Bottom Paint Color?

[TJ-LJ Champion]

We're so new to this sailing scene and I know there is protocal to follow on some things but here's our question.Is it sacrilege to paint the bottom final color of a Hunter Sailboat any other color then BLUE?We would like to paint it black or some other very dark color to hide the obvious scum and unpleasant sight after she's been in the water a few weeks.So.....what's the scoop?Laurie and TJ

 

[John T1594]

Paint

It's your boat so paint it any color you like. My boat has a blue bottom but I think I will change it to black this year because I have a gallon+ of black left over from my previous boat. If you have not noticed, bottom paint can be very expensive but some of the cheaper brands can be just as effective as the more costly brands. Check out the annual bottom paint review in Practical Sailor magazine (see link). Their February 2007 issue (Vol 33 No. 2) has the results of their latest test for paints used in fresh water.Some people recommend that you paint your rudder white. The theory is that when you haul your boat in the fall, a dark rudder will expand and contract from sunlight and possibly split the gelcoat if you have water trapped inside. That said, I have yet to see any white rudders among any of the boats in our local yards.

 

[Don s/v Tellico]

I have used red for years.

my 37.5 has navy and red/burgundy striping as did most of the Hunter's during that era. Looks great with many compliments. Did the same with my father's former H26.

 

[Alan]

I take a ...

...completely different approach.I use Shark White as my color of choice. It starts life as a very light grey when applied but turns pure white in the water. The reason for using white you ask?...every bottom needs cleaning. When it comes to cleaning the best way to see the slime on the hull, is white paint. Hiding the slime in the color isn't going to make it go away and the slime robs your boat of perform ace. In my area 2 weeks of slime mid season will cost me a full knot of boat speed and it also affects other sailing characteristics.As for the rudder, the heat build up applies to in water as well as out. Transom hung rudders are particularly prone to this problem simply because they are less protected.

 

[newly anonymous]

did the red, went back to the blue

In turbid water red is difficult to clean because the diver has trouble telling the cleaned sections from the dirty sections. Not a problem with blue. Did the red, but went back to the blue.

 

[Warren Milberg]

I've got a H28.5 and

paint the bottom every spring (like I did today!). I use a moderately priced ablative paint (West Marine CPP Plus, currently offering a $35 rebate)to minimize the need for sanding. I've found that power washing the bottom a day or two before painting it is normally all I need to do. I put on one relatively thin coat with a 1/4 inch roller and change the color each year. That let's me know how much of the new paint has ablated. While blue looks good on most Hunter's, I used red this year and am quite happy with that look. In the end, the color hardly matters once the boat goes back into the water. If you have the typical Foss Foam rudder, and it hasn't delaminated yet (smile), paint that white to reduce the heat build up that eventually does lead to delamination.

 

[Paul4414]

Bottom Paint

Lonesomedove,Each time I repaint the bottom I use a different color fronm the time before. This way I can see if there are any spots that I may have missed.It really doesn't matter what color you use. Make it one that will look good with the rest of your boat's color scheme.Pauls/v Lady SaraHunter Legend 37Severna Park, MD

 

[Dan Johnson]

My last boat...

had a navy blue hull so it got a red bottom of WM CPP over the blue that was on the boat when I bought it. Where the blue would show through, it got an extra primer layer of red each spring before rolling on the new season's red paint.My H34 has a white hull with the blue striping that came with the boat. POs put on a red base coat and blue Micron CSC, which complements the factory color scheme. Some of the others in the yard have begun using a black water based bottom paint instead of colors.

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi Laurie and TJ, we keep our boat in salt water..

year around and our yard (the owner) recommended black paint. He told me that from his experience black seems to do a better job preventing marine growth from forming than the other colors.Terry

 

[Honeyman]

If being maintained...

by a diver every 3-4 months as we do in Florida...a lighter color than black is better, just to tell the difference between types of growth. Petit Trinidad and the new Trinidad SP (is it slime preventive?) are favored. These are "modified epoxies" and originally black had more copper in it than other colors. They are now all formulated with 70% copporus(sp) oxide and as effective no matter what color. Glad I don't have to haul every "season" and worry about all that crap! Sorry guys ;D !