Bottom Paint

[Ron Hill]

Vic : Only put on the amount needed.  There's an old Chinese proverb that says: "The more paint you put on, the more you'll have to take off!"

For your initial coating I'd use 2 coats of ablative.  I get a good coating out of 3/4 gal.  My first re-coating (single coat) was 4 years later, but the boat did it's sitting in fresh water and sailing in salt water.  When I moved the boat 2 years ago and it was sitting in salt water, I had to re-coat in 2 years.  The problem was SLIME - not barnacles!!  I use the Micron Extra.  Still hope to get 2 years out of this repainting.  

Just make sure that you have a contrasting color to paint the ablative paint over so you can see where it's wearing thru.    

[Jeff McKinney]

Ron,

I had the yard put a double coat of hard paint on at commissioning. The plan after this is:
1. Leave it in the water for the winter,
2. Clean the topsides & scrub the slime off the bottom in the spring
3. Haul in August (when the yards are slow), clean/polish the topsides & add a coat of ablative (every other year). It sounds like Micron Extra is a good choice.

Any thoughts on this approach?

Thanks

[Ron Hill]

Jeff : You should be OK.  Just make sure that you clean&sand that hard bottom paint before you repaint with ablative.  

I also left my boat in the water for it's 1st winter.  Have pulled it every winter since 1989!
I have a full length cover and it's been one of the best investments that I've made for the boat.  

[Jeff McKinney]

Ron,

Thanks for the advice. I've already got a boom-tent on the way (fairclough).

Kind of depressing to be thinking about putting the boat in "hibernation', but so it goes.

Did I hear you on the radio yesterday heading for the Fleet 12 raft-up on the Wye River? I got stuck covering call for work today so had to settle for an excellent (if tiring) day sail. Bodkin to Annapolis & back in <6 hours. SOG averaged 6.2 on reefed main & jib.