Square Footage

[twodzusfittings]

I could use your help in calculating how much bottom paint I will need. The coverage on the paint bucket label states covers 400 sq. ft. My question is, for a Hunter 25.5, how many square feet is the area below the waterline which will be bottom painted including the rudder? The paint manufacturer recommends 2-3 coats. It will be polishing ablative paint. Anyone has the answer? How does one calculate this?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I don't know what the area is you want to paint but 1 gal will cover any 25 ft boat ever made. Two coats -twice as much. You should have some left over.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

I painted enough of these. It will take about 1 1/2 gallons. I use to buy two gallons as it was cheaper than buying two or three quarts vs. a second gallon. Two gallons

You will want two full coats and a third coating around water line. Also third coat on the leading edges of the rudder and centerboard

 

[twodzusfittings]

Thanks for the information.

 

[Regular Guy]

I painted enough of these. It will take about 1 1/2 gallons. I use to buy two gallons as it was cheaper than buying two or three quarts vs. a second gallon. Two gallons

You will want two full coats and a third coating around water line. Also third coat on the leading edges of the rudder and centerboard

Painted the bottom of my boat last week and can confirm what Dave said; I bought 2 gallons of ablative paint, needed 1 1/2 gallons for 2 full coats and a third around the water line.

Maybe worth to mention the DIY marina I was in did not allow open sanding. I could have rented from them a Festool vacuum, which they combined with a Harbor Freight 5" sander (cheaper to replace). I wanted rather to have my own tools and bought a 2.5 Gal shop vacuum with paper bags plus hose extension and a Rigid R2611 sander. It's a 6", 4Amp orbit sander, stays easy in your hands and sucks up the dust very well, love that tool.
I did also all my compounding and waxing with the Rigid R2611 by attaching a foam pad and on low speed.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Thank you Regular Guy for the confirmnation

 

[BrianW]

My H26 took 1 gallon and a quart for 2 coats and an extra quart for the a third coat on waterline, rudder, centerboard, inside CB trunk and bow. Dave's right on with the economics of 2 full gallons. You might even squeeze an extra season with the later use of your left over 1/2 gallon applied to high wear areas. BrianW

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Thank you Brian. Had over 42 inches of snow in the past two weeks. ;Ugh.

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

For Dzusfittings

Did no-one here remember that the 25.5 has an iron keel?

DO NOT paint the iron keel with bottom paint! It must be adequately sanded, faired and primed with epoxy before any application of ordinary bottom paint. I worked on one of these in about 2007 and was appalled at how much corrosion (rust) it had. I still, however, have some of the Primocon primer from that job-- just don't have anything else to use it on.

In my experience, the number-one cause of excessive pitting of sterndrives and saildrives is the application of copper-based bottom paint without proper epoxy priming. :naughty:

 

[twodzusfittings]

Yes DOB, very good point. I have that part already covered. The previous owner already sanded down and sealed the keel well, the same year I bought the boat. I was present and witnessed the process and work.
I certainly will be doing that again, grinding clean any rust areas and filling in. The epoxy barrier coat should be about a quart, as it is a shoal keel.

Is there anything else you can think of that I might not be aware of. I appreciate your input.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

What ever you do after cleaning the rust spots on the keel, I do not care what others think but do spray or apply zinc chromate or related material with it to the metal to prevent rusting or corrosion. Then fill with two part epoxy. I use to use a more expensive and longer drying called Water Tite but in all my years, it never failed on me.