Another trailersailor w/ bottom paint question

[cyberlord]

I''ve got a C22 on trailer, but the boat needs a paint job. Major crazing and cracking that probably only high build primer and a good topcoat will cure. I''m tired of getting covered in white every time we go sailing.

The bottom however is another story. The gelcoat is about worn thru at the bow (from beaching or grounding I imagine) and looks bad, even compared to the weathered topsides.

I was wondering if a topsides paint when used on the bottom be OK for a trailer sailor, or is there a better paint to use in this case?

Would a barrier coat be overkill?

Long-range goal would be to cruise ICW for up to 30 days or so. Would a bottom paint at that time be prudent?

Thanks for your inputs,

Tim

[paulk]

Hard to think that any topside paint would hold up in the water for 30 days. Whatever you applied - no matter how good it was - would be likely to lift, along with whatever antifouling had been put on top of it. If it needs paint anyway, an ablative (we use Micron CSC) will improve the looks below the waterline and won''t lose its anti-fouling properties between wettings when it''s dry on the trailer.

[Sailormon6]

My preference would be to at least barrier coat the part on the bow where the gelcoat is almost gone, and then cover the whole bottom with a fresh coat of antifouling bottom paint.

Interlux Paints has an 800 help line number on the label of their paint cans. Call them, describe your situation, and ask if you can just barrier coat the bow, to protect the worn area. If the rest of your bottom is not blistering, and if it is still coated with gelcoat, I don''t see why you couldn''t do it that way. If so, it would protect your boat while saving you a lot of work and a lot of money.