Do I need bottom paint?

[Aaronbcky]

This is me and my wifes first boat- a 24' cruiser. I live in Ohio, and plan on
keeping the boat on Lake Erie for the season. We would like to have it in the
water all season, so we can get to know our neighbors and such, but we have run
into a dilema. I was told that you have to paint the bottom of the boat in
order to keep it in water throughout the season. What exactly haappens to the
bottom? Haven't been able to get any real answers, other than it turns an ugly
green. Is it true I need bottom paint?

I looked into the price of bottom painting- one quote at $2500. Seemed
very steep to me, but then again, it's only one quote. Do I need to spend that
kind of money for this? If the water really does damage the boat/paint, then I
have really no choice but to go for this option IF we want to keep it in the
water all season. My other option is to keep it in a rack, and have it put
into the water when I ask for it, but this takes some of the fun out of the
whole experience.

So any info one might have would be helpful.

Thanks
A.Smith

[Tony Thomas]

I would definetly opt for the rack.

If you want to keep it in the water you will definetly want to have bottom
paint applied. This is a two step process. Step one is a barrior coat that
seals the hull to prevent water absorbion and blistering. Fiberglass
unfortunately will absorb water over time and will seperate the layers.
This is what causes blisters in the hull. You will have a very hard time
selling the boat if this happens. It can be fixed but that too is very
expensive and then you will need to bottom paint to leave in the water.
Part two is the actual bottom paint that keeps the algea and stuff from
building up on the hull.

Another problem w/ keeping it in the water w/out paint is the hull will turn
yellow and you may or may not ever get it off.

--
Tony
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/thomastl1

"Aaronbcky" <aaro...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030228181235...@mb-fm.aol.com...

[Dennis Compton]

"Aaronbcky" <aaro...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030228181235...@mb-fm.aol.com...

If you do not bottom paint the boat bottom will become covered with algae, resulting in
decreased performance and increased fuel consumption.

Bottom painting is not hard...just messy. You can certainly do a 24 footer with a
single gallon in a couple of hours. This will cost you about $100-$160.

I also boat in fresh water and have had good luck with Interlux Bottomkote ACT.

If the bottom has never been painted, you may want to first paint it with an epoxy
barrier paint (about $50-$80/gallon, then follow it with the bottom paint (if the
bottom paint color is dark, use a light colored epoxy, and vice versa. The epoxy
barrier will seal the fiberglass and prevent blisters.

The person giving you the $2500 quote was nuts.

[QLW]

Dennis said:
Is it true I need bottom paint?

AAron Said

The person giving you the $2500 quote was nuts.

I say:
$2500 may not be nuts, depending on what has to be done.

[Dennis Compton]

"QLW" <Qwe...@ev1.net> wrote in message news:v601otm...@corp.supernews.com...

Actually Aaron asked if he needed to bottom paint and I replied yes.

I also stated that a quote of $2500 to bottom paint a 24 foot boat is nuts. How can
you justify that quote QLW?

[QLW]

If the boat has to be hauled, transported, blisters repaired, etc.,
etc...then $2500 gets eaten up pretty quickly. You and I did not get to
look at the boat and have no way of knowing what a reasonable price is.
$2500 may well be nuts, but until I had a close look at the boat, I wouldn't
be passing judgement. I own a welding shop and have 35 years of experience
and I'm constantly having to deal with people with no experience at all that
insist that their job should only take a few minutes. Nothing takes just a
few minutes except sex when you're 17. :-)

"Dennis Compton" <dcom...@templatecom.com> wrote in message
news:OST7a.296015$HN5.1...@rwcrnsc51.ops.asp.att.net...

[Dennis Compton]

You are reading wayyyy too much into his original question.

"QLW" <Qwe...@ev1.net> wrote in message news:v608sen...@corp.supernews.com...

[RGrew176]

>From: aaro...@aol.com (Aaronbcky)

Hey, I will do it for $1000.00. Actually you do have two choices. If you are
going to keep it in the water you will definitely have to use bottom paint.
Lake Erie gets so warm that algae and other stuff will grow on your hull quite
quickly. Your boat would grow a healthy beard in just a short time.

Option #2 is the rack storage method. You will not have to apply bottom paint
because you will be in and out of the water. Rack storage has it's advantages
and disadvantages. Advantages are: your boat is inside out of the sun and
weather. Sun will age a boat quickly. The boat will stay cleaner. Being inside
makes it harder, though not impossible for a thief to break into your boat and
take what they want.

Some of the disadvantages are: you cannot just go down to and hop on the boat
at any time. They have to get your boat out of the rack and put it in the
water. That is probably the biggest disadvantage. I have been in rack storage
since 1996 and I love it. My boat still looks new, no sun fading. My canvas and
isinglass (sp) are still original, my boat is a 99 model, and both still look
like new. My boat does get dusty when it sits in the rack for awhile but a
quick rinse and I am on my way. My marina has docks that are for the use of the
rack customers. I can put the boat in on a Friday evening and stay there until
Sunday if I like. I have been in the water as long as 2 weeks at my marina.
While rack storage may not work for you it has worked quite well for me.

I am looking at the possibility of moving up in size and am planning on staying
within the parameters needed to stay in my rack. I pay about $2000 per year for
my storage.

Hope this helps.

BTW a $2000 quote for bottom painting is obscene IMO, but my offer stands, I
will do it for $1000.

45 days to go..

One of the quickest ways for a young man to fail in life is to work so hard the
boss will think he's after his job.

[StephenP]

I had my new 24' glass boat sanded and two coats of bottom paint applied by
one of the most reputable boat works companies on the Oregon coast for about
$1200. Recoating should be about $500-$600 and it will need it every few
years. The initial shot costs more because of the prep work. $2500 seems
high, but if it's used and never painted, there may be a lot of prep work to
do. It'd have to be quite a bit though. "Nice work if you can get it", one
bottom painting job and it's off to the Bahamas!

"Aaronbcky" <aaro...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030228181235...@mb-fm.aol.com...

[Insomniac]

On 9/8/01 I paid $600 for bottom paint, $175 drive paint and $62.50 haul out
at Totem Marine in Tacoma, WA. Total with tax was $908.69. This was for
first time bottom paint job on new 25' Maxum.

Check with some local dealers. That's where I got my referral. These guys
did a top notch job for me.

"StephenP" <pitchin...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:FL2cnVX9LOJ...@comcast.com...

[Tony Thomas]

I assume they intalled a barrior coat before the bottom paint. Do you have
the breakdown of the barrior coat and bottom paint?

--
Tony
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/thomastl1

"Insomniac" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:OzW8a.343771$HN5.1...@rwcrnsc51.ops.asp.att.net...

[Insomniac]

It's broken down just as I listed it. I do believe they did two coats so I
assume they did a barrier coat first.

"Tony Thomas" <t.th...@mchsi.com> wrote in message
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