Bottom paint or not?

[DeepBlue2010]

All,
I am planning to leave my 28 footer (I/O) in the water next season for much longer time than she used to. Usually, she rests on a dry moorage slip after each trip which never longer than few days. Starting next season, I am planning to leave it near my fishing ground and drive there. This means she can be in the water for weeks at a time starting May until end of Aug. Maybe few lifts for few days during this time period but she will be in the water most of the times. Beginning September, my fishing ground will be near the dry moorage so I move her back and it will be the normal dry moorage routine after each trip. I am worried about leaving the boat in the water for the majority of 4 months. Blistering and marine growth, etc comes to mind.
With that said, do you guys think I will need to paint the bottom with Antifouling paint or not?

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Bottom paint or not?

Salt water or Brackish ???

Interlux Interprotect 2000 for the barrier coat . . . 2-3 coats

Antifouling paint of your choice . . . ePaint EP-2000 is what I use.

Outdrive antifouling . . . I have not found a really good product yet

Anodes - Aluminum

My boat stays in the water 4 months of the year. . . . the first 2 months are fine, then as the waters warm, things get a little growth-like. Your waters will probably vary, so you might check with some locals as well.

blistering is more of a fresh water thing, but it is better to put antifouling paint over a barrier coat anyway.

 

[gddavid]

Re: Bottom paint or not?

Yes, you definitely want bottom paint and be sure to apply a barrier coat beforehand to protect the boat from blistering. Different bottom paints perform better than others in different marine environments so it is smart to ask around your area to find out what brand and product perform best in your water and climate. Some paints do better than others when it comes to taking the boat out of the water periodically, so try to find someone who uses their boat similarly in your area and see if they like what they are using. The most expensive may not always be best so local knowledge may save you some money. I would definitely use an ablative product which wears away and leaves you with less to sand off when you need to repaint it.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

Re: Bottom paint or not?

Sorry, I forgot to specify. It is salt water.

Does it make any difference that I can take the boat back to the marina for dry docking and cleaning any time I want?

For instance, I can drive the boat back after 2 month for a good wash and clean. Does this impact the recommendation?

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Bottom paint or not?

I used to moor my boat all summer in the salt, after a few weeks stuff starts to grow and stick around here, and it's a good deal of work to get it off.

I would definitely use a antifouling paint. As for an epoxy barrier coat... that's tougher, I've never used any and never had any blisters, most boats don't blister, but that is up to you. Since you need to prep the hull for bottom paint, it would be a good time to apply a barrier coat if you wanted too.