Hello All, Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe New Year. I have a H336 in Boston. Right now it is out of the water. My boat definitely needs bootom paint as some of the paint has chipped off. This is my first boat and I have never done a bottom job. Should I hire someone to paint the bottom? Is it somehting I can do myself? Any good reference reading on bottom painting? As always, advise is greatly appreciated.
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Type of paint on bottom
You will have to find out what type of paint is on there now. There are two basic bottom paint types ablative and hard epoxy. Ablative is soft and sluff's off over time as you go through the water. Hard epoxy does not. You can apply some paints over others and some you cannot, that's why it is important to know what's on there now. The paint manifacutures, and marine store personnel would be able to help you decide what you can paint over and what you can't. Then you have to decide which type to use. The hardest part of painting is the bottom prep. If you have alot of old paint bulid up you will need to remove it using a small orbital sander with about 80 - 100 grit paper attached to a vaccum. Most yards will require this dustless approach. Take off the excess layers, check the bottom for blisters, and then put two coats on. The paint is expensive. Especially the multi-year variety. Also some paints require that you launch the boat within 30 days of application. Check this out before buying. I have gone with the ablative, they are less work, and create less build-up. Good luck.
You will have to find out what type of paint is on there now. There are two basic bottom paint types ablative and hard epoxy. Ablative is soft and sluff's off over time as you go through the water. Hard epoxy does not. You can apply some paints over others and some you cannot, that's why it is important to know what's on there now. The paint manifacutures, and marine store personnel would be able to help you decide what you can paint over and what you can't. Then you have to decide which type to use. The hardest part of painting is the bottom prep. If you have alot of old paint bulid up you will need to remove it using a small orbital sander with about 80 - 100 grit paper attached to a vaccum. Most yards will require this dustless approach. Take off the excess layers, check the bottom for blisters, and then put two coats on. The paint is expensive. Especially the multi-year variety. Also some paints require that you launch the boat within 30 days of application. Check this out before buying. I have gone with the ablative, they are less work, and create less build-up. Good luck.
Amir, you can do the job yourself with....
some basic equipment. The old paint is usually either ablative or hard paint (not epoxy). Assuming that your bottom was pressure washed, I use dry wall (similar to window screen) sandpaper from Home Depot to rough up the surface. Scrape all the loose stuff off first and feather all of the edges. Like Martin I prefer the ablative paints from WM when they have it on sale. Two to three coats has lasted me three seasons or more. I use two thick coats of Desitin on all of the bright work below the waterline, after polishing, to keep marine growth from building up. Our H28 took a little over a gallon. Our P42 takes a full two gallons. Rolling the paint on worked the best for us. Terry
some basic equipment. The old paint is usually either ablative or hard paint (not epoxy). Assuming that your bottom was pressure washed, I use dry wall (similar to window screen) sandpaper from Home Depot to rough up the surface. Scrape all the loose stuff off first and feather all of the edges. Like Martin I prefer the ablative paints from WM when they have it on sale. Two to three coats has lasted me three seasons or more. I use two thick coats of Desitin on all of the bright work below the waterline, after polishing, to keep marine growth from building up. Our H28 took a little over a gallon. Our P42 takes a full two gallons. Rolling the paint on worked the best for us. Terry
This is not rocket surgery. Sand the bottom( I use 60 grit gently)clean it well with acetone, paint. My boat stays in salt water for 8 months.At worst I have critters on the bottom of my keel and a little hairy crap on the hull when I haul out. I may sail three days in twenty during the season , which isn't much. I use the cheapest bottom paint I can buy, one coat, and that seems to do. I have never had a problem with paint compatability, and with all the bloody sanding I've done, I don't care. Jim
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