Bottom Paint Dilemma

[Casey]

I need the collected thoughts and wisdom from C-Brats....

I am certainly NOT a fan of bottom paint, particularly on trailer boats. However, after having Naknek in the cold waters of the Inside Passage for nine weeks last summer I was absolutely amazed at the growth and crud that accumulated.

Sandy and I are nearing the time when we hope to be cruising here-and-there for often longer periods of time, and the trailer will likely be several hundred miles away so the opportunity to dry-out the hull will be rare. The temptation to bottom paint is still on my mind. But gee's - I dislike bottom paint.

We've owned a number of trailer boats over the past several decades, and none were bottom painted. From Alaska to Florida Keys, fresh water and salt, bottom paint just wasn't necessary. But that was for boating that usually didn't last for more than a week or two. Now we're closing-in on trips that may last a few months without the boat being removed from the water. (On one occasion I left a SeaRay in the water at St. Simons Island, GA while I was on a trip for 30 days. Thereafter I learned the joys of removing barnacles. NEVER want to do that again.)

I will appreciate your thoughts and ideas. At the moment, my thought is to just buy a shorty wetsuit and do weekly/biweekly hull scrubs as necessary. On the otherhand, maybe I could buy Sandy a Really good wetsuit and invite Her to do the hull. (Yea, sure.)

Please let me hear your thoughts.

Thanks,
Casey
C-Dory Naknek

[Chris Bulovsky]

In Rome do as the Romans. Talk to others in your location how they deal with the barnacle issues. I have found most boaters love nothing more than to share boating wisdom. Bottom paint may be the solution. The job of bottom painting is no fun. Ask about brands that work and who did it. If your not a doit yourself sort.
I used inter lux brand and can't give an informed opinion on its performance yet. Id think if I were to have to scrape the underside down Id back my trailer in the drink and yank the boat out and attack the critters with out swimming.

Hope you find a reasonable solution
Chris

[stevej]

Been using Interlux Micron extra with "slime blocker" I question how well the slime blocker works but does a great job on everything else. No barnacles, sea grass or anything else. In Saltwater 6 months a year so pretty happy with the results.

The Micron extra can dryout and work again when it gets wet. It's easy to apply with a small roller and two coats lasts me a couple of years.

stevej

[JamesTXSD]

Hi Casey,
Here's another topic I can chime in on... our sailboats have generally spent 4-5 months in the water, 1 or 2 out, then 4-5 back in again. Alternating between the Gulf and then freshwater lakes. Without some kind of bottom paint, the hull would have been a mess in short order. We have found Micron CSC Plus to be very effective... keeps the critters off and allows the slime to be easily wiped (or sailed) away. Also stays effective when put on the trailer (many bottom paints don't). In the interest of a smooth bottom (for racing), we had our last bottom job professionally applied - sprayed on multiple coats. For a powerboat, I don't think this is necessary. Our neighbor, with a power-cat, applied his with a roller after jacking the boat up on the trailer.

Having to contend with this just means that you are getting to spend MORE time on the water!

Best wishes,
James

[Chuck S]

What James said!

Our 16 Cruiser is the first boat since my Hobie without bottom paint, but she's kept on her trailer most of time and left at the dock as our non-trailerable boats were.

Bottom paint is "local knowledge" stuff. Check with the locals. A roler trailer will let you slide the boat back a roller or so and touch up any spots work bare on the road. Much bottom paint takes very little time to dry and is often best put in the water almost "wet."

If you're going to be seriously in the water for months I strongly recommend a barrier coat under the bottom paint. I've seen too many blistered hulls.

-- Chuck

[El and Bill]

John -
Nice to 'chat' to get my mind off the ol' 'goodbye wisdom tooth' time later this afternoon.

Bottom paint? Since we keep our boat out of water between our cruising, and vary between fresh and salt water, we don't have bottom paint, and have been happy not to have it treated. Bottom paint is expensive, requires periodic renewals to both look good and repel critters, but is essential for those who keep their craft in the water most of the time.

Of course, not having paint means we spend time scrubbing after each cruise -- and the longer the cruise, the more the scrubbing.

With the 25, you'll have a somewhat higher 'perch' than on the 22' -- but good stability all the same.

[john schuler]

There is often a service around that scrubs bottoms. If you check with your
marina they can most likley give you a name. for me that is much better
than bottom paint. Just one more plus to the trailerable trawler. C-Dorys
RULE
John Schuler

[iggy]

Working in a marina many years ago, I recall some of the sailboats had a plastic enclosure in their slip. They'd sail into it and then close off the back end. I don't recall the details, but they -must- have poured some treatment into the enclosed water - else you'd just be encapsulating whatever happened to be in there at the time time, which could include a stray barnacle or two.

Q #1: Anyone heard of this in the past (or present)?

Q #2: Would the chemicals now be restricted due to possible environmental damage?

Comment:

A C-D is not really all that big. Is there any way a plastic sheet could be worked under the boat ('keelhauled')? If the boat is held off with a spring line, the enclosure should not be subject to chafing from the dock. If it is allowable to add some chemical treatment, snugging up the plastic would reduce the interior volume substantially.

I wouldn't suggest this along the way on a cruise. Waaay too much hassle.

BUT, if the boat is going to left in the water at the same location for several weeks at a time it may be worth thinking about. The enclosure could be removed while crusing and stored in the truck, on the trailer, etc.

As El and Bill note, you'll still have to scrub if you're underway for any length of time.

FWIW: This is ALL theory on this end -- no practical experience with this at all.

Ed

[Brock]

Check out these 2 links for the type of product that iggy is refering to. Been looking into these for our TomCat 255 arriving this weekend. We will be docking on the Piankatank river in Virginia, just a few miles from the Chesapeake. Got in touch with Virginia officials who have never heard of this type of thing but are so intrigued they have called at least one of the dealers located in N.C. Their only hesitation is the use of the "small amounts of chlorine" which the dealer informs me is so small that it can't possibly harm anything. He also says they are now using a bio-degradable type of chlorine.

The environmental impact seems like nothing compared to the harm done by the release of the ablative paints, not to mention the pain in the arse of painting, scraping, etc. Also, they make plenty of sense financially if you price them. We are leaning toward the Boatliner brand because it costs less and the entry/exit method seems simpler than the Armored hull device.

Here are the links:

www.bottomliner.com

www.armoredhull.com

Brock

[Sneaks]

[journey on]

Bottom Paint, a subject near and dear to my heart: I hate it. However, if you keep a boat in the water, you need it. We had a trailer sailer in the Sacramento Delta for a week, and it took us all day to scrub the stuff off.

Here are my thoughts:
1. North of the Calif border, there are no services which scrub the bottom. A guy in Petersberg, Alaska offered to scrub it for $125 per/hr. Everybody else laughed.
2. Use an ablative paint. I used a hard epoxy on the sailboat, and when you get several coats, and then dry it out, it peels off.
3. I used Micron Extra on the sailboat, and it was great, and expensive, but worth it. According to Interlux (I asked, they told,) Micron Extra ablated too fast if you went over sailboat speed, and they recommended Micron CSC. Both work well, allowing one to haul the boat and store it dry (like on a trailer.)
4. There are sales on Micron CSC going on now, and I've got enough to paint the bottom (ugh.)
5. Don't forget to epoxy the bottom, Interprotect 2000.
6. Dewax it before starting. It's a downer to watch your bottom job peel off in spots, just because you didn't clean the bottom.

Boris

[iggy]

Re 'chlorine bath tub':

I'm thinking -really- light and simple:

1. Moderately heavy plastic tarp such as those used as drop clothes (NOT the tissue paper weight!).

2. Would 12-foot wide stock material be wide enough?

3. Roll out about 28 feet of material.

4. Lay down a strip of duct tape along each edge, both sides.

5. Install grommets through duct tape, maybe every 2 feet.

6. (Reaching here . .) Roll up forward section and temporarily lay on bow pulpit. Put remaining 80% down in front of the bow. Put floats (empty plastic bottles?) on the two stern corners to keep track of them. One person on each side of the boat walks the two floats under the boat and toward the stern using boat hooks.

7. Use light nylon cord to hold edges up, either to bow rail, chocks, across the cockpit, whatever. Appropriate chafing gear for boat, of course.

8. Add chlorine to newly formed bath tub.

9. In a protected moorage there shouldn't be too much chafing, although this item certainly won't last season after season.

10. Reverse the process before leaving dock. Fold or roll and store for next time.

As before, this is all theory . . . . Maybe total BS. But maybe some variation could work?

Ed

[Sneaks]

[Sea Wolf]

Why not just buy an inflatable boat lift that puts the boat up out of the water where you don't need chemicals or bottom paint? Talk to Dusty!!! Joe.

[iggy]

My understanding is this is being considered for a home away from home (or dock away from dock). e.g. trailering the boat a few hours away, leaving it for several weeks at a temporary moorage for intermittent cruising when possible.

Maybe we're talking apples and oranges here.

Ed