Cost of adding bottom paint

[Porkchunker]

With the cost of fuel, I've been thinking about dropping my boat into a slip and selling the big diesel truck. I've discovered I can rent a truck to haul the boat from the water in the fall, to/from the annual service, and put her back in the water in the spring.

Hard to justify the cost of a truck 365 days a year when you only really need one a few times a year.

What does it cost to have the bottom prepped and painted with bottom paint? Must calculate that into the equation before deciding on whether or not to keep the truck.

Truck is paid off, and is certainly cheaper to drive (even with the cost of fuel), than going into debt for a more efficient vehicle. That will go into the equation also.

What is causing me to think about this option is the availability of slips. I guess a lot of folks are either selling their boats, or leaving them in shrink-wrap on the hard. For whatever reason, they are not going back into the water and causing an unexpected availability of slips. In the past, I figured it was a two year wait to get one, but now I'm thinking it may be time to change my ways.

Dave

aka

 

[Bryan 2530]

If your doing it yourself, just some sand paper, solvent wash, (whatever is reccomended by the paint you choose) and time. Way less than $100 not including paint.

Now if you go barrier coat route it gets more costly.

 

[goinsfishin]

if you do it yourself you are looking at 4-500 depending on the paint used.
Be forwarned it's a labor intensive, dirty, hot process.
The secret is in the prep work, sanding and washdown before barrier coat.
If you use ablative, Do three coats of paint, two base coats and the final coat in a contrasting color, makes touch up in the spring a piece of cake.

Having it done properly by a shop you're looking at $30-40 a foot.
Check around with different shops, prices vary widely....as does quality of work.
Nothing worse than somebody doing a bad prep job and 6 months later your paint is peeling off. (Ask me how I know) !!

 

[Chesapeake]

Tristate charged me $400 for the initial application.

 

[fishbaybridge]

I've got an 18ft Parker and for two coats of barrier and two coats of
ablative I was quoted 800.... I elected to put it in a boatel for six month
instead...

 

[Porkchunker]

When I filled the diesel truck yesterday it cost me $146. Won't be long before it is approaching $200.

With numbers like that, I figure I can recover the cost of the bottom paint and part of the slip in the first year. After that were I only need touch up, I believe I can save a lot of money by not placing it into diesel.

Won't know for sure until I finish collecting costs and run some numbers through a spreadsheet.

Dave

aka

 

[Megabyte]

The secret is in the prep work...

True words... :wink: