I have a H26 that I keep on a trailor at a marina and I am thinking of slipping it this fall or next spring instead of keeping it on the trailor for ease of use. Does anyone know what I need to do as far as bottom paint is concerned to have it last a couple of years. There is nothing on the bottom now so is there any special prep work needed also and has anyone tried to paint it while on their trailor (maby moving it all the way to one side, painting and then moving all the way to the other side but what about the centerboard?) or do you need to get it lifted on stands? Thanks for any info Dave Oberholtzer "Hydrotherapy"
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Joe Refkin (H240 - Skookie 2)
You will get much more use out of the boat when it sits in a slip. But that does necessitate the use of bottom paint. I had my dealer do it the first time, but you could do it yourself. I do it for the subsequent coats. Stay away from the epoxies etc. Too much work when you try to repaint (requires stripping etc. I use VC-17 a teflon paint that is very easy to use and re-apply in later years plus it gives a faster boat on the water. DO NOT SAND YOUR BOAT as required for the epoxies etc as it will VOID your hull waranty. You will use a DE GLOSS or DE WAXER according to directions on the paint can. The beauty behind this stuff is that it dries instantly!!! 2nd & 3rd coats can go on the same day. You can even apply when rain threatens (not actually in the rain) then immediately put it back on the trailer without smudging the paint job. Your should use a crane/sling to get it off the trailer. Extend the center board so you can paint it too. Because it dries so fast, you wont tie up the sling and your boat dealer or repair shop should let you use it on a slow day for about $125 to $150. Much cheaper than having it done by the dealer. ($600 to $900) is the going rate. 1 quart to 1 & 1/2 should coat the hull & center board and rudder. Give it 3 or 4 coats after the de waxer. It goes on with a regular house pain roller & special sleave. It goes on quick & easily. Just before painting you stir in the copper additive which retards the alge. Costs about $17/quart. BUY IT FROM THE CENTER THAT RENTS YOU THE SLING TIME. (dont bring your own eggs to the grill that makes your breakfast) 4 coats should last 2 seasons. A qute trick is to paint the first coat a different color than the top 2 or 3 so you know when its time to re-paint. Re-painting does NOT require sanding or prep other than hi pressure washing the bottom before painting. And thats the #1 reason to use this system. #2 is the added speed (it used on racing boats - the teflon makes you more slippery thru the water. #3 is the fact you dont have to wait overnight between coats or can only use in very hot dry conditions. Joe
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Kevin Smith
Fresh or Salt Water?
You really will not be able to get to everything to paint with the boat on the trailer. Joe's comments sound good for fresh water use, but salt water will take a little more work. I just painted my 23.5 with good results but I'll never do it again in August. Wait will the heat cools off. Let me know if you are in salt water and I'll give you details of what I did.
You really will not be able to get to everything to paint with the boat on the trailer. Joe's comments sound good for fresh water use, but salt water will take a little more work. I just painted my 23.5 with good results but I'll never do it again in August. Wait will the heat cools off. Let me know if you are in salt water and I'll give you details of what I did.
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Dave Oberholtzer
brackish water
I forgot to say the boat will be in brackish water (in chesapeake near Annapolis) in my description of what the boat will need to endure.
I forgot to say the boat will be in brackish water (in chesapeake near Annapolis) in my description of what the boat will need to endure.
I have the opposite problem, in that I recently bought an H23 that has been in a freshwater slip in central Florida for the last three years. When I hauled it, I found that there was no bottom paint left and there was about a half-inch of algae, but...there were no blisters either. I was advised by a fellow H23 owner to let the marina pressure-wash the hull ($42) and just put the boat back into the water. Since I also plan to trailer the boat to do some sailing off the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, I have now decided that some kind of bottom paint might not be a bad idea. After doing some homework (including asking some local trailer sailors and checking the HOW archives) it appears that VC-17 is the paint of choice for trailerable boats with occasional use in salt water. There also seems to be growing support for Copperpoxy, a new to the market (about a year) epoxy paint with fine copper flakes in it. I noticed that not too many people mentioned VC-M (basically VC-17 with a higher copper content) even though the manufacturer bills it as "VC-17 in higher fouling areas). has anyone had any experience with VC-M? Is it as slick as VC-17? I suggest you try to get some more input from other (trailer) sailors in your area before you plunk down your hard-earned cash. The choice in bottom paint will depend largely on how long you plan to keep the boat in the water. (if you leave it there long enough, any regular anti-fouling will be OK). BTW, when you paint the centerboard, don't forget to paint inside the trunk too (a sponge on a stick works well). Good luck! Peter Suah S/V Raven
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Dave Condon
Painting
Dave; There are several things you need to know first about your Hunter 26. If you sand and it is still under warranty, you will void the warranty. Secondly, when pulling the boat up onto the trailer, you will scrape off the paint on the bunk boards. Third, you need to have the boat lifted in order to get to the centerboard and trunk housing from beneath the boat. Finally, most anti fouling paints will loose their effectness if left on the trailer. Several suggestions. First, you can rough up the bottom of the hull with a Scotch Brite abbrasive pad but would recommend calling Hunter for the correct one to use in order not to void the warranty. If you do not scoth brite the hull, a non sanding primer would be suggested for example Pettit 699 but if you use this nonsanding paint/primer, roll the first coat of anti fouling paint on while the primer is tacky. Secondly, you will need to lift the boat off the trailer to paint the centerboard and housing. For safety precautions, I do not recommend painting the boat while sitting on the trailer. Third, you need to look at the paint you will use to see if it will maitain it's anti fouling properties while the boat sits on the trailer. I like the Micron CSC paints which I put on the boats all the time for your purpose. Over the years, I find painting in the evenings and not under the hot sun, you will get a smoother paint job and do suggest using a 1/16 nap roller.
Dave; There are several things you need to know first about your Hunter 26. If you sand and it is still under warranty, you will void the warranty. Secondly, when pulling the boat up onto the trailer, you will scrape off the paint on the bunk boards. Third, you need to have the boat lifted in order to get to the centerboard and trunk housing from beneath the boat. Finally, most anti fouling paints will loose their effectness if left on the trailer. Several suggestions. First, you can rough up the bottom of the hull with a Scotch Brite abbrasive pad but would recommend calling Hunter for the correct one to use in order not to void the warranty. If you do not scoth brite the hull, a non sanding primer would be suggested for example Pettit 699 but if you use this nonsanding paint/primer, roll the first coat of anti fouling paint on while the primer is tacky. Secondly, you will need to lift the boat off the trailer to paint the centerboard and housing. For safety precautions, I do not recommend painting the boat while sitting on the trailer. Third, you need to look at the paint you will use to see if it will maitain it's anti fouling properties while the boat sits on the trailer. I like the Micron CSC paints which I put on the boats all the time for your purpose. Over the years, I find painting in the evenings and not under the hot sun, you will get a smoother paint job and do suggest using a 1/16 nap roller.
exactly, and you know that.......
I agree with Dave Condon but you also know that bottom paint is not a barrier coating. Bottom paint does NOTHING to prevent blisters. So if you are going to do this and do it correctly you might as well get a couple of coats of epoxy barrier coating on before you apply any paint. It will be a lot easier now than waiting. Barrier coatings are not too important if you plan on trailering all the time and leaving the boat on the trailer. But if you find some spot that you just love and decide to leave it in the water the epoxy job will be just what you need.
I agree with Dave Condon but you also know that bottom paint is not a barrier coating. Bottom paint does NOTHING to prevent blisters. So if you are going to do this and do it correctly you might as well get a couple of coats of epoxy barrier coating on before you apply any paint. It will be a lot easier now than waiting. Barrier coatings are not too important if you plan on trailering all the time and leaving the boat on the trailer. But if you find some spot that you just love and decide to leave it in the water the epoxy job will be just what you need.
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Mike Pajewski
Chesapeake experience
I can vouch for Dave's recommendations. I bought my 23.5 from him and it was painted pretty much as he described. The boat spent 18 months in Chesapeake Bay in Norfolk without a haulout. The only bottom cleaning that was done was when we would go over to Ocean View Beach. I would anchor just off the beach and scrub the bottom with a soft deck brush. After two years, the bottom paint was in good shape, no barnacles anywhere. Since moving to fresh water and the midwest, I use VC-17 on my 26. It will get a little algae slime, but when I pull the boat in the fall, I just trailer down to the high bay at the local superspray car wash and power wash the slime off. I have gotten two years on the VC-17, but even with three coats, its pretty thin stuff, and if you clean the water line too much, you'll start to come through. Also,if you do trailer, the bunks take off the paint pretty quick. Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
I can vouch for Dave's recommendations. I bought my 23.5 from him and it was painted pretty much as he described. The boat spent 18 months in Chesapeake Bay in Norfolk without a haulout. The only bottom cleaning that was done was when we would go over to Ocean View Beach. I would anchor just off the beach and scrub the bottom with a soft deck brush. After two years, the bottom paint was in good shape, no barnacles anywhere. Since moving to fresh water and the midwest, I use VC-17 on my 26. It will get a little algae slime, but when I pull the boat in the fall, I just trailer down to the high bay at the local superspray car wash and power wash the slime off. I have gotten two years on the VC-17, but even with three coats, its pretty thin stuff, and if you clean the water line too much, you'll start to come through. Also,if you do trailer, the bunks take off the paint pretty quick. Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
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Dave Condon
Painting
Forgot to mention one thing. Make sure you get the mold wax off the boat hull in preperation for painting. Dewax three times as I do for my folks changing rags constanly. Please use gloves as most dewaxers are highlly toxic as I am experiencing some medical problesms as a result which I will be ok I guess I lost some brain cells along the way though as My nick name is Crazy Dave
Forgot to mention one thing. Make sure you get the mold wax off the boat hull in preperation for painting. Dewax three times as I do for my folks changing rags constanly. Please use gloves as most dewaxers are highlly toxic as I am experiencing some medical problesms as a result which I will be ok I guess I lost some brain cells along the way though as My nick name is Crazy Dave
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