gotime34

Getting ready to splash in a couple of weeks and noticed that the bottom paint should be redone. I know they make a couple of brands of high performance teflon bottom paint. Anyone know what a good one is and where I can find it?

bmanafort

Why we are on the subject of bottom paint.
1. Does anybody know what it does to a boat for resale
2. Even the best bottom paint, how much does it slow the boat down
3. If you choose not to bottom paint. How often to clean a boat that stays in the water and what to clean it with.

Thanks

Back4More

Whats bottom paint?

jaybird

1. Depends on the type of boat. If it is a cruiser style, possibly not much if at all. However, if you may ever want to sell the boat to a FW buyer /dealer , they probably won't take it. If it is a performance type boat, it can drag the value down quite a bit depending on the age of the boat.
2. I've read somewhere before that if the bottom is wet sanded after painting, not much loss at all. However that would either take a long time or cost quite a bit to do. I've seen between average 2-5 mph losses on boats that could run 45-65 range. It depends on the hull, the paint, how cleanly it was applied, etc.
3. In New England, I used to pull my boat every 3-4 weeks (good time for a trip to the gas station too). I used a product called On/Off, about $20 a gallon. Put it in a plastic garden sprayer and spray on the boat / drives for about 5 minutes. All l would need to do was to give it a mild scrubbing and everything would come off almost instantly. Hose down well, and don't get the stuff on an aluminum trailer(wet it down) or on you!

madbouyz

After jaybird's perfectly straight and accurate response I thought I'd have fun with this one from a purely 'local' perspective.

1) Nothing ... all of them here have it !
2) Makes no difference ... everyone here has it so they're all going slower anyway !
3) About 3.5 days !

carney

Bottom paint, I would not put that on a ford. But I guess if they sit in the water all the time . you might not have a choise.

Wellby

I have bottom paint on my 27' Excalibur... slowed it 5mph

gotime34

Well here's the thing, the boat already has bottom paint on it, and its chewed up to all hell, so I know fresh bottom paint could not make the boat go any slower, it could only make it faster or stay the same speed. Also, my boat is at a marina so it does sit in the water all summer in a dirty river. I would not want to have to clean it all the time, I have enough work to do on it. So I kind of have to have bottom Paint, does anyone know a good brand or type?

madbouyz

Is your river fresh, brackish or salt and how long will the 'season' be for your boat ?
Do you know what is currently on it , in terms of hard vinyl based or ablative ?

jaybird

Yeah, you have to know what is on it. Certain types of paint won't adhere to others. Interlux has a good compatability chart, but of course it is for their paint.