H260 bottom paint

[Bob 04 H260]

I will be in Florida for a couple of months this winter. The boat does not have any bottom paint right now. It is normally in fresh water and it cleans up well with a bottom cleaner and pressure washer. I'm wondering if I should apply a coat of VC17 to protect it while in the salt water. I know VC17 is not the prefered solution for salt water but I had it on my last boat and it worked very well in fresh water and the occasional trip in the ocean. I like the ease to apply and recoat VC17. The manual for the boat says "do not sand the bottom, it will void warranty". A close look at the bottom reveals a white coating that starts just below the waterline, I am wondering if that is a barrier coat and that is why they do not want it sanded off ? I sent an email to Hunter asking about it and have never received a reply.

What have others done with a trailerable sailboat for occasional saltwater use ? do you apply a bottom coat ? Have any of you sanded the bottom before applying the bottom coat ? has anyone used a chemical (liquid sandpaper) to prepare the surface ?
Bob

 

[soling42]

I've lived S of Tampa for a lifetime and have an '04 H260 that lives at a dock for our season from Oct-June. While we have a tenacious amount of bottom growth in the summer, I'd just let it ride if you're only talking about 8wks in the winter. After 8wks you'll have what amounts to sparse spots of baby growth similar to fine sand that will almost wipe off a nicely waxed hull after it sits ashore(or on the trailer) for a week or so.

Needless to say longer term would require 2 or 3 coats of a full on ablative paint for Fla, preferably with a biocide like Interlux sells for $250gal x 2. You MUST lightly sand the entire hull below the water line, wipe it all with super highly toxic wax/oil stripper and coat it at least twice while upside down under the boat. It's a hideously stinkin', expensive job that'll need redone every 2 yrs and you'll loose a small amt of boat speed too.

Every region has preferred types of paint to battle the local critters/growth but generally speaking nothing beats a nice unpainted hull for a trailered boat.

Wax it and let it go. It'll clean up if it's only 8wks in the winter.

Have a great time in Fla.
Mike and kelli

 

[Bob 04 H260]

thanks Mike, that is kind of the way I was thinking but have limited ocean experience and never tried a bare hull down there before was not sure if I was being realistic or just trying to get out of a nasty job
Bob

 

[George H260]

My boat bottom looks like yours - factory fresh. Don't spoil it by painting. I spent well over a month in Key West a couple of years ago and all I ended up with was some scum and a few specks of what I think were the beginning of barnacles. The bottom cleaned up well when I got home.
I wax the bottom each year and with an application of Slimy Grimy and a power washer it comes out amazingly clean. If you've been waxing your hull you'll have to de-wax (or sand) to get the paint to stick.

 

[Bob 04 H260]

thanks George, do you wet slip your boat all summer in fresh water ? what kind of wax works best ?

Bob

 

[George H260]

I keep my boat in the water from Mid May to Late October. I sometimes run the boat up on the beach and give it a scrub with a brush a couple of times a season. However, I did not get around to it this year so I had a diver that cleans bottoms for $50 give it a scrub just before pulling the boat. It took him about 30 minutes. He told me that he could immediately tell that I waxed my hull because the scum came off so easily. When I pulled the boat there was only a slight green tinge to the hull. This is normal. I took the boat home and gave it good cleaning with my power washer. Used Slimy Grimy to remove the green tinge and the hull is now as white as the top.

Any carnauba wax will work. Practical Sailor says Collinite 885 gets top marks. I use a carnauba wax from west marine

 

[Bob 04 H260]

thanks George, good advice as usual !

 

[Dock Holiday]

I have a 240 that has been painted and the paint is falling off. Thinking of removing all paint and just keeping the hull clean. Someone mentioned to me about leaving a boat in the water and not having a water barrier can cause blistering? This is all new to me any info on that?

Dock

 

[Bob 04 H260]

I asked Hunter Marine about painting the bottom of my boat. Here is the answer I got:

" It is recommend if the hull is sanded to where it breaks the
surface of the gelcoat you apply an epoxy barrier coat, if you are just
applying the VC17 just follow the recommendations for their application.
Thanks,
Don Martin
Hunter Marine
P.O. Box 1030
14700 U.S. Highway 441
Alachua Florida 32615"

 

[soling42]

Technically correct, the gelcoat is an epoxy barrier coat. If you sand THROUGH(ouch) the gelcoat anywhere you better reseal the wound/hull. On the other hand you WILL have to rough up the gelcoat on a virgin hull w/80grit to get ANY paint to adhere but DO NOT use a power tool to do this. It's a nasty job but it's you, upside down with a swatch of sandpaper "lightly" sanding the hull. Don't be a brute but DO get the job done or your paint will peel. Then it's the critical cleaner/stripper wipedown, and then multiple coats of your fav blend of ablative (for us)toxic critter killer.

Nearly all paint will eventually(years if done right) begin to chip off as it dries out on stands or a trailer so prep it as well as possible to get the longest base coat life while you're enjoying yourself under your boat. I recoat our ablative every other year so next season is my date with noxious contortionist nastiness.

(Here's a pic of "lightly" sanded)

 

[George H260]

Soling 42:
Been meaning to ask if you have pictures of how you jack your boat up off the bunks?

 

[Tom2909]

Hey Mike,

Interesting picture of the boat on blocks. Thx for sharing.

Do the straps connect to an overhead lift?

What is keeping the aft set of block from sliding out? The hull is fairly curved back there, isn't it.

Tom

 

[soling42]

Geo & T
I have a LARGE floor jack in my shop with a very flat concrete floor and jack the whole trailer and boat up in steps(after removing any superfluous weight in the boat), blocked higher at each phase, until I can support the fwd section with two straps from the ceiling of my shop along with a set of blocks under the bow. Built the shop with 22" I-beams for a nice strong roof that would hold a tank.

In the back I set up two cubes of blocks on each side of the stern with a stout beam across and wedges displacing the load at 4 or 5 spots on the hull to deck joint area. I then lower the trailer while the boat stays aloft. I may or may not remove the bow blocks temporarily(supported by the two straps) and pull the trailer out depending on how bad I want to get to the CB.

It's always a little spooky under the boat anytime you have one in the air so if you can keep a trailer just under it while the blocks or stands support it up about a foot you'll be as safe a possible within reason. Straps under the fwd section allow me to have a secondary safety backup and allow the trailer to pull out.

Always be as safe as possible with redundant safety support and a quick way out if it all goes bad. There'll be a day that I'll leave this to a younger guy but until then I figure I've got one more bottom coat in me. Hey, if anybody wants an apprenticeship in bottom paintology down in sunny Fla I can show them exactly how much fun painting can be.

Glad I don't have to do a 36' bottom(or bigger). Gotta love a trailer boat for ease of maintenance(at the house).
All my best, Mike

Here's the stern and bow pics

 

[Tom2909]

Hi Mike, Thank you for sharing. I can't get my boat in the garage, much less hang it from the ceiling!

Fair winds and roads,
Tom