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To paint or not to paint, that is the question ... in PNW
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mleganza



Joined: 01 Jul 2015
Posts: 7
City/Region: Greenbank
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2006
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Grizzly
PostPosted: Sat Dec 03, 2016 2:15 pm    Post subject: To paint or not to paint, that is the question ... in PNW Reply with quote

We have a new to us 2006 22 cruiser on Whidbey Island. While I love to be able to trailer around, I hate wasting 2 to 3++ hours every time we want to go out.

I've only found two good launches on Whidbey: Coupeville next to the ferry and Cornet Bay. We would like head out for a week at a time next Summer, so that presents an issue of where to park a truck and trailer combo long term, or leave her in the water at a marina for the Summer.

Should I have sealant and bottom paint done this Winter? Or, how often would/should I pull out for a power wash if I leave the gel coat as is? How much gunk grows here on gel coat?

I'd like to have 5 or 6 months next year where we could just jump in and go...

Thanks Mark
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bridma



Joined: 13 Sep 2011
Posts: 1155
City/Region: Comox
State or Province: BC
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Nomad
Photos: Nomad
PostPosted: Sat Dec 03, 2016 3:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We leave Nomad in the water at the marina for most of the year. Before we started doing this, I took the boat to a professional marine paint shop. Blasted off the underneath gel coat. Applied 3 coats of epoxy, then 3 coats of top quality anti-foul paint. This was nearly 4 years ago, the underneath is still marine growth free.
If you take this route, make sure the new paint job comes up high enough up the sides, especially towards the stern. Our boats sit lower in the water than we sometimes realize once we have loaded up all our cruising crap.

Martin.
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Saxe Point



Joined: 24 Jan 2012
Posts: 77
City/Region: Sooke
State or Province: BC
PostPosted: Sat Dec 03, 2016 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lots of growth and very quickly to boot, if the boat is left in the ocean without anti-fouling paint. I left my boat moored for 2 months this summer. Had to take it out as there was so much growth that it significant reduced my speed and fuel efficiency. I'm putting bottom paint on now.
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hardee



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 12632
City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
Photos: SleepyC
PostPosted: Sat Dec 03, 2016 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mark, you are not the only one wrestling with this same issue. I don't mind some cleanup time but after 48 days in the water last summer, (N end of Vancouver Island) I had an inch of growth, green fuzz, and barnacles the size of pencil erasures to contend with.

A week in the water is no problem where you are. I was moving every day, (save 4, for weather layup), but I have spent a week or 10 days with the gel coat needing only a light wash. Again, mostly traveling every day. Most of my cruising is at low speed, but the boat is still moving.

The big issue, for me is, IF you do bottom paint, you will be doing that from here on out. I have not made the decision yet. If I do, I would go to the same place that did Pat and Patti's Daydream. I can't recall the name just now, but I have talked to them and it was a good job and well done.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon


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Though in our sleep we are not conscious of our activity or surroundings, we should not, in our wakefulness, be unconscious of our sleep.
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Phil Barnes



Joined: 20 Jul 2010
Posts: 126
City/Region: Colorado /San Juan Islands
State or Province: CO
C-Dory Year: 1991
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Swan-C
PostPosted: Sat Dec 03, 2016 6:11 pm    Post subject: To paint or not to paint, that is the question ... in PNW Reply with quote

We left our boat in the water for 2 months in the San Juans for the first couple of seasons. After about 3 weeks we had a pretty good growth started on the bottom. After 2 months we had heavy growth including barnacles.

Since this was going to be our normal pattern, we had the bottom painted with anti fouling paint and have been pleased with the results. No more laying on my back under the boat scraping barnacles and scrubbing.

As others have said, our boats sit lower in the stern than we realize when loaded. A good idea to have the boat in the water loaded to make marks for painting....or at least in the water and then bring the paint up above the water line marks.

We had Jesse at Bitter End Boatworks in Bellingham do ours with Petit Vivid Paint designed for boats that are both in the water for the summer and on the trailer most of the winter.

Yes, it is a permanent decision. Once you start painting one has to keep painting as needed. It lasts a long time if not power washed or cleaned with aggressive brushes. Saves a lot of labor if the boat is in the water for extended periods.
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MikeR



Joined: 21 Apr 2013
Posts: 474
City/Region: Mill Creek
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2016
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Photos: MikeR
PostPosted: Sat Dec 03, 2016 9:52 pm    Post subject: Re: To paint or not to paint, that is the question ... in PN Reply with quote

mleganza wrote:
I've only found two good launches on Whidbey: Coupeville next to the ferry and Cornet Bay.


Have you tried Oak Harbor? I've not launched there but have stayed at the marina several times and thought the launch facilities looked pretty nice...

There was another recent thread regarding your same question with some good info, but just wanted to add that another option, if you don't want to paint and if you are going to be paying marina moorage rates anyway, would be to dry stack your boat. Generally just call ahead 15 to 30 min and your boat is in the water ready to go when you get there. But stored out of the water and in some cases, depending on the facility, out of the weather in a heated garage when not in use. Might be another option to consider depending on where you are on Whidbey. I gotta say, it IS nice not having to bother with trailering or launching, by keeping the boat in a marina or drystack!

-Mike

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22' C-Dory Cruiser (2016)
16' C-Dory Angler (1989)
10' C-Dory Row Boat (1995)
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hardee



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 12632
City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
Photos: SleepyC
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 4:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm curious. Open question to all. When you first started looking for a C-Dory, were you looking for one with bottom paint, or not with bottom paint, was it even a thought either way, and if so, which way and why?

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

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ssobol



Joined: 27 Oct 2012
Posts: 3362
City/Region: SW Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: SoBELLE
Photos: SoBelle
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 5:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I was looking a buying a C-Dory, not having bottom paint was a plus for me. I knew that I would not be keeping it in the water and I didn't want the upkeep needed on the bottom paint (I understand that some paints don't like to be out of the water for long periods). Also, there are some places you can't put a boat if it has certain types of bottom paint.
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NORO LIM



Joined: 24 Apr 2008
Posts: 875
City/Region: Olympia
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2006
C-Dory Model: 23 Venture
Vessel Name: NORO LIM (sold 12/12/14)
Photos: NORO LIM
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 9:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hardee wrote:
I'm curious. Open question to all. When you first started looking for a C-Dory, were you looking for one with bottom paint, or not with bottom paint, was it even a thought either way, and if so, which way and why?

Harvey
SleepyC Moon



Our first boat was a 16. My wife and I were still both working full time. We kept the boat on a trailer and under cover when not in use. We used the boat quite a bit, but mostly on weekends. Our longest trips were 3 or 4 days and a hundred or so miles on the water. Clean up after each use was pretty easy. Bottom paint would have been an unnecessary hassle. Easy choice.

Our second boat was a 23. We were both retired. We kept the boat in the water in a covered marina slip. Getting under way was a matter of minutes whenever the mood struck us, which was often. We used the boat a lot. I would bet the boat got used on average pretty close to once a week year round for eight years. Our longest trips were a month or two and a couple thousand miles on the water. We hauled out two or three times a year for inspections and cleanup. We re-applied bottom paint every two to three years. Not having bottom paint would have been a disaster. Easy choice.

_________________
Bill, Formerly on NORO LIM
2001 CD 16, 2001-2006
2006 CC 23, 2006-2014
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neblig



Joined: 22 Aug 2009
Posts: 46
City/Region: roy
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2006
C-Dory Model: 23 Venture
Vessel Name: Neblig
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 11:33 am    Post subject: trailer rub Reply with quote

I haven't seen it mentioned.. but if you bottom paint and trailer a lot (vs leave in a marina) loading is stickier and your paint will rub off on the roller/bunks. Still seems better to paint in the NW.
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RobLL



Joined: 05 Aug 2014
Posts: 421
City/Region: Bremerton
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

We were told when we got our boat that it was due a bottom paint job. For the first year we had the boat in dry storage in Dagmar and it was not an issue. Then we moved to Bremerton and keep the boat in the marina.

Shortly after arriving we took the boat to a neighboring service marina, They said, with barely a look it could go another year before bottom paint. It was interesting a year later, I could not get the boat over 13 knots, and the motor did not want to go over 5500rpm. I thought it was motor problems.

After annual service for the two motors and new bottom paint all is well. They say the bottom paint is generally good for two years. Maybe I will push it for an extra 6 months. They did say the more often I use the boat the longer it will last.
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westward



Joined: 18 Feb 2005
Posts: 718
City/Region: Seattle
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 1985
C-Dory Model: 16 Angler
Vessel Name: TBD
Photos: Steady Eddy
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 12:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've used CSR Marine for barrier/bottom paint jobs on a couple of boats now and have been very happy. I'm pretty picky and they have instilled confidence by explaining their specifications and product selections, which have sometimes been beyond what I had expected. They have proper facilities for the work including indoor work spaces. Price is fair for the work but not cheap. I have also gone bargain on bottom jobs before, with the work done outdoors/under tarps, etc. The most important part is proper cleaning and prep, and the application of multiple coats of high quality epoxy barrier coat, which you'll never see again. Successive applications of ablative bottom paint (every 2-3 years depending on use) will be much less expensive. In round numbers you might be looking at $2,500 for the initial job, then $700 for re-coating. They can give you a phone quote. If this sounds like an advertisement I'm sorry, but I do like to promote honest businesses who don't cut corners just because you're not able to oversee. There are no doubt other good firms as well. Best, Mike.
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RobLL



Joined: 05 Aug 2014
Posts: 421
City/Region: Bremerton
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 1:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Would it make a difference in how long a bottom paint job would last if I went into Lake Union every several months?
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JamesTXSD



Joined: 01 Mar 2005
Posts: 7444
City/Region: from island boy to desert dweller
State or Province: AZ
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: "Wild Blue" (sold 9/14)
Photos: Wild Blue
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 4:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

RobLL wrote:
Would it make a difference in how long a bottom paint job would last if I went into Lake Union every several months?


Not really.

From the perspective of a guy who has had all his boats bottom painted, I don't see a downside of having bottom paint. For fiberglass boats, if done properly, it gives you another barrier (coat) to alleviate issues with blisters.

If your boat doesn't spend more than a couple weeks at a time in the water, it probably isn't necessary. Where we live (warm water, high salinity), the slime and the critters will adhere enough to make a performance difference in about 10 days; even with regular use of the boat.

A good bottom paint job doesn't mean you won't see some of the slime, barnacles, and "grass", but it does mean they won't stick. If you've ever had to clean the bottom of a boat that spent "a bit too much time" in the water without a bottom job, you will appreciate the difference.

Back to the "downside"... you have a boat with bottom paint that doesn't spend a lot of time in the water? OK. As long as it is paint that remains effective when pulled out of the water, and I would think that would be the smart choice on any trailerable boat. Will it be as "pretty" on the trailer as a boat with shiny gelcoat on the bottom? No. But a boat is at its best-looking when it is in the water... and bottom paint on a boat in the water is hardly seen.

We had a trimaran sailboat that we used to race. I had a boatyard spray on multiple coats of bottom paint (in a color that matched our canvas)... smooth as a baby's behind. And, the boat was just as fast as with no bottom paint. On the more typical orange-peel texture with rolled on bottom paint, if it is ablative, it doesn't take a long time to wear itself reasonably smooth. I noticed no difference in the performance of our 25 before and after bottom paint.

As far as the "once you do it, you will have to maintain it" camp... well, yeah, it's a boat - there will always be maintaining. I think it is a heck of a lot easier to keep up bottom paint than it is to try to keep a bare hull (that spends time in the water) clean.

I don't see bottom paint as a bad thing. When buying a boat, I feel bottom paint is a plus. It is a lot less expensive to add more bottom paint than to start from scratch.

With boats the size of the C-Dory range, you have options - like launching and retrieving whenever you want. But, if the boat is going to spend months at a time in the water (either at a dock or out cruising), I feel bottom paint is "value added."

Some of you know we trailered our C-Dory a bunch. Our trailer had bunk slicks, and we never had an issue with paint coming off the boat onto the slicks, or the boat being "stickier" when launching.

As some here know, we bought another boat last month. Not a C-Dory, not even an enclosed helm type boat (that I truly appreciate so much). A small pontoon that we just got back from being bottom painted. I also added bunk slicks to the trailer. The aluminum takes a different primer/barrier and finish paint, but this will still make it easier to clean, since ours will be at our dock here at the house when we're home. I'm a believer.

Jim
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hardee



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 12632
City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
Photos: SleepyC
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 5:23 pm    Post subject: Re: trailer rub Reply with quote

neblig wrote:
I haven't seen it mentioned.. but if you bottom paint and trailer a lot (vs leave in a marina) loading is stickier and your paint will rub off on the roller/bunks. Still seems better to paint in the NW.


I would think that this would entirely depend on what type of bottom paint you have applied. It might also depend on the trailer, and I have heard that if you have bottom paint, it is better to have a roller trailer. Since I prefer a bunk trailer because I think it supports the boat better, I have also preferred not to bottom paint, but with the likely hood of spending longer sessions in the water without loading onto the trailer as often, I am thinking that bottom paint is becoming a plus for me.

Good responses above, and thanks. And as Bill so aptly pointed out, priorities and needs change. And as Jim says, Boats look so much better in the water than on a trailer, and there, the bottom paint does not make that much showing.

Good things to consider.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon



Maybe it's just me, but I think C-Dorys look gooood anywhere Wink
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