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Author Topic:   Waterline Painting

minimontauk posted 12-01-2002 04:31 PM ET (US)
Just bought an 87' 15' Whaler. It's been a lake boat, never bottom painted. Other than putting the boat in the water until I get a scum line to follow, is there a way to lay out a proper waterline on tis triple v-hull? I figure there has to be an ingenious method out there. Let me know. Any advice on type of bottom paint, prep required, etc. would be appreciated. The boat will be moored at least three months per year in salt water.
Tom W Clark posted 12-01-2002 04:47 PM ET (US)
minimontauk,
The best way apply the waterline is to use a laser level. Read some detailed explanations of this method (and others) here:
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001396.html
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/002148.html
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002174.html
kgregg posted 12-01-2002 05:22 PM ET (US)
Is there any way you can keep the 15 footer out of the water for the 3 month period? I simply hate bottom paint! My 1991 Outrage 19 has bottom paint and I have no use for it (but am not yet motivated to attempt to remove the paint.) PLEASE don't paint the bottom unless you absolutely positively gotta!
11 footer posted 12-01-2002 05:40 PM ET (US)
I second that,
bottem paint really sucks. If you can find any way around it take it!!!!
11
minimontauk posted 12-01-2002 05:57 PM ET (US)
I bought the boat to use it, and I simply don't have time to haul it after every use. That would turn a day trip into an ordeal, I think. Is bottom painting going to kill the collector value, or what? Based on the outrageously high resale value of these boats, I can't see how that's much of a factor. I live on Cape Cod, and you would not believe how fast the crud and barnacles build up on a hull bottom. I have three to four months of good weather, so I am going to run this sucker!
kgregg posted 12-01-2002 06:04 PM ET (US)
How far (miles or minutes) do you live from the water? A 15 footer is easy to trailer and launch. I live 45+ mins from Ches Bay and launched my Outrage 19 nearly every weekend from late Aug when I bought boat until early Nov. Also, I amn quite certain that a paint free 15 yr old Whaler is worth more than a painted 15 yr old Whaler. Kevin
White Bear posted 12-01-2002 06:17 PM ET (US)
Let's not allow our desire for originality to ruin the fun of owning a Whaler. It certainly happened to many fans of the Corvette when they got caught up in the quest for "as delivered by the factory" condition and forgot that Corvettes are cars that are meant to be driven. The same holds true for the Boston Whaler - it is a boat that is meant to be used. If conditions dictate that such use is easier or the boat will be used more with bottom paint, so be it.
11 footer posted 12-01-2002 06:19 PM ET (US)
I am looking to buy a 15' whaler and I have passed 4 boats only because they have bottem paint.
At first trailering is a pain but once you become good at it, its really no big deal.
a 15' will be very eazy to trailer.
11
minimontauk posted 12-01-2002 09:02 PM ET (US)
It sounds like my "scum-line" approach is the simplest. The laser level idea sounds good too, but it seems a direct reading via scum, as it were, would give me a starting line. Can't I just offset this by 1", clean up the bottom, and start painting?
andygere posted 12-02-2002 01:38 AM ET (US)
You bought the boat to use it, so go ahead and paint the bottom! These boats were built to spend the whole season in the water, and get used every day of it. I suggest using the Interlux no-sand primer system instead of rough sanding the bottom. It worked nicely on my Montauk. Also, I like the ablative paint since it slowly wears away while it works, meaning you only need to put new paint on in a year or two and you'll avoid the step of sanding or scraping the old (epoxy based) paint off. Micron CSC has held up well for me, with just a light touch up at the water line after 12 months in the water. If you use the scum line method, make sure your waterline is symetric on both sides of the hull. If not, pick the higher line and measure it off to match on the other side.
By the way, where on the Cape? I used to run my 13 Whaler (with bottom paint!) around Nauset Inlet and Pleasant Bay
andygere posted 12-02-2002 01:40 AM ET (US)
Another plus on the ablative paints: You can pull the boat out after the end of the season, and if there is enough paint left (there probably will be), simply relaunch and go. The old style epoxy based paints lose their effectiveness after a few weeks out of the water and must be completely reapplied at the start of every season.
Bigshot posted 12-02-2002 10:26 AM ET (US)
I have owned 12 Whalers and only 4 had no bottom paint. I NEVER had a resale problem. 3 of the 4 were bottom painted right after I sold them which kinda broke my heart being I tried so hard to keep them clean. If you are only gonna be a weekend warrior with some week spurts, leave it unpainted. With colder water it takes about 2+ weeks for slime to grow. Spending Friday to sunday on a hook will not do anything to the bottom. If you do get a little yellow or slime use "MaryKate on/off" bottom cleaner. just spray it on and hose it off and she'll look like new. With the massive tides, etc, it may be easier to trailer for the most part. try it for a couple months, if too much, paint it.
RMS posted 12-02-2002 02:54 PM ET (US)
Bottom paint is expected in many areas of the country, and minimontauk's case highlights why some people would rather buy a painted boat. It's much easier to repaint than start from scratch. My 1989 16'7" hull came with factory instructions on where paint was necessary. I would call Whaler and ask if they have the same data for the 15' hull. Also, after painting every spring for many years, I took advice from someone on another website and skipped the painting for a year. Conventional wisdom is that standard paints, not ablative, 'go bad' after a few weeks out of water. Cuprous oxide is the active ingredient, and how exactly would copper go bad? In any event, I have now completed three seasons in NJ, 6 to 7 months each on my most recent application of Petit Trinidad. Your mileage may vary... Bob
minimontauk posted 12-02-2002 08:41 PM ET (US)
andygere:
I have a mooring in Cotuit Harbor. My boating is usually restricted to Cotuit Harbor, Sampsons Island, and the occasional run around Oyster Harbors, or up the Mashpee River.
alkar posted 12-02-2002 09:16 PM ET (US)
I spent much of the summer of 1972 in Cotuit and loved every minute of it. I was just a kid, but I had free run of the place in a little 13 footer w/ 25hp Johnson. My friends and I crabbed and snorkeled our brains out - catching sea robbins, jumping waves - that was the life! I envy you living in that beautiful place.
rmart posted 12-02-2002 11:06 PM ET (US)
I have an 87 18' outrage that I trailer in Centerville. I too spend most of my time with my wife and kids at Sampsons Island when on the South Side or Sandy Neck when trailering to the North side. I'll keep my eyes out for you next year.
As far as bottom painting goes, the scum line approach has worked fine for me in the past as long as the boat has been sitting with a regular load properly distributed on the boat.
By the way your company website looks beautiful, are all those house Cape houses? I think I recongnize a few.
PMUCCIOLO posted 12-03-2002 03:33 PM ET (US)
minimontauk,
When I had one of my larger boats bottom painted, we filled it with fuel, water, ice, equipment, and a few people. The painter then sprayed some sort of paint around the entire boat to mark the waterline. For the splashing which occurs when the boat is at rest, he painted about 1.5 inches above the line obtained as above. It was PERFECT.
I do echo the sentiments of others, however. If there is a way of avoiding the bottom paint, do so. It may not hurt the value of the boat much, but it does impair its marketability.
If you do proceed with bottom paint, sand the bottom, apply a barrier coat, then apply ablative paint. Don't forget the motor bracket, which requires some sort of special paint. Also, consider a small automatic bilge pump.
Enjoy your new boat.

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Author	Topic: Waterline Painting
minimontauk	posted 12-01-2002 04:31 PM ET (US) Just bought an 87' 15' Whaler. It's been a lake boat, never bottom painted. Other than putting the boat in the water until I get a scum line to follow, is there a way to lay out a proper waterline on tis triple v-hull? I figure there has to be an ingenious method out there. Let me know. Any advice on type of bottom paint, prep required, etc. would be appreciated. The boat will be moored at least three months per year in salt water.
Tom W Clark	posted 12-01-2002 04:47 PM ET (US) minimontauk, The best way apply the waterline is to use a laser level. Read some detailed explanations of this method (and others) here: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001396.html http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/002148.html http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002174.html
kgregg	posted 12-01-2002 05:22 PM ET (US) Is there any way you can keep the 15 footer out of the water for the 3 month period? I simply hate bottom paint! My 1991 Outrage 19 has bottom paint and I have no use for it (but am not yet motivated to attempt to remove the paint.) PLEASE don't paint the bottom unless you absolutely positively gotta!
11 footer	posted 12-01-2002 05:40 PM ET (US) I second that, bottem paint really sucks. If you can find any way around it take it!!!! 11
minimontauk	posted 12-01-2002 05:57 PM ET (US) I bought the boat to use it, and I simply don't have time to haul it after every use. That would turn a day trip into an ordeal, I think. Is bottom painting going to kill the collector value, or what? Based on the outrageously high resale value of these boats, I can't see how that's much of a factor. I live on Cape Cod, and you would not believe how fast the crud and barnacles build up on a hull bottom. I have three to four months of good weather, so I am going to run this sucker!
kgregg	posted 12-01-2002 06:04 PM ET (US) How far (miles or minutes) do you live from the water? A 15 footer is easy to trailer and launch. I live 45+ mins from Ches Bay and launched my Outrage 19 nearly every weekend from late Aug when I bought boat until early Nov. Also, I amn quite certain that a paint free 15 yr old Whaler is worth more than a painted 15 yr old Whaler. Kevin
White Bear	posted 12-01-2002 06:17 PM ET (US) Let's not allow our desire for originality to ruin the fun of owning a Whaler. It certainly happened to many fans of the Corvette when they got caught up in the quest for "as delivered by the factory" condition and forgot that Corvettes are cars that are meant to be driven. The same holds true for the Boston Whaler - it is a boat that is meant to be used. If conditions dictate that such use is easier or the boat will be used more with bottom paint, so be it.
11 footer	posted 12-01-2002 06:19 PM ET (US) I am looking to buy a 15' whaler and I have passed 4 boats only because they have bottem paint. At first trailering is a pain but once you become good at it, its really no big deal. a 15' will be very eazy to trailer. 11
minimontauk	posted 12-01-2002 09:02 PM ET (US) It sounds like my "scum-line" approach is the simplest. The laser level idea sounds good too, but it seems a direct reading via scum, as it were, would give me a starting line. Can't I just offset this by 1", clean up the bottom, and start painting?
andygere	posted 12-02-2002 01:38 AM ET (US) You bought the boat to use it, so go ahead and paint the bottom! These boats were built to spend the whole season in the water, and get used every day of it. I suggest using the Interlux no-sand primer system instead of rough sanding the bottom. It worked nicely on my Montauk. Also, I like the ablative paint since it slowly wears away while it works, meaning you only need to put new paint on in a year or two and you'll avoid the step of sanding or scraping the old (epoxy based) paint off. Micron CSC has held up well for me, with just a light touch up at the water line after 12 months in the water. If you use the scum line method, make sure your waterline is symetric on both sides of the hull. If not, pick the higher line and measure it off to match on the other side. By the way, where on the Cape? I used to run my 13 Whaler (with bottom paint!) around Nauset Inlet and Pleasant Bay
andygere	posted 12-02-2002 01:40 AM ET (US) Another plus on the ablative paints: You can pull the boat out after the end of the season, and if there is enough paint left (there probably will be), simply relaunch and go. The old style epoxy based paints lose their effectiveness after a few weeks out of the water and must be completely reapplied at the start of every season.
Bigshot	posted 12-02-2002 10:26 AM ET (US) I have owned 12 Whalers and only 4 had no bottom paint. I NEVER had a resale problem. 3 of the 4 were bottom painted right after I sold them which kinda broke my heart being I tried so hard to keep them clean. If you are only gonna be a weekend warrior with some week spurts, leave it unpainted. With colder water it takes about 2+ weeks for slime to grow. Spending Friday to sunday on a hook will not do anything to the bottom. If you do get a little yellow or slime use "MaryKate on/off" bottom cleaner. just spray it on and hose it off and she'll look like new. With the massive tides, etc, it may be easier to trailer for the most part. try it for a couple months, if too much, paint it.
RMS	posted 12-02-2002 02:54 PM ET (US) Bottom paint is expected in many areas of the country, and minimontauk's case highlights why some people would rather buy a painted boat. It's much easier to repaint than start from scratch. My 1989 16'7" hull came with factory instructions on where paint was necessary. I would call Whaler and ask if they have the same data for the 15' hull. Also, after painting every spring for many years, I took advice from someone on another website and skipped the painting for a year. Conventional wisdom is that standard paints, not ablative, 'go bad' after a few weeks out of water. Cuprous oxide is the active ingredient, and how exactly would copper go bad? In any event, I have now completed three seasons in NJ, 6 to 7 months each on my most recent application of Petit Trinidad. Your mileage may vary... Bob
minimontauk	posted 12-02-2002 08:41 PM ET (US) andygere: I have a mooring in Cotuit Harbor. My boating is usually restricted to Cotuit Harbor, Sampsons Island, and the occasional run around Oyster Harbors, or up the Mashpee River.
alkar	posted 12-02-2002 09:16 PM ET (US) I spent much of the summer of 1972 in Cotuit and loved every minute of it. I was just a kid, but I had free run of the place in a little 13 footer w/ 25hp Johnson. My friends and I crabbed and snorkeled our brains out - catching sea robbins, jumping waves - that was the life! I envy you living in that beautiful place.
rmart	posted 12-02-2002 11:06 PM ET (US) I have an 87 18' outrage that I trailer in Centerville. I too spend most of my time with my wife and kids at Sampsons Island when on the South Side or Sandy Neck when trailering to the North side. I'll keep my eyes out for you next year. As far as bottom painting goes, the scum line approach has worked fine for me in the past as long as the boat has been sitting with a regular load properly distributed on the boat. By the way your company website looks beautiful, are all those house Cape houses? I think I recongnize a few.
PMUCCIOLO	posted 12-03-2002 03:33 PM ET (US) minimontauk, When I had one of my larger boats bottom painted, we filled it with fuel, water, ice, equipment, and a few people. The painter then sprayed some sort of paint around the entire boat to mark the waterline. For the splashing which occurs when the boat is at rest, he painted about 1.5 inches above the line obtained as above. It was PERFECT. I do echo the sentiments of others, however. If there is a way of avoiding the bottom paint, do so. It may not hurt the value of the boat much, but it does impair its marketability. If you do proceed with bottom paint, sand the bottom, apply a barrier coat, then apply ablative paint. Don't forget the motor bracket, which requires some sort of special paint. Also, consider a small automatic bilge pump. Enjoy your new boat.