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Justin Collins
Tallahassee, Fl
Boat Name:
Model/Year: Cat 22 / 1979
Hull No. 9053
Hailing Port: Lanark Village |
 05/19/2004 11:10 AM Pacific Time
Until recently I have kept my boat on a trailer raising and lowering the mast pretty much every time I sailed. This has worked ok, but adds an hour so to the beginning and end of each sail. Oh I miss the days when I could show up, step on the boat, and be under way in 5 minutes. And at last my prayers have been answered! I have located a dock in a river that I can tie up to. My question is this ...
I am not sure when the last time this boat was bottom painted, its been a year or so since I got it out of a lake. Since that time it has been on a trailer except when sailing, minus a few weekend trips. The bottom looks great, no blisters although when you rub your hand on the bottom after its been in the water a while the paint rubs off on your hand. I would like to leave the boat in the water for the rest of the summer, but dont want to damage the hull. The river runs into the Gulf of Mexico and the dock is in generally brackish water. Do I have to repaint the bottom? Could I do something like leave the boat in the water for a month and a half or so, then pull it out and let it dry out for a few weeks, and then put it back in the water until September? It would take me a month or two to get it painted and at this point I wouldn't be able to sail the rest of the summer. Any ideas about what I can do? Thanks for the help.
Justin |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
05/19/2004 12:57 PM Pacific Time
Justin - It sounds like you have some sort of paint on the bottom, you are just not sure what kind. I suggest you put the boat in the water for a weekend, then haul it out on the trailer and inspect the bottom. If it is still clean repeat the procedure for a week, then two weeks etc. I think you will know within the first week or so, if the critters are going to grow on the botttom. |
Justin Collins
Tallahassee, Fl
Boat Name:
Model/Year: Cat 22 / 1979
Hull No. 9053
Hailing Port: Lanark Village |
05/19/2004 1:27 PM Pacific Time
Yes, it has been painted. I just don't know with what or how long ago. Also I think I read somewhere that UV light destroys the anti-fouling ability of bottom paint. The boat was left in a fresh water lake for considerable time when I got it. There was some minor algae growth at that time but not much for having been in the water for 2+ years. The keel has some .... nodules, for lack of a better word, protruding through the paint on it that I think are rust? They break off rather easy with a brush. Hopefully I can make it to winter and do an overhaul. Thanks for the input. |
Lynn Buchanan
Nevada City, CA
Boat Name: SAILYNN
Model/Year: SWING 1984
Hull No. 11994
Hailing Port: SCOTTS FLAT LAKE, CA |
05/20/2004 11:36 AM Pacific Time
Because you said when you run your hand across the bottom when it's wet paint comes off, I believe the previous owner put on ablative paint. That's good if you are going to haul and launch and sail. Most trailerable boats use ablative paint because it can be multi season and is not affected by UV when on the trailer and reactivates when you get it wet. If you just let your boat sit in the slip and don't sail it, then the ablative process doesn't work to good as it needs the sailing friction to rid the buildup of critters and slime. The nice thing about ablative paint is it just takes a scrubing, not sanding, when you have to redo it, then put on one or two coats and your ready to go. If you don't use an ablative paint, the hard paint will cure when you are not in the water, you will have to sand before repainting, and there is a greater chance of paint buildup which makes the prep work for repainting a real chore. You can put ablative paint on a hard painted surface, but you can't repaint an ablative painted surface with a hard paint or it will just slough off. I would recommend going with the ablative paint, even though it costs a little more. |
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