Non Paint Boat Bottom Protectant

[Captain_Crunch]

Hey Guys,
Does anyone know of a bottom (part of boat that sits below the water) protectant that is not a paint? I'm going to have my bowrider sitting in fresh water for a few weeks at a time and I don't want it to blister. I hate the way bottom paint looks on boats so I was seeing if anyone knew of a protectant or wax that will protect the bottom of my boat if I leave it in the water for an extended period of time.
Thanks

 

[RogersJetboat454]

There's really nothing you can put on the bottom of the entire boat short of paint that isn't going to be gone in the first 2 minutes of driving the boat.
Quite honestly, if your gelcoat has no current issues there shouldn't be any need to worry about blisters.

I'm a lake boat guy, and the majority of boats at the lake I go to are usually in the water from May till October with no blister issues.

Just my .02?

 

[BRICH1260]

I kept mine in the water this past summer unprotected and when I brought her home in October I had small blisters the size of a pinhead. I decided to have the bottom re done with white albitive paint You cannot even tell the paint is there until you get right up on the boat. Blistering does happen even after six months.

 

[Chris1956]

Some boats are resistant to blisters, some do blister. I do not know if there is any way to predict what you have. Newer boats can be more blister-resistant. i.e. Neither my '88 SeaRay nor my '98 Seaswirl have blister issues.

 

[ondarvr]

Bottom paint does not protect the hull from blistering, it may hide it, but won't prevent it. You need to use a barrier coat, typically epoxy, then paint over that.

Most hulls don't blister, but there is no way too know before you leave it in the water, the newer the boat, the less the chance of it happening though.

 

[rallyart]

No blisters on my old 1980 Grew and it spent at least 20 summers sitting on the lake. My current Sanger has none and sits on the lake for a month or two every year since 2007. You've got to remember it is a boat and is designed (hopefully) to be in the water.

 

[Captain_Crunch]

Thanks for the advice fellas. I think if it does ever end up blistering i'll just paint the bottom like you said, but hopefully it never comes to that!

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

DRYB,

Just a note, "bottom paint" is not really a "paint" but an antifouling coating. It offers no protection to the surface of the gel coat other than a resistive barrier for water borne critters and plant to attach to.

 

[shrew]

If you're only wet storing for a few weeks at a time, I wouldn't worry about blisters. If you still want to paint, I would have the gelcoat media blasted, then epoxy barrier coat, then painted. They make white paints for those who want the boat to look like it's not painted.