bottom painting

[Ctskip]

I have owned several day sailboats and years ago my folks had a wooden 42ft chris craft,which I remember sanding and painting the bottom every year getting it ready for the launching in the spring in salt water. Now I have just purchased a 31 ft fiberglass sailboat and it will be in the lake here in oklahoma. There is no need to haul it out every year like back home.It doesn't freeze here like in Connecticut The previous owner said he painted the bottom two years ago, two coats and it should be done again. My question is why and what paint should I use? Should I sand and paint it like years ago? Should it be hauled and painted every year. I know about the zincs. Are the problems the same with salt water as opposed to fresh? I want to keep this boat for awhile and want to use the best for her. And why do we call boats "her". Thanks Skip

 

[David H]

Found an answer ????

According to Yarns of the Sea, Legends, Myths, and Superstitions: Although women were considered to bring bad luck at sea, mariners always use the pronoun "she" when referring to their ships. Whether its proper name is masculine, or whether it is a man o'war, a battleship, or a nuclear submarine, a ship is always referred to as "she." This old tradition is thought to stem from the fact that in the Romance languages, the word for "ship" is always in the feminine. For this reason, Mediterranean sailors always referred to their ship as "she", and the practice was adopted over the centuries by their English-speaking counterparts. One source suggests that a ship "was nearer and dearer to the sailor than anyone except his mother." What better reason to call his ship "she"?

 

[Jentine]

Bottom paint in a lake?

The bottom paint is good until it falls off. The purpose of the standard copper based bottom paints is to keep sea life from making your bottom their home. As long as the bottom is in good condition and clean, there is no need to haul. You may want to dive on the bottom and clean it with a squeege occasionally to remove any slime that occurs to maintain sailing performance. The zincs should last forever since there is no salt water to accelerate corrosion. Jimp.s. I keep my boat in the water year round in Connecticut.

 

[Jim C]

Bottom paint needed for OK

Skip,I sail on Ft Gibson lake outside of Tulsa, if you keep the boat in the water you'll want bottom paint to keep the scum/algae/grass from growing on the bottom. An abalative paint is good for many years or if you want racing performance as well most of the serious guys around here all use VC17 yearly.Due to the warm waters down here your bottom will be a garden in a couple of weeks without paint.Welcome to OK.Jim