Bottom Paint

[rik absher hunter 216]

I have finally got a slip in my local marina, on a fresh water lake. Do I need to have my ACP hull's bottom painted prior to putting it in the water, or can I just scrub it this year?

 

[Jeff Prideaux]

I've heard that it is a good idea to bottom paint even if you keep it in fresh water.

 

[John]

I paint mine. The ablative paint makes it easier to scrub the growth off the bottom. It can be a real bear to get off other wise. Hopefully your lake doesn't have the dreaded zebra mussels yet. They can also be tough to get off without bottom paint.

 

[Calvin266]

You will get ...

If you keep it in the water without bottom paint you will get dirty nasty smelly slime, or at least we do down here in the South.

 

[GKuffner]

Anti-fouling wax instead of bottom paint

I'm going to try and use bottom wax on my H216 instead of bottom paint. Last season I didn't use anything and it was a chore to get the slime off the hull. I don't like the idea of painting the bottom if I can avoid it because of the need for continued maintenance once you begin painting it. I also think that the anti-fouling wax will be easier to apply and I really like the idea of a white hull in the water when your healing.Gary