BOTTOM PAINT OPINION

[NavySailor]

OK guys - running into an issue. the bottom of my boat looks like it had an enamel bottom paint. It's coming off in big chips. The guys at my local West Marine store said that since I am not going to be keeping the boat in the water that I should just forget about using a 'bottom paint' and to just clean it off the best I can and then apply a regular ole' epoxy paint from Lowes or HD.

What do you guys think? Obviously I would like to use the cheaper paint. But should I skip using a traditional bottom paint?

West Marine has it on sale this weekend. So if I am going to get it, need to do it soon. http://www.westmarine.com/west-marine-- ... 90_002_509

Here's how it looks - and it looks worse than it is. All that chipping is just paint. There are no cracks.


thx mates!

[Catigale]

If you are going to trailer sail, do nothing. Any blistering that might have happened has already happened, and epoxy won't fix blisters. If it hasn't blistered by now, it won't if you trailer sail.

Go enjoy your boat, be happy, put some Marley on and .....OoOOppps, wrong state.

[NavySailor]

LOL - thx. No blistering. It's just ugly so I want to put something on it. So if you don't think it matters an enamel should be ok for a season or two you think?

[Catigale]

Season or two or 10.

I've both trailered and slipped since 2003 without epoxy or bottom coat, just annual wax.

[NavySailor]

Sounds good thanks-just trying to make it less of an eyesore since someone else put it on there already.
Was trying to sand the old chipping paint off the v berth walls and ceiling. That wasn't working well so I grabbed my Bosch grinder with a wire wheel on it. Taking that paint right off. I unfortunately just nicked my arm with it - yeouch!!!
Thanks again!!!

[dlandersson]

Interesting topic thread

OK guys - running into an issue. the bottom of my boat looks like it had an enamel bottom paint. It's coming off in big chips. The guys at my local West Marine store said that since I am not going to be keeping the boat in the water that I should just forget about using a 'bottom paint' and to just clean it off the best I can and then apply a regular ole' epoxy paint from Lowes or HD.

What do you guys think? Obviously I would like to use the cheaper paint. But should I skip using a traditional bottom paint?

West Marine has it on sale this weekend. So if I am going to get it, need to do it soon. http://www.westmarine.com/west-marine-- ... 90_002_509

Here's how it looks - and it looks worse than it is. All that chipping is just paint. There are no cracks.


thx mates!

[Tom B]

If you want a bottom paint that will work in a slip or on a trailer I would use Coppercoat. With a coppercoat approved barrier coat it should last 5 to 10 years in a slip or 15 to 20 years on a trailer.

[NiceAft]

My is twenty years old. I am the original owner, and have never put a bottom paint on the hull. I did apply a good barrier coat.

A) For the first three or four years the boat was slipped in a fresh water marina. No exposure to a salt water environment.

B) The remaining years the boat was on a trailer, and slipped for only a couple of weeks.

Because of being in fresh water and not salt water, a bottom paint is not needed.

The worse bottom problem was green growth on the bottom. Oxalic acid removes this. (Very informative discussion on this forum, look it up)

Point of this is, whether to apply a bottom paint is determined by where and how your boat is used.

This has nothing to do with the original poster because his problem was (if I remember correctly) regular house paint being used on the bottom by a previous owner. As Catagale has pointed out: “If you are going to trailer sail, do nothing. Any blistering that might have happened has already happened, and epoxy won't fix blisters. If it hasn't blistered by now, it won't if you trailer sail.”

[kurz]

If you want a bottom paint that will work in a slip or on a trailer I would use Coppercoat. With a coppercoat approved barrier coat it should last 5 to 10 years in a slip or 15 to 20 years on a trailer.

I have cc on my for at least 8 years, never touched and painted...!
She sits 365/year in lake of Zürich, and gets trailered 2 weeks into the Mediterranean Sea.

Best ever, other's paint every year, I don't know why...

[OverEasy]

Hi NavySailor!

How have things worked out for you?
You’ve have had a good decade since you mentioned your bottom paint issues…
So what did you decide to do?
How has it held up for you?

Best Regards
Over Easy