Bottom Time Again!

[Steve]

Annual Mooring woes....Every year it's the same, haul the boat and figure the best way to clean the bottom for spring painting. I come to realization that the best way is to clean while in the water, however we seem to wait until the water is rather cold.... &.....the travel-lift is so... expensive...thats why we have a trailer WOULD LIKE TO HEAR IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO CLEAN THE BOTTOM & KB ON THE TRAILER! Jacking etc.. safety...!!!Thanks in advance....

 

[Mark Burrows]

Trailer is for moving not painting

Hi Steve:First question is what kind of paint do you have now. That will impact how much sanding/rough you must do. If you are sanding, there are a lot of regulations in some states that say you can't do it. Some boatyard owner also say no.But if you still are going to do it, here's a warning. Climbing under the trailer and painting is awful work. We did some touchups in the spring with CSC Micron and it was tough squeezing around to paint the centerboard and other parts of the keel. Its not work for the thick-of-waist.After you've done that you still need to paint under the skids. I heard a couple people say that the were able to get the boat on the trailer with a list (shifting weight to one side). However, I have not seen it done.For simplicity, have it hauled at a yard that lets you do the work. The cost is worth the aggravation and risk of damage.Mark

 

[Paul Akers]

Rent/Buy a power washer

Either rent or buy a power washer. The trick is to do it ASAP after the boat is hauled. Otherwise, the algae will dry and be more difficult to remove.Another option is to stop by the local hand spray car wash on the way home and just pull it into the stall. Voila! instant bottom spray wash.The best option - use ablative paint.

 

[Greg Sweitzer]

Must I paint?

I bought a new 260 this year which I keep in a freshwater lake with a channel out to Lake Michigan. Cleaning the hull with a powerwasher and then soap and brush and algae remover this year resulted in a satisfactorily clean hull. My question is, must I bottom paint this boat? Or can I save the $$$ with annual cleaning and elbow grease. I plan on sailing this boat for over 20 years..

 

[Bob Schmit]

What (water) you boat in is important

I keep my boat in a slip in the Mississippi and if I didn't keep bottom paint on it it would look like the H26 next to me that is 4 years old like mine but has only gotten bottom paint once-when it was new-the marine grown on it was over an inch thick in spots...So here we need bottom paint, but when we trailer the boat up to Lk Superior I see many of the boats in the marinas up there don't really need bottom paint-the cold water seems to take a toll on the stuff that wants to grow on your bottom ;-) Anyway, after a week up there in that cold water the bottom of my boat is cleaner than when I arrived.

 

[Doug Winter]

Fresh Water "Maybe". "Maybe not"

I have had my 26 in a fresh water lake for four seasons. I choose (so far) to not paint. It's cheaper, but alot more work. I just like the look of a clean bottom. What I have found is, as you pull the boat out, scrub it with a hull brush. We pull out during the week when the ramp traffic is slow. This will remove most of the growth. When at home I use a power washer to get what we missed. Then we have to put on the rubber gloves and attack the stains with a commercial hull cleaner. This returns the color back to its original shade. Lastly we wax the whole boat with collonite marine fleet wax. Most folks on my dock ask why our boat allways looks new. The whole process can be done by my wife and I in two days. The choice is yours their is no right or wrong in fresh water.