Docking for the summer-what to expect.

elarson5757

Well for the first time I'm considering docking my 246CC at a local Marina for the summer.  It would be on the Saginaw River here in mid-MICHIGAN near the mouth and the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron. 

What concerns me is I don't know what to expect, prep, or plan for. I've docked at a resort for the weekend or even a week but never for months. 

Do I get it bottom painted and if yes what do I ask for?

Anything else I should do to protect the boat, drive, etc?

I love the idea but the lack of knowledge worries me..Id appreciate any insight this group can share. 

Michael T

First of all don't worry you'll have a blast meeting new people.

My biggest "immediate" concern would be to check the status of my anodes. This is because there is often electrical leakage at marina sites which can erode metals on your boat's hull - your anodes should be Magnesium.

Regard bottom coating - newer boats probably have vinylester resin for fiberglass lay-up which retards osmosis penetration more that earlier polyester resins. Before you bottom coat or use a special prep for your drive (as long as the drive doesn't have exposed metal - if that's the case prime and spray it) I suggest you ask the resident slip owners what they have done as that's a good guide.

elarson5757

Thanks @Michael T. My anodes are good right now. Very much in like new visual condition I assume because the boat only has 180 hours in 8+ years and other than a few weekends I docked it last summer it's never been left in the water more than for the day while in use.  

The Admiral and I are paying the marina a visit soon and will be able to meet and talk to a bunch of the "locals". 

Trashman

Cold beer usually encourages assistance with any mechanical issues while at your slip ;0)
 I keep my tool box full the entire summer.  

mattie

You might also look at stacking the boat - if your marina has the facilities. Avoid leaving it in the water. They have indoor stacking at our marina. Pretty slick system. Clean boat ALL the time.

LaRea

Ask the locals which specific brand of anti-fouling bottom paint they use, and whether they are happy with it (i.e. does it last multiple years with no fouling).  Don't just get any generic bottom paint ... get one that works in your particular area.  

Check out your slip.  If you will have any dock lines tied to fixed pilings, consider getting a set of TideMinders ( www.tideminders.com ) or something similar.

And get used to the fact that you will now have to pay special attention to your outdrive and anodes every single year to keep corrosion away.  New anodes every year, sand and paint any blisters in the outdrive paint and so forth.

You'll love storing in the water ... and you'll probably use the boat a lot more!

gslpro

Instead of spending the money on bottom painting, spend it on mid-season having the boat pulled out and cleaned by the marina, or pull it yourself and clean it at home.  My boat sits in the lake from April till November.  Marina gets it clean as new whenever they clean it for me.  Usually once midseason and once in the end of season.  I personally Hate bottom painted boats.  I think it is nasty looking stuff and when looking at a used boat, I would rather pay $10k more for an unpainted hull.  Just my opinion, but a strong one.  It falls off and resides in my lake where I swim?  Yuck!

Michael T

The esthetic appearance of bottom paint is certainly a personal choice.

If you trailer your boat bottom paint it is less of a requirement. If your fiberglass lay-up was with one of the newer resin chemistry's, such as vinylester you have less of a need for bottom coat.

Fresh water is harder on hulls than salt water as salt water is somewhat of a preservative. Fresh water migration from inside a boat can be much worse than from the outside in.

Salesmen who say bottom coats harm the boats selling price are entitled to their opinion (which I think is based on the fact that their boats don't have it or they are just aren't educated regarding the process) Statistics do not support that view. Many big cruiser lines are now leaving the factory with bottom coatings. Many are now using the new VOC free Aqua line.

Any decent surveyor has a non intrusive moisture meter that reads right through any bottom coat and can sniff the slightest degree of moisture. Any decent surveyor has a transducer set-up that can immediately tell if a hull has been damaged and an attempt to cover it up with bottom coat has been made. This was done dozens of times all over my hull by the surveyor recently.

Any seller with an IQ above a ping pong ball takes numerous before and after pictures of the hull, if bottom coating. Most hull coatings specialists take pictures of their process.

Actually, the idea behind the bottom coat is not for a "bottom" coat at all but an osmotic barrier coat - with a final bottom coat as an ablative dressing. It is really the application of the two or more barrier coats that you are doing for protection of your hull as these are what protects your hull from osmosis....and any boat that is in the water long enough will develop osmosis. One of my Rinkers did and it was on a boat lift its entire life. Rinker, bless them, paid to have the hull completely re-gelcoated - think $$$$$ on that one.

The final coat is an ablative wear coat that should never clump nor come off in chunks. The newer ones, like that applied to my former EC 360, are VOC free and pose FAR less risk to a lake/river than the boat hull waxes that are constantly shed (many containing PTFE and other contaminants) into the lake and the gas and fluids from most boats.

I noticed no difference on top speed after the application of my botom coat as compared to what I heard from  other boaters. In fact my top speed was faster than any of the non coated boats of owners I discussed the issue with. Maybe it was the newer type 502s.

So, imo, it boils down to how you use your boat and how long it remains constantly in the water. Then it's a personal choice of appearance. But saying that it won't better protect your hull, hurts performance or hurts re-sale is, imo, incorrect.

Cableguy Greg

The nice thing that some of these bottom coat companies have done is the multitude of colors. The Petit Vivid comes in white and one wouldn't know if your boat is bottom coated or not. @tniggel used the white and it looks great. If I was the original owner of my boat, I would have painted with white or a light gray. Since I am not the original owner, I have blue, which I am fine with.

JC290

out of all the boats i've owned (had four at one time) i only have had bottom paint on the ones i left in the water and were to big to trailer. just my 2cents 

TonyWalker

The Salt Shaker has had bottom paint for years now,. Since she spends 95 percent of her time out of the water, there is little moisture stress on either the paint or the hull.  I will make it a point to look up and post what was applied and maybe the when.  In my estimation, the paint adds to her good looks.

 

Tony

Salt Shaker 342

Liberty44140

I'll agree with Michaels comment on bottom paint. I bought a Rinker 310 years ago with no paint and decided to leave it. The growth was like carpet in freshwater and was very noticeable in the boats performance. I had it hauled twice to do the acid wash myself which was a horrible job. In our search for the 342 we just bought I avoided looking at boats that were not already bottom painted. No devalue here.