Anyone heard of West Marine "Boatshield" bottom paint?

[deniseO30]

When ever I get my boat down to the chessy she comes back with a few dozen hitch hiking barnacles.

[CalebD]

Originally Posted by RhythmDoctor

Here's an interesting site that shows salt line location (current, average, and record locations) vs. important landmarks on the Delaware:

DRBC - The Salt Line

We're quite a bit further up the Delaware than CalebD is up the Hudson. Essington is about mile 88. But the salt line is a bit closer than I thought.

It's surprising that with all the rain and snow melt we've had this month that the salt line is 7 miles further north than normal. Maybe someone drained a reservoir for maintenance over the winter and is trying to fill it up now.

You guys up in Riverside/Torresdale/Rancocas are still well north of the highest ever salt line.

This is what I find so intriguing about estuaries. The Delaware River is composed of a big river and a huge bay whereas the Hudson has but a small bay in NY Harbor. The Hudson is largely oriented N/S while the Delaware Bay is largely oriented E/W. I find it interesting that your link states that the beginning of the Delaware River is the mouth of the Bay between Cape May and Cape Henlopen or whatever. They do the same with the Hudson even though the whole LI Sound (salt) is emptying into NY Harbor through the East River (not a river at all) and flowing up the Hudson for half the hours of any given day. These systems are quite complex and always changing.

[sailingdog]

The boat is unlikely to have any zincs on it, since the boat is outboard powered. If you can keep the outboard out of the water when not in use, that would be best.

Originally Posted by RhythmDoctor

Yes, I think I'll consider hiring a diver for mid-season. That's a good middle ground.

FYI, the motor is an outboard (2000 model year), and I suspect its zinc (installed on the cavitation plate) is due. Are there other zinc locations for a boat with an outboard?

Ulladh has said the current can run up to 6 knots through the marina. So the boat will be at hull speed even when it's in the slip. That may help keep it clean! Could also keep me from docking, though! I'm glad the motor is 15 hp.

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

The boat is unlikely to have any zincs on it, since the boat is outboard powered. If you can keep the outboard out of the water when not in use, that would be best.

I have not seen the outboard mounted on the boat yet, so not sure if there is anything that would impede it from being tilted up. But it mounts directly on the transom well - not on a bracket - so it should be close enough to reach the back of the housing, and I'm not aware of anything that would obstruct it,

Nevertheless, the lower unit is pretty badly stained because the current owner apparently did leave it submerged all the time - in fresh water, fortunately. I'm debating whether to ask him if I can change the lower unit lube while the surveyor does his work. I really should not do stuff like that on the boat before it's mine, but I'm virtually sure he has not done it, and I've done it many times before on my powerboat, so I know what I'm doing. At the very least I am going to wipe it down with some hull cleaner (oxalic acid) to remove the stains.

[RhythmDoctor]

Actually, isn't magnesium anode more appropriate for fresh water? I remember reading that zinc is for salt or brackish water only. Or are the salinity levels in Essington still high enough to qualify as brackish?

[sailingdog]

Magnesium anodes are for fresh water, aluminum for brackish, and zinc for salt water. Be aware that using a magnesium anode in brackish water offers greater protection but means the anode will get eroded that much faster and require inspection more often.

Originally Posted by RhythmDoctor

Actually, isn't magnesium anode more appropriate for fresh water? I remember reading that zinc is for salt or brackish water only. Or are the salinity levels in Essington still high enough to qualify as brackish?

[RhythmDoctor]

My C250 has now been in the water for a month. I did not replace the bottom paint, and I am glad I did not. I probably would have used ablative paint, and it would be gone by now.

The rudder was cracked by the marina a year ago and replaced at that time. The marina put ablative paint on the rudder (unlike the epoxy on the rest of the boat's bottom), and it looked in good shape before we put it in the water a month ago. However, after sitting in the Delaware currents the paint is gone in spots. The fore/aft edges are completely bare, and the paint along the water line was quickly scraped away by small pieces of drift wood. If I had done the whole boat with ablative, the waterline would be a total mess right now, and other parts of the boat would be almost bare.

The old epoxy paint is holding up OK. A little discoloration along the waterline, but otherwise everything looks pretty good. The floating docks do not get much growth on them, and they're submerged year-round. Looks like the Delaware current sweeps things clean pretty well.

I'll fully redo the bottom next off-season, but I'm definitely using hard paint.