bottom painting

[john withrow]

when is the best time to paint a trailerable boat's bottom? At the end of the season or just before the start?

 

[Mike Pajewski]

Depends on the paint.

Look at the application guide for the paint you will use. Some paints have a maximum time requirement between when you paint and when you launch. In some cases it means you must launch within 72 hours.

 

[Steve Dion]

Why would you do it at the end of the season?

John/Mike:Regardless of the paint qualities, why would you paint it when you hauled the boat for the season? What you do want to do as soon as you pull the boat is to get ALL the crud off the bottom. When this stuff dries, it turns into something between epoxy and concrete.Paint at the beginning of the season, just before you splash. This will maximize you investment in an expensive maintenace item.Like Mike mentioned, you want to choose a product that will maintain it ability to protect your bottom even when the boat is out of the water too.

 

[Ray Bowles]

I agree with all the above and offer one new item.

If it is ever hanging in a sling or off the trailer while on land then I would paint then. We have been using a West Marine brand of ablative paint. The kind that wears off as you sail and it also is not sensitive to being out of the water. You can wash the bottom with a strong scrub pad and this will remove the green stuff and grime. It also removes enough of the earlier paint to offer a good surface for the new paint to stick on too.We sail in fresh water.The idea of painting just before launch is good but I would never pass up an opertunity to paint if she's hanging in the air. Our boat has a very good epoxy coat under the bottom paint.Many of the boats in our area that are out of the water for 6 months a year because of winter don't bottom paint and have no more of a blister or growth than those of us that paint.If my boat hadn't already been painted I would have not painted her my self.RayS/V Speedy