike.

Wet Doggg · **Joined:** Fri May 19, 2006 11:15 am **Posts:** 682

Never painted our cruiser as I knew one day I would sell it and since I had a trailer I did not want to turn off a potential trailer boater. I did however pull the boat every 4 - 6 weeks during the summer, have it acid washed and inspected for blisters. Did that for 5 summers. Sold the boat with the bottom looking as good as the day I bought it.

firecadet613 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:37 am

Wet Doggg wrote:

Never painted our cruiser as I knew one day I would sell it and since I had a trailer I did not want to turn off a potential trailer boater. I did however pull the boat every 4 - 6 weeks during the summer, have it acid washed and inspected for blisters. Did that for 5 summers. Sold the boat with the bottom looking as good as the day I bought it.

Thanks! This confirms what I'll do will be alright.

EvilZ · **Posted:** Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:58 pm

I would love to have my hull acid washed, but no boat yards seem to do it out here in San Diego (environmental concerns, I guess....). The fiberglass shops may be an interesting angle though...

Paul I. · **Posted:** Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:02 pm

EvilZ wrote:

I would love to have my hull acid washed, but no boat yards seem to do it out here in San Diego (environmental concerns, I guess....). The fiberglass shops may be an interesting angle though...

You are right on the ocean. I would think you would see more boats with bottom paint.

www.iFourWinns.com

Do I need to bottom paint?

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