Under-Helm Plywood & Bottom Coat

[Grey56]

Evening all -

I feel like I may go 3 for 3 with my evening questions - but for what it's worth: the information from all of you has been invaluable.

Tonight - I have two questions:

1) Has anyone done a bottom coat (barrier + ablative since mine is dry-docked)? I have been watching videos where some people put wood chocks - but I am leery of doing it since I do not have a forklift.

2) In the painful process of labelling/re-wiring - I took off the plywood cover under the helm that covers where the wiring comes up through the bottom to the helm. It's become warped after 30 years - and I was debating on whether to just get some starboard. The wife says it wouldn't match - so I'm asking if anyone has had to replace this wood pieces & what you used.

 

[Hookup1]

I replaced mine with Seafoam Starboard. Color match is good.

I can't help you with barrier coat but I can recommend that the bottom be soda blasted clean. You may want to have someone do the bottom for you.

 

[Mwcarter41]

I replaced mine with Seafoam

Evening all -

I feel like I may go 3 for 3 with my evening questions - but for what it's worth: the information from all of you has been invaluable.

Tonight - I have two questions:

1) Has anyone done a bottom coat (barrier + ablative since mine is dry-docked)? I have been watching videos where some people put wood chocks - but I am leery of doing it since I do not have a forklift.

2) In the painful process of labelling/re-wiring - I took off the plywood cover under the helm that covers where the wiring comes up through the bottom to the helm. It's become warped after 30 years - and I was debating on whether to just get some starboard. The wife says it wouldn't match - so I'm asking if anyone has had to replace this wood pieces & what you used.

View attachment 28380

My boat is trailered now but purchased with bottom paint on it. I redone it myself since. Not a fun job for sure. Once this coat wears off, I intend to have bottom coat completely removed and back to factory if I can find someone to do it for reasonable price. (Personally not sure what that will entail). I recommend having someone else do it unless you want to learn and say you did it as I originally thought. Haha

 

[Hookup1]

Your bottom paint will never really wear off completely. It will have to be removed somehow. You will have to speak to others about likelihood of achieving "factory".

 

[Mwcarter41]

Your bottom paint will never really wear off completely. It will have to be removed somehow. You will have to speak to others about likelihood of achieving "factory".

Thanks for the info. Doesn’t have to be factory but atleast look decent once all bottom paint is removed. Figured if I never plan to leave boat in water, why keep wasting $$ to redo the bottom paint. Unless there’s other reasonings to keep recoating when needed.

 

[DennisG01]

Grey, is your hull currently bottom painted? How's the condition? Truth is, if you're on a lift and only do day trips, it doesn't really matter if it is painted/not painted/or somewhere in between. At that point it's only an aesthetic thing.

 

[cosmic]

I used 3/4 marine plywood on them but also fiberglassed the outsides and bottoms to hopefully make it safer from rot. Painted with rustoleum topside.

 

[cosmic]

.

 

[Grey56]

Grey, is your hull currently bottom painted? How's the condition? Truth is, if you're on a lift and only do day trips, it doesn't really matter if it is painted/not painted/or somewhere in between. At that point it's only an aesthetic thing.

It is bottom painted - and it's okay; but to be honest - it just comes down to aesthetics. And for the 3-400 bucks in Barrier Coat/Paint I'd rather try if I can figure out an easy way to get it on jacks.

 

[Grey56]

I used 3/4 marine plywood on them but also fiberglassed the outsides and bottoms to hopefully make it safer from rot. Painted with rustoleum topside.

This is a good idea; and a beautiful set-up by the way.

How did you go about putting fiberglass on it? Reason I ask is - we are pressed for space: so keeping 5 gallon buckets can be tricky.

 

[Hookup1]

It is bottom painted - and it's okay; but to be honest - it just comes down to aesthetics. And for the 3-400 bucks in Barrier Coat/Paint I'd rather try if I can figure out an easy way to get it on jacks.

The barrier coat will not be a match to the hull. It's going to look bottom painted. Barrier is also a multi-coat process (to create the barrier). It really only needed for boats that stay in the water. It probably should be bottom painted too.

Is your current bottom paint smooth? If the boat isn't in the water there is no need to keep re-applying bottom paint. Maybe to freshen it up. Or change the color.

 

[Grey56]

The barrier coat will not be a match to the hull. It's going to look bottom painted. Barrier is also a multi-coat process (to create the barrier). It really only needed for boats that stay in the water. It probably should be bottom painted too.

Is your current bottom paint smooth? If the boat isn't in the water there is no need to keep re-applying bottom paint. Maybe to freshen it up. Or change the color.

The current bottom paint is not smooth - and no it's dry docked. Just want to change the color from the sickly blue it is now to black.

 

[DennisG01]

It is bottom painted - and it's okay; but to be honest - it just comes down to aesthetics. And for the 3-400 bucks in Barrier Coat/Paint I'd rather try if I can figure out an easy way to get it on jacks.

Just a heads up... stripping who-knows-how-many layers of bottom paint down to clean gel (you have to do that for the barrier coat) is VERY laborious. You WILL be hurtin'! Hiring a company to soda blast is the way to go... but that's another cost. Barrier and bottom paint will be more than just $300-$400, as well.

Honestly... Just slap some new black paint right over top and call it a day. You can sand down some of the high spots first, if you want. Just make sure there's no EPA-sensitive people around - or lay some plastic sheeting down to collect the dust/flakes.

It's too hard to block a boat... but how is your boat laid up right now?

Or... just paint everywhere you can and don't worry about the spots you can't get to. It's not like you're going to ever see those spots!

 

[SkunkBoat]

You are "dry docked" You mean in a rack storage? or on a trailer?
You launch & recover in the same day?
So you don't really need a new barrier coat & you don't really need bottom paint

IMO, save your time and money, power wash it, buy the cheapest ablative paint and "blackwash" it one thin coat til it looks good.

regarding blocking...buy 4 boat jack stands and 6 or 8 blocks for the keel
IMO anyone who uses only block is insane. Moving stacks of blocks is painful and stupid.

Jack stands can crank your boat up off the trailer and off the keel blocks for painting. Worth every penny.
I use two MBS2 and two MBS1
https://scaffoldmart.com/mbs-2-with-long-top-29-45-.html

 

[Grey56]

You are "dry docked" You mean in a rack storage? or on a trailer?
You launch & recover in the same day?
So you don't really need a new barrier coat & you don't really need bottom paint

IMO, save your time and money, power wash it, buy the cheapest ablative paint and "blackwash" it one thin coat til it looks good.

regarding blocking...buy 4 boat jack stands and 6 or 8 blocks for the keel
IMO anyone who uses only block is insane. Moving stacks of blocks is painful and stupid.

Jack stands can crank your boat up off the trailer and off the keel blocks for painting. Worth every penny.
I use two MBS2 and two MBS1
https://scaffoldmart.com/mbs-2-with-long-top-29-45-.html

I have it on a trailer here on a storage lot - but yes: we launch & re-cover same day. Your idea on power-wash & paint is starting to sound like the more practical approach.

As to the jack stands - any brand recommendations? And for the blocks - should they be 4x4 or 4x6?

 

[Hookup1]

I have it on a trailer here on a storage lot - but yes: we launch & re-cover same day. Your idea on power-wash & paint is starting to sound like the more practical approach.

All power washers are not created equal. A high pressure rotary power washer can help remove some of the ablative bottom paint. Maybe smooth it out a bit before painting.

I painted my boat this year and freshened the bottom up with a coat of Pettit Hydrocoat. The bottom still looks good even with 15 years of touchups.

 

[SkunkBoat]

I have it on a trailer here on a storage lot - but yes: we launch & re-cover same day. Your idea on power-wash & paint is starting to sound like the more practical approach.

As to the jack stands - any brand recommendations? And for the blocks - should they be 4x4 or 4x6?

follow the link in my post ...scaffoldmart

8 x16 cement block.. plywood or 2x4 or 4 x4 on top all depend on what height you want...

With 4x4 on top of block, you crank jacks up just enough to remove the 4x4 and then a paint roller fits

 

[DennisG01]

Grey, I had a boat a while back that was about the same size as your boat (it was a 28' Sea Ray cruiser). I trailered that boat from the Chesapeake to the coast of Maine. Same idea as you, though, it lived on a trailer (save for a few days to about 2 weeks sometimes). The ONLY thing I ever did to the bottom paint was touch up what I could visually/easily see on the trailer. I never went underneath. Heck... sometimes I just used some black spray paint to give a quick touch up!!!