Bottom Painting???

[Frank Sears]

I have a H260 and I intend to paint the bottom every winter. Last winter I had no trouble painting the full bottom while on the trailer, except of course for the keel and keel trough. How does everyone paint their keels and keel trough? Does everyone rent and hang their boat from a lift at a boat yard, while they paint their keel?Also, has anyone had a problem with barnacles inside the keel rope tube?Thanks,

 

[Paul Akers]

The yard will do it.

Frank, if you store the boat in a boat yard, they yard crew should do it when the boat is launched. Just before launch, leave a small container of paint and a cheap bruch for them to use.Otherwise, try to be there at the launch and ask them if you can paint it before they splash it. Hopefully, in either case, the paint will dry before it hits the water. Although I've seen many boats hit the water with wet paint spots and sufferred no bad effects.If you don't use a yard service, the somehow you'll have to jockey the boat on the trailer to expose the areas that will need paint.

 

[Ed]

Painting on the Trailer

I'm curious on how you paint the bottom while the boat is on the trailer. I recently acquired a 23.5 and would like to paint the bottom but short of lifting the boat off the trailer how do you get around the support rails?I was contemplating building a cradle with a hydaulic jack to lift the boat so I could get access to the areas that the hull rests on.

 

[Mike]

jack srands

I painted the bottom of my 23.5 this past spring and the boat was on the trailer.I went to the local boat yard and was able to buy 4 used jack stands,the low stands.If you look aound the boat yard you will see what I am talking about.You can then jack the boat up off the trailer and paint. Make sure you chain the jacks that are across from each other togather so they don,t side apart.If you buy jacks you can paint whenever you need to.

 

[Michael Bell]

Check archives

There has been a lot of discussion on this last Spring. And be carefull.I kept my H26 in salt water for a year without bottom paint. Pulled it twice to pressure wash the barnacles off. Never saw any critters inside the well, or the portion of the center board that remains in the well while lowered.