When to use bottom paint

jim_dorton01 · Post by **jim_dorton01** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 8:45 am

I like many people who have posted am a new owner of a Chrysler 22. My boat has paint below the water line that appears to be chipping and needs a fresh coat. What type should I buy. I think I have decided to dock it at a marina so it will be in a fresh water location. Any advise will be appreciated. Thanks

WayneL · Post by **WayneL** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 2:26 am

Ok, I'm not a freshwater sailor, but all sailors have opinions. Your local marine store should be able to tell you what to use. You may not need any of the same bottom paints we have to use in salt, where marine growth can happen seemingly overnight. However, we're at the boat all the time, so it's not big deal to jump in the water, take a piece of Scotchbrite and wipe down the waterline. Marine growth starts at the waterline and progresses down toward the keel. If you clean it off regularly, it isn't so bad. Not nearly as bad as using the nasty stuff which is bottom paint. YMMV.

Rich · Post by **Rich** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 12:26 pm

Ahhh to live in a place where jumping in the water to clean the boat doesn't require a thick wetsuit or drysuit.

I used West Marine's Bottom Pro and that stuff was lame. Growth happened quite fast. Now I'm going to pull the boat out and put on some Petit Trinidad SR. This stuff, I am told, will definately do the trick it has two different biocides to keep stuff from growing.

The right bottom paint can definately make keeping your boat in the water easier. My dad recently got a boat which had been sitting unattended in the water for over a year, but because it had good high quality bottom paint on it, it had virtually no growth on it.