Bottom Paint

[gwwalsh]

Is it necessary to have bottom paint in salt water if you trailer your boat? It could be in salt water for as long as a week or two for extended trips.

 

[matt_unique]

If no more than 2 weeks I don't think you need bottom paint. Expect to give her a good power wash when you pull her out though. Also, rinse your engines after each day of cruising and trim them out of the water.

If you expect below freezing temps some say you are fine trimmed up and some say you need to keep them trimmed down. My Suzuki owners manuals says to keep them in the water if freezing temps are expected.

 

[Matt Gurnsey]

From the use you describe, no bottom paint needed. Just give it a good scrubbing at haul out.

 

[gwwalsh]

Thanks for the immediate responses. New to boating and were wondering if your advice, of no bottom paint and a good scrubbing, would stand if we decided to keep it in a slip for a three or four month period during the busy boating season here in Port Townsend.
We just can't seem to decide if we want to haul it out each time. Thinking that we would use it more if we could just go jump in and take off at a moments notice.

 

[Matt Gurnsey]

Being able to jump in and go will make it easiert to use, and in that case, bottom paint the boat.

 

[matt_unique]

Definitely bottom paint if leaving in longer than 2 weeks.

 

[Sea Wolf]

gwwalsh-

After about 4 to 6 weeks, you could dive over the side and pull off enough barnacles, muscles, and greenery, etc. to have finger food for lunch!

And you might as well have lunch with your ride, it'll be a slow one with all that stuff on the hull! :lol:

Just funnin' with ya"!

Joe. :teeth :thup

 

[gwwalsh]

Yum, free lunch! Glad to see boaters have such a refined sense of humor!