Treating her bottom?

[Eagleye]

Thanks for the suggestions and ideas on the bottom paint for the Madame. I remember the dealer indicating that he used Interlux to do the initial bottom paint job so I will probably stick with that.  This looks like a job that may have to wait until I'm retired in a year or two.
Thanks for your help Gents!
-Allen

[Vectordirector]

Allen,

If the pic you posted is current, your boat's bottom looks much better than mine did before I removed the paint.  Cosmetically.  If you can live with that and are trailering, I would leave it as is and see how it goes.  If you can't stand the uneven look, and I couldn't, get it painted.  It was also more of a stroke of luck that it came off so easily.  Yours looks like it would be a lot more work to get down to the barrier coat.  The stuff once on doesn't last forever, even trailering.  You could ask the pros if you could go back to bare gelcoat, but I don't know if if can be done without great trouble and expense.  If I bought a new boat and were only trailering or on a lift, I wouldn't paint it.  I see a ton of boats down here when I'm cruising the canals and most of them that are on lifts are bare bottomed.  You should see the marine growth on the seawalls and pilings in these canals.  I left my boat in the water for a week before the lift was ready and it was fine.  No leaks, ever. The bottom looks great. I wouldn't want to leave it in much longer unprotected.  We'll see how it does in the intense summer sun.  I already need to refinish my wood.  3 coats of Cetol lasted a little over 2 seasons, not bad.  Just needs another coat or two.  A project for the coming week if the lack of predicted winds holds true. 




Vectordirector

[Shawn]

When I had my Flying Scot I day sailed it. Bottom was just waxed and that was in fresh and salt water. I always washed it after getting it home. I did have a few times when it stayed in the water for multiple days but it was fresh water. Should be no problem for short amounts of time like that. In fresh water for a season and bottom paint would be needed to cut down on slime and to help prevent blisters.

In salt water for the day is fine as long as you wash it when you get out. Any longer than that and you are going to start seeing barnacles and other growth on the hull pretty quickly. I was always amazed at home much darker Serenity's rudder was at the end of a long day sail due to the growth starting to build up on the HDPE rudder blade.

Shawn