bottom cleaning and repaint

[Dave]

Can anyone tell me what is best practice re how often to have the bottom cleaned and repainted for a lake boat? Is there a good all-around paint, or should must you choose a paint that is lake-specific?Thanks,Dave...

 

[Hoosier Kevin]

Is it in the water year round?

Do you trailer - and keep the boat in for short periods? - or is the boat in the water yearlong? that makes a difference -

 

[tom]

It depends upon the lake

I was in a "dirty Lake" called Cherokee lake in East Tennessee that fouled by boat so that it required cleaning at least once a year. I was also in a "clean lake" Called south holston that required almost no effort and I left it in the water for two years without cleaning and still had a pretty clean hull. In a clean lake with a trailerable boat I'd recommend a hard paint but in a dirty lake an ablative paint would work better. With the hard paint you'll have to wash the bottom every few months. with my trailerable boat a trip to a car wash for a pressure wash worked well. But now wal-mart sells a pretty good pressure washer for about $70 if you have electrcity and a water hose available near the ramp. A pressure washer might remove too much ablative paint!!!tom

 

[Dave]

thanks more info

Dear Kevin and Tom,My boat is a Hunter 326, so I'm not trailering. I can't say whether Lake Lanier is clean or dirty, although I do have what looks like some staining or accumulation of some kind around the water line. However, last summer, when we were anchored in a cove and swimming off the transom, I noticed a thin (1/16") accumulation of dirt below the waterline that I could easily brush off. That was after 1.5 years in the water. That strikes me as not too bad a problem. I do know it's far better than the hassle connected with keeping a boat in the water in Tampa Bay or Hilton Head. Not to mention the fact that the boat is now about 450 miles closer to my home!!!Sounds to me like I need local expertise, but I sure appreciate your help.Dave...

 

[Mesmerize]

Local Knowledge Best

It sounds to me like you don't have much of a problem so every 3 years sounds like more than enough. I would recommend pulling it out that often just to look for blisters. Blisters form faster in fresh water than salt and should be repaired. Then paint, if necessary, using the recommendations of your local contacts. Every area is different so local knowledge is best.I am on the Pacific at Anacortes Wa. and we pull every 2 years and I repaint with Pettit's Trinidad, a high Cuprous Oxide modified epoxy. It is an ablative paint not a hard paint.