Removing bottom paint

[ddigler]

First post, glad to be a part of the boards! I just bought a 1996 Formula 280 Sunsport and am looking to remove the bottom paint. We have a place at the beach that we go nearly every weekend over summer but rather than leaving it in the water we pull it every weekend to flush the engines and give a quick washdown.<br /><br />My first question is will this boat require bottom paint if the longest it is ever in the water is 7 days at a time (we'll leave it in all week if we go down on vacation).<br /><br />Second, I'm figuring the paint is prob costing my 5-8 mph. What are my options as far as removing it? Not looking foward to this task but after its done it should be nicer. Thanks in advance.

 

[Dave Abrahamson]

Re: Removing bottom paint

First off, welcome aboard Iboats!!<br /><br />There is a product called "Peel-Away" that is supposed to remove multi layers of bottom paint in one application. I have the same problem as you. My boat no longer sits in the water and I want the bottom smooth again. I haven't tried this stuff yet but if you do, let us know how it worked for ya.<br /><br />Dave

 

[ddigler]

Re: Removing bottom paint

Thanks for the insight. Now I'm not sure what I want to do... I just talked to a guy at a marina close to our house and he said he would never (not even for three days at a time) put a boat in the water without bottom paint if its in salt (which I am). Any opinions on this? Somehow I didn't think a few days at a time would be that big of a deal.

 

[Dave Abrahamson]

Re: Removing bottom paint

It won't be a big deal. Just clean it real well and keep a nice coat of wax on the hull. A friend usually keep his in the water all weekend and sometimes more(not too much more).

 

[Steamboat]

Re: Removing bottom paint

You can get a chemical paint stripper for marine bottom paint from most marine stores, not cheap but it does work if you follow the directions. I have kept my boat in salt water over weekends before and it doesn't hurt much, just have to wash good when bringing out and flush outdrives. There will be a scum build up on the hull that may be hard to remove and I resommend a product called FSR that works well (wipe on, wipe off stuff). If the boat was just sitting at the dock for a week with no movement, I may get concerned about minor barnacle growth but if you use the boat during the week, it should be minimized.

 

[ddigler]

Re: Removing bottom paint

Thanks very much for all of the helpfull info. One last question for everyone... how much speed do you guys think I'm really losing by having bottom paint on this boat? If its not much I may just keep it on to be safe.

 

[Dave Abrahamson]

Re: Removing bottom paint

I'm waiting for an answer on this one myself

 

[fishingdan]

Re: Removing bottom paint

ddigler, it depends. Unless your boat had crud growing all over the bottom, probably not as much as you hope. Bottom paint is thick and you will have a little bit of weight savings. <br /><br />- A high performance boat has very little hull in the water at speed, so it is not a major issue in this case. <br /><br />- A boat that runs with a lot of hull in contact with the water, may benefit a small amount with a smoother flow of water over the hull. <br /><br />- Some engineers believe that a less than mirror finish on the bottom can be a positive thing. The surface irregularities of the hull break away from the water easier than a perfectly smooth hull. In fact some boat racers prefer a water surface with a little chop to it instead of a perfect calm day for the same reason.<br /><br />I'm skeptical of a 5-8mph increase from bottom paint alone. If that is your goal, make sure you have exhausted all other options.

 

[magster65]

Re: Removing bottom paint

Not everyone will agree with this but from my experiences expect a 5% +/- loss in speed.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Removing bottom paint

I'm afraid I'd have to agree with magster. The increase in performance will be minimal at best and in fact I saw so increase in performance whatsoever on my boat. <br /><br />When faced with the same situation I choose to keep the bottom paint on for cosmetic reasons. <br />Once you paint the bottom it will never look good again with out it and the painted bottom is easier to clean and maintain in the long haul

 

[Dave S3948]

Re: Removing bottom paint

Its also possible that when you remove the bottom paint, you may have to rub out the entire bottom, especially if the gel coat was sanded or roughed up prior to applying the paint that is on there. Anyway you look at it, you're in for a big big project if you remove the paint. And if you don't like the results you may just end up repainting it again. So I would think this one thru carefully.

 

[ddigler]

Re: Removing bottom paint

Thanks very much for all of the feedback. After thinking about it I've decided to leave leave the bottom paint on. All that work (to take it off) coupled w/ the chance of barnacles on the bottom all for a minimal speed increase doesn't justify itself in my eyes. Thanks again for all of the help.

 

[KilroyJC]

Re: Removing bottom paint

I forget who has the signature line here, but it is appropriate for this thread:<br /><br />If a dirty bottom slows you down, just think what it does to your boat!