St Clair Shores area bottom painting

kennydalglish

My Rinker is sitting on Blocks at Safe Harbor at Jefferson Beach.  Guy who was going to bottom paint it keeps pushing me back in the queue.  Anyone know of any reliable bottom painters that could get her done quickly ?  (24 ft Captiva so shouldn't be a huge project.
Can't wait to get her in the water so I can start enjoying it.

Thanks.

TonyG13

Is it already painted and you're just getting a seasonal coat? Or is it a new job on a never before painted bottom?

If it's just a topcoat of an existing paint - and you're handy - it's a fairly simple and straight forward job. Just a lot of bending, stooping, and laying on your back.

Most fresh water bottom paint is ablative like Micron CSC and can go right over the old coating.

Most important if you DIY is to know what your current paint is to make sure you get a compatible paint.

Now, if you're starting from fresh, that takes much more prep but is still a good DIY project if you're handy. And you can save a bunch of boat bucks.

Liberty44140

With all the covid boat buying, I’m hearing that just about anyone wort a salt that works on an part of a boat is months behind and pushing out jobs. Kinda like how my vet could see my dog in a day two years ago and now it’s 3 weeks!!! Anyway Tony gave you good advice, if you just need a coat of paint take a couple hours and roll it on DIY. We are happy to talk you through it. Good luck. 

kennydalglish

Yeah it's the first coat on a never before bottom painted boat.  That's why I would rather pawn it off on a pro.

TonyG13

From your profile pic looks like you have a trailer? I guess the next question than becomes how will you be using the boat? Trailer back and forth or in water for the summer?

With your size boat, and a trailer, you could not bottom paint and just haul it out every few weeks and wash the bottom to keep it clean.

Just remember, once you bottom paint it can never be undone or go back to bare bottom. You'll need to maintain the bottom for the life of the boat.

kennydalglish

Tony,  Yes plan is to keep in water at marina.  Went back and forth with the bottom paint vs no bottom paint and decided best solution is to go with paint.  Just need to get it done now so I can actually start enjoying this summer.  If anyone has a good contact in the St. Clair shores area that is not weeks behind then I would appreciate it.

Black_Diamond

It is really not hard to DYI to be honest. Tape off the paint line, dewax, apply barrier coat..usually 2 coats, then antifoul of your choice. VC-17M is great stuff, super easy to apply, dries in minutes, easy recoat with no sanding needed.  Plus it never builds up.  Does need annual reapplication.  Just my .02 experience. 

LaRea

You guys knew I'd say this, but I'll repeat it in case @kennydalglish hasn't heard my diatribe.  If ablative paint works in your part of the world, annual repainting is a waste of labor.  Apply at least two coats, preferably three.  Ablative paint is designed to wear away like the surface of a bar of soap.  Two coats will last twice as long as one coat, for the same amount of prep work.  It's more cost-effective to apply multiple coats. 

There, I said it.  

Exception:  Bravo 3 outdrives should be touched up every year for corrosion protection.  

Aqua_Aura

If in freshwater and you take it out in the winter I would say zero reason to bottom paint. 

Liberty44140

Are you sure about that AA? Here on the great lakes if we dont bottom paint we have quite a science project on our hands. My 310 was wet stored just for the summer and after 30 days I had hours of scrubbing with Zep toilet cleaner and a $200 lift bill on my hands. Huge regret, had to have it lifted a few times for horrible cleanings. At least in this freshwater you must bottom paint if wet slipped for more than a couple of weeks.

LaRea

Bottom paint is a must here on the Potomac.  Without it, the hull would have so much fuzz by mid-season that it probably wouldn't even plane.  Even with paint, some people need a mid-season haul-out.  

Cableguy Greg

I never painted my 232cc and it was wet slipped for 16 seasons. I would acid wash it with Slimy Grimy each fall. It sucked doing it, but it was my routine on that boat. Now that I have a cruiser that is bottom painted, I will never go back to a boat that isn't painted. I just pressure was the bottom and the grime is gone. No acid to eat my trailer paint.

kennydalglish

Thanks for all the input.  Definitely already made the choice to bottom paint by a pro at this point.  If he keeps putting me off I will have no other choice to do it myself since I can't wait to get this boat in the water.