Bottom Paint on the Trailer

woodster · Nov 30, 2014

Bad Obsession said:
The other day I was thinking, and I know that is a dangerous thing, and I considered trying something when I bottom paint the boat.

If the boat was moved to pavement. I put jackstands or something there to keep the boat at the position that it is currently in on the trailer. Maybe put some supports where the keel isn't resting on the trailer too. Once it was secured let the air out of the trailer tires.

If it doesn't settle much it would give me a few inches....just enough to paint where the bunks are located and the bottom of the keel.

Will this work?

your boat only weighs 3000 lbs why not just block up the back of the trailer so it can not tip or dip and jack up the forward end high enough to paint as far back as you can ....let dry and then swap ends with with the blocking and jack up the rear high enough to paint the balance of the work let dry and lower the boat back down on the trailer ...oh don't for get to loosen the tie downs when doing this....just some food for thought

Rick Webb · Nov 30, 2014

Easy Solution

If a ramp is nearby. I paint what I can get to, go to the ramp dunk the boat and load it back on at a bit of a kilter then paint what I can, take it back to the ramp dunk the boat tilted a bit the other way and get the rest. This has worked well for me the last several years. Pulling the trailer up on car ramps helps get it another foot or so up off the pavement to get access to the very bottom.

This works for me as the ramp is almost across the street. Were that not the case I'd use the aforementioned drop the tounge raise the ass block and raise the nose approach. car ramps here help a lot as well. I've used this approach on other guys boats and it works well. The only time it scared me was one guy insisted on using cinder blocks to block the boat it went fine but it did concern me. The other concern when assembling the brace to block up the boat is using drywall screws instead of nails. Drywall screws will snap and your blocking will come tumbling down nails will bend and give you more warning before a failure.

Daydreamer · Nov 30, 2014

Bottom Paint while on the Trailer

Any combination of having the boat half on and half off the trailer is going to be rickety at best!

Here is what I did. Don't try this at home folks

(standard disclaimer)

I jacked up one side of the trailer under the axle, the opposite tire was blocked.
Then braced the boat under the gunnel with three long 4x4s. Took the wheel off the side I am working at and lower the trailer.

The boat is supported by the bunk on the opposite side and the 4x4s. I give the whole thing a good shake to make sure it will stay put.

I removed the bunk under the working side and sanded and painted one entire half of the bottom. Re-assemble and repeat the process for the other side.

So... after I did that I watched this video. More food for thought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE8l7o-c8lY

CCrane2299 · Nov 30, 2014

I made sure the bow eye was good as well as the winch and strap. As mentioned, I lowered the tounge jack all the way down. The I put a motorcycle / ATV jack from harbor freight under the stern and cribbed it up tight to the boat. Raised the tounge, then lifted the rear with the jack. I had room to use a full size roller over both bunk boards. The first one I did was a hunter 18.5 with a wing keel, the second was a Catalina 22 with a swing keel, and my last one was a Catalina with a wing keel. I did use a tie down strap from the jib sheet winch to the trailer on both sides to steady the boat. The ATV jack is very wide and stable and has a built in safety stop every couple of inches. Once its set up like this you can paint everything but where the jack is under the stern. If you are replacing bunk boards while you are at it you will have almost unlimited space to do what needsto be done. On the hunter and wing keel Catalina, I also used a floor jack under the keel. On the swing keel I just let it down on the trailer,

dscribner · Dec 1, 2014

It would probably work, but probably not with the control that you would want. I painted mine on the trailer. Painted all that I could, just as you suggest. Then, some cribbing and a bottle jack on each side of the hull. as far back as I could manage, and a scissor jack and cribbing between the trailer and the bow. Took several hours to rig wood cradles to mate to the hull and get the cribbing assembled, but two minutes to raise the boat, 10 minutes to paint. Preparation for a dangerous task is key. Even if it will just take a minute.

Brian S · Dec 1, 2014

I've heard of guys with bunk trailers blocking the boat up at the rubrail, and then lowering the bunk on the trailer. Paint, dry, then put the bunk back into position. Wouldn't work on mine, considering my trailer bolts are nicely rusted

sesmith · Dec 1, 2014

On the hunter 23.5, we used to have (swing keel), I used to drop the bow end of the trailer all the way down, put stands under the stern of the boat, then raise the bow of the trailer up. This would lift the stern off the trailer. Then jack the bow of the boat off the trailer raising the bow off the bunks. Then remove the bunks one side at a time and paint.

On our seaward 25 (wing keel), all the weight is basically on the keel. I just support one side at a time with 2 x 6's under the rub rail, and drop the bunks and paint one side at a time. I also strap the boat against the other bunk for a little extra safety.

finding41 · Dec 5, 2014

I do the float it back 6" thing. But my boats all have a dagger board or swing keel that fully retracts into the hull. And I know ware the structural parts I want the boat supported are.
With the speed that the latex bottom paint I use dries I can get 2 coats in in about 15 min and splash the boat without any paint failure problems.
I use Aquaguard latex.
One thought...
For all the dangerous work of lifting the boat off or dropping a bunk etc... Why not find a club that has a lift and rent it for an hour. It will get done quickly and safely. Hey why not rent the lift for 2 hours and do 3 coats... That should last 6 years in my lake.
Sumner has a great way of telling wear of the bottom paint. Do the first coat a different colour... Down the road when you see the first colour coming through you paint it again.

Doc_holiday · Dec 11, 2014

I paint what I can while sitting on the trailer. That dries pretty quick. Then I lower the tongue all the way down and put a block under the aft and crank the nose back up. This will lift the boat off the rear bunks enough so I can paint there. Let that dry. Then I remove the rear block and jack the trailer all the way up and block the bow making sure the bow line is loose and lower the nose so the forward bunk drops away from the trailer so I can do this.

I'm pretty sloppy at this point. You don't want to get wet paint on your bunk carpet and make sure the paint is dry for a half hour or so before setting the boat back on them.

I do like the color thing but what I worry about is that our boats are rarely flat in the water when we sail so you want the bottom to look good when you are heeled.

if I used different colors, it would look goofy when you get to that point.

My boat sits with the boot stripe and 3" of bottom paint showing when it's at the dock with the ballast full and normal stuff stowed. I wish it didn't have so much bottom paint exposed.

Sumner · Dec 11, 2014

Doc_holiday said:
.....I do like the color thing but what I worry about is that our boats are rarely flat in the water when we sail so you want the bottom to look good when you are heeled. if I used different colors, it would look goofy when you get to that point. .....

It doesn't just go from say, in my case, the blue to the black under it. Right now from a distance of more that a couple feet it all looks blue but up close I can see the blue is thinning in places as I can see a 'hint' of black. When I get to Florida I'm going to give it another coat of blue at least at the waterline where it wears fastest or maybe the whole bottom. I'll just have to see how energetic I am

. At least I don't have to wait until it wears through to the barrier coat this way.

Sumner
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Doc_holiday · Dec 11, 2014

Ok thanks. I was thinking about switching to black. So maybe 'lol use what I have left of the blue for a coat then a couple coats of black

Doc_holiday · Apr 13, 2015

Looks like fun, I always end up with that stuff all over me. I have to mess around and lift min strategically to paint behind the bunks too. I wish I had changed the carpet last year.

I thought I read somewhere that you shouldn't put anti-fouling bottom paint on until no more than a day before it goes in the water. Is that true?

Brian S · Apr 13, 2015

Doc_holiday said:
I thought I read somewhere that you shouldn't put anti-fouling bottom paint on until no more than a day before it goes in the water. Is that true?

Doc, it all depends on the bottom paint you're using. Read the application instructions on the can well, or look it up on the manufacturer's web site. They will tell you how long until you can put it in the water.

shemandr · Apr 13, 2015

I just put on Interlux Bottomcoat NT and the can says launch within 60 days.

caguy · Apr 13, 2015

No matter what method you use it is helpful to web strap the axel tight to the trailer frame whole the boat is sitting on the trailer. It prevents the springs from causing the trailer to follow the boat on up as you raise the boat.
On my old Mac 25 it was also helpful to loosen the keel cable so that you are not lifting 600# of steel along with the boat. The weight of the keel will also help hold the trailer down.

Tom G P-21 · Apr 14, 2015

One suggestion for Bad Obsession, you shouldn't work on the boat while it is on scissor jacks. Get a set of jack stands and set the boat down on them after you jack it up.

Bottom Paint on the Trailer

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