Do-it-yourself haulout & bottom paint

[Jay Beery]

I'm lucky enough to get a slip this year. No more on and off the trailer every time I want to go out! But now I need to paint the bottom. I have a C22 swing keel, but this applies to all swing keel boats. Has anyone hoisted their boat off the trailer to sand and paint at home? I don't want to spend more than the boat's worth in materials to do this, but I do have some steel and welding tools, a big pole barn, and some wood. I did have the boat hauled off the trailer at the place I purchased it ( Good thing I did, the keel cable was shot and routed the wrong way over the pully ball ), but they want $600.00+ to sand and paint. I can't afford the yard to paint her every year plus the price of the slip. So I'm in a Catch 22. I have to be able to paint her myself. I would do it right on the trailer, but the trailer is one of those that have a whole bunch of big rollers. It supports the boat great, but you can only get to about one square foot of bottom between the rollers!!!Any help out there???Thanks, Jay

 

[Joe]

Do it yourself yard....

.... Jay, out here most local yards charge around $200, depending on boat size, for a 24 hour haul out. That includes lifting the boat out of the water, bracing it on a stand, and returning it to the water the next day. Extra days out of the water are called "lay days" and average $1.50 to $2.50 per foot. Boatyards often have weekender specials. Typically, a simple bottom painting takes only a day, unless there is special prep, such as sanding or blister repair. In your case, you probably don't have to sand, but you may have to apply a primer to bond the anti-fouling paint to the gel-coat. So I would allow at least one lay day. So... if you hauled out on Monday morn... cleaned and prepped that day, then applied primer and two coats of paint on Tuesday, you would have to pay for haul-out plus one lay day, that's $244 at $2/ft. One gallon of bottom paint should be enough, West Marine good stuff is $89/gal. Primer will cost another $40. Figure another $30 for paint supplies and the 3M blue masking tape for the waterline. So that's about $400 ... and you still have to do it yourself. Call some other boatyards for estimeates. Since you can easily trailor your boat, you can go where the best deal is.

 

[Joe]

Oops.....

If the $600 includes the sanding, it's a good deal. Building your own lift is an interesting idea, lots of boat houses are equipped with those things, and a C22 doesn't weigh that much. If it worked well, you could probably rent it out to other boaters in your situation.

 

[Steve W.]

I had a Precision 21, & did the bottom myself...

while it was on the trailer. The P21 is very similar to your C22. My basic procedure was to raise the bow up off the trailer about 12" using an vehicle floor jack and then I blocked underneath, moving the blocks as I needed access for sanding and painting.I also was able to loosen the trailer rollers and lower or remove them as needed. When I finished the bow end, I lowered it and raised the stern with the same method. I could not gain complete access to my centerboard, so I sprayed it with outboard motor anti-foulant paint. The bottom job lasted 3 years and my boat was in the slip in warm Florida waters year round. Get creative but make sure you safely block and secure the hull so it does not drop on you. Wear a mask.The job took all of one weekend to do. Hope this helps