bottom paint

[jwassdo]

Please help an inexperienced person.  I am planning on buying a 23 foot Com-pac and it will arrive on a trailer.   I thought it might be good idea to apply bottom paint before launching into my wet slip, but I don't know how I would get to the parts that are under the bunks.  I read Don Casey's article on applying the paint -- there's a lot of info out there on which paint to choose, etc. but nobody adresses how to paint the parts that are under the trailer bunks.  The boat weighs quite a bit and I don't think I could move it on the bunks while it's out of the water, can I? Thanks,
Jeff

[dawntreader]

Jeff,

Compacs sit on trailers with most of the weight on the keel.  You can brace the boat at the hull flange (using 2X4's) then lower the bunk board by loosening the adjustment bolt where it attaches to the trailer. 
I haven't tried this, but it seems like it would work.

good luck
mike

[Bob23]

Jeff: I also have a 23. I pay a guy 50 clams at the marina to pick it up off my trailer and drop it in the water for me. I usually arrange ahead of time to do this on a not so busy Saturday around lunchtime. They'll hang it on the slings during lunch hour- plenty of time for me to touch up the parts hidden by the trailer, including the bottom of the keel. Very safe and I don't risk ruining my trailer bearings in salt water. Ya know, those bearing buddies really don't work worth a darn.
   By the way, I began using Petit Hydrocoat bottom paint 2 summers ago. This is a water-based, pleasant to use and fast drying bottom paint. I was skeptical the first summer, but upon inspection at fall haul-out, there was nary a barnacle on the bottom.
   I'm sold on this stufff. You can order in through Defender-or at a marine store. Mine is blue; looks great.
   Where do you sail? I'm in Southern NJ, Barnegat Bay. My 23 is named "Koinonia". Cheers! Bob

[jwassdo]

thanks for the info, guys.  The purchase of the com-pac didn't work out, but I will be buying SOMETHING in the next week.  I currently own a 19ft Montego and am looking to trade up.  I sail in the St. Petersburg, FL area.  I grew up in NJ though and I know the Barnegat area (from land!) pretty well.  Everybody knows the lighthouse.

[Craig Weis]

OK, most everybody knows that skip here just wax's his boat...including the bottom paint from the factory. I normally leave the last two wax coats un-rubbed off.

Just for giggles this year I bought a $10 water base outdoor house paint from ACE Hadware. Rolled it on had painted the exact waterline, this product was guaranteed for 25 years. [on a house]. So for that cheap a price my boat sits in the water for the season...I guess I'll have to report when C&J comes out of the water and over to the car wash before winter storage. skip.

[Scott Statz]

Sorry the CP-23 didn't work out for you. 
A note on bottom painting for those searching here in the future. 

With the boat in the water, I marked the water lines.  I actually wanted them higher and I changed the color on my hull.  Later, I centered (as exactly as possible) my boat on the trailer.  Then leveled the trailer on the ground with blocks.  I was able to block up the trailer 1 foot off the ground for this job (more room to work under there).  Next, I ran winch straps from the stanchions to the trailer in four corners.  Now the hull is square and secure to the trailer.  You can remove the bunks and not have to wrestle with them while painting.  I rechecked water line markings.  If you properly centered your hull port to stbd and bow to stern, you should be able to take measurements from the ground to your markings and come up with an average.  If you are happy with the existing waterline - so mote it be!  The tough part is working under the keel.  Since my trailer was already 1 foot off the ground, I was able to block up the bow and lower the front of the trailer.  I chained the trailer to the bumper of a truck at the front of the trailer and a tree at the back - being very cautious that the trailer didn't kick out backwards.  I don't think it would have moved but better safe than sorry!  Then I reversed the operation for the back half of the keel bottom.

I thought about using the bunks and elevating the hull then dropping the rollers on the trailer but the first bolt broke off and I change my plans - but that might work better and might be a little safer?
Good luck!

[Craig Weis]

As to the question of how to put paint on the hull where the hull touches the trailer..here is what I did.
Say I want to paint the starboard side... so I just tie the port side to the trailer on the port side and lower the bunks using my 3/4" socket and ratchet on the starboard side. And paint away.

When it drys I jack up the starboard side bunks and tie off and lower the port side and paint.

As for under the keel as they sit on the rollers, I place a short 2x4 under the keel and jack up the whole 2000 lb boat on the jack. Manually raise the two port and starboard bunks tighten down the nut and let her 'sit' with the keel danging in the air. no big deal. skip.