Bottom paint?

[DEHusker]

Having a hard time deciding what to do with my current situation. I have a 2017 2501. I have rented a wet slip for the past two years and put my boat in for two or three days at a time about every 3rd weekend. There is no bottom paint currently and I keep it on a trailer at my house. I really think I would use my boat more and free up some space in my driveway but I’m really torn about putting bottom paint on the thing. My questions are these: how much maintenance and work is bottom paint? Also, will my boat deteriorate a lot faster if it’s kept in the water 6 to 8 months out of the year. I’m really worried about water logging it and having wood rot. Boat is in pristine condition. I’m also worried about resale value because as much as I love this boat I’m not sure it’s my “forever“ boat. I would probably be looking to sell in 2 to 3 years maybe. I live in eastern North Carolina. Thanks for the help.

 

[johnkn]

(properly) Paint the bottom and stick it in the water. I was reluctant but 100% happy. I go down to the Marina, jump on the boat, and go.

 

[lklandpier]

I've never been crazy about the way bottom paint looks. In addition, if buying used, I'm willing to pay a lot less for a boat that is left in a salt water slip for for the season rather than cleaned up and stored on a lift or trailer (out of the sun) after each use. Just my 2 cents.

Cheers

 

[Antidote]

Have the bottom painted by a professional. With the correct paint and prep it should last at least two seasons. I bought a slip after having my boat for 4 months. I took delivery of her brand new in October 2018 I now have 300+ hours on her. Does a slip allow you to enjoy her more? Heck yes.

People are afraid of what they don't know. If there was an option between two boats (one wet slipped and one trailered) if they survey the same I would go for the wet slipped boat. Boats are made to be in the water not on a trailer.

 

[knotflying]

Bottom paint the boat and at least have the first application done by a reputable pro. After that you can touch up seasonally. I tend to be a DIY guy, but certain battles I leave to others, like roofing and bottom paint. You bought a boat to use it. Bite the bullet and get it done. A majority of boats have bottom paint I really do not think that it will lessen the value of the boat. My rule of thumb is you get about one year of use per coat of paint. Also ask the locals what they use for their paint. Every area is different and some paints do better than others in you particular location. I use Pettit Vivid albaltive, black. It is ideal for a boat stored out of the water on a trailer.

 

[dave-j]

I have bottom paint and leave my boat on a mooring for the season. No issues. A key point is to have an epoxy barrier coat applied before and anti fouling paint.

I can't for the life of me understand the advantage of constantly launching and hauling the boat every time you want to use it. I would use the boat only about a third as often. Not worth it for short cocktail cruises or sunset fly fishing.

 

[pelagic2530]

An alternative might be to see if there are any "dry stack" type marinas in your area. That way the boat could be stored out of the water and out of the elements (potentially) and would not need bottom paint, and you'd still have easy access to launch and recover.

Failing that, I'd go ahead and paint it and wet slip it. The extra accessibility of just being able to pull up, hop in, and go is worth it.

 

[DEHusker]

Great replies, all. I’m so torn about the Bottom paint thing I’ve tossed around selling mine to get a boat with bottom paint already on it. Rack storage isn’t a great option either for me. Money spent on storage would negate any increase in resale value over 2-3 years. My wet slip is $600/year.

 

[dave-j]

I guess NC is very different than MA. No stigma of bottom paint up here.

 

[warthog5]

Ablative paint is nasty....Touch it and it will get all over you....It will also be all over your trailer bunks.

Hard bottom coatings are better for trailering some and will not get on you.

 

[Barry]

I keep Cabin Fever on a trailer, however I had it bottom painted because I take long trips, sometimes two weeks at a time. The coating needs refreshing every other year. The refresh is DIY and takes half a day.

I had my boat is a slip for a year, but found out i used it more when it is parked in my neighborhood boat yard. Fortunately my neighborhood has a dock and boat lunch near my house.

 

[Andy]

Having a hard time deciding what to do with my current situation. I have a 2017 2501. I have rented a wet slip for the past two years and put my boat in for two or three days at a time about every 3rd weekend. There is no bottom paint currently and I keep it on a trailer at my house. I really think I would use my boat more and free up some space in my driveway but I’m really torn about putting bottom paint on the thing. My questions are these: how much maintenance and work is bottom paint? Also, will my boat deteriorate a lot faster if it’s kept in the water 6 to 8 months out of the year. I’m really worried about water logging it and having wood rot. Boat is in pristine condition. I’m also worried about resale value because as much as I love this boat I’m not sure it’s my “forever“ boat. I would probably be looking to sell in 2 to 3 years maybe. I live in eastern North Carolina. Thanks for the help.

We've been in eastern NC since the early 1970's. All (5) of our primary boats have been bottom-painted. Our most recent boat is a Parker 2520 XLD that we got in Northern Neck Virginia. The bottom was 'unpainted' and the boat was kept on a lift at Cockrell Marine Railway Marina. Before bringing home (by water) we paid Cockrell Marine ($3,000, in case you're curious) to have the bottom prepped, barrier coated and bottom painted. We knew it would take months to get a boat lift built, and we kept the boat in the water in the meantime. Even in the brackish water of Pungo Creek, barnacles readily grow. Our previous two boats, were bought new from dealers, and they were already bottom painted (a 27' Albin and a 35' CT)... The bottom paint was a big plus for us! I've seen some folks are concerned about the losing top-speed with a bottom-painted boat. I see no difference with our Parker compared to others who post their top speeds and cruising speeds...

 

[Asjel13]

Some great replies! I usually lurk in the darkness here, but having gone through this 2 years ago myself I’ll tell ya I am more than happy with the plunge. I’m a vain person (kidding) and consider looks important to my boat so I went with vivid. Love it! I can trailer without worrying about drying it out, or leave it in for months with no growth. The lighter colors do “stain“ though. A boat is to be used as much as possible. If painting the bottom and keeping her in a slip is going to increase use I’d say your decision is easy. Don’t forget to paint the trim tabs as well as their mechanisms. Good luck!

 

[DEHusker]

I guess NC is very different than MA. No stigma of bottom paint up here.

Yes, true. The farther South you go, the more bottom paint is frowned upon. In Florida, it's practically a repellent to buyers from what I hear. It's very mixed here.

I guess I'm equally as concerned about boat deterioration (wood water logging, rot, foam water logging) as I am resale value. For those of you who have long-term wet slipped boats, is this much of an issue to you? Does trailer storage for 4 months out of the year let the boat "dry out" enough to avoid some of this potential.

Thanks, great responses so far.

 

[fish_kid]

My boat came ablative bottom painted and then touched up by the owner before he sold it to me... bottom paint DOES impact your power, fuel burn, etc... on my list of things to do some day is professionally repaint with hard paint as suggested by Warthog above...