Bottom Paint dilemma

sevseasail · #1 04-12-2012

The boat: 1980 Catalina 22.

The situation: She's in the trailer on my driveway and needs a paint job before she goes to the slip for the season (will take her out of the water for the winter).

The Dilemma: I can do the job if it wasn't because I don't have the time right now and I really want to put her in the water and go sailing... I (that means my lovely wife that let me buy the boat) want her out of the driveway ASAP.....

A yard quoted me $55/Ft or $1210.00 to do the job but they are so busy it won't be done for 3 to 4 weeks

. (I can have her till they are ready to work on her and deliver to them a couple of days before the job).

Do I put her in the water and take her out in 3 weeks for them to do the job? or, Do I take a weekend to do it myself and save me the time and aggravation of having to launch and retrieve a couple of times? or, Do I put her in the water, keep her for the summer and then deal with the issue in the fall?

All suggestions appreciated....

Here's a couple of shots of what it looks like now.

What do you think? and thank you for your replies!!!

DRFerron · #2 04-12-2012

That's a lot of money for a 22 foot boat. Are you getting something done in addition to bottom paint? We don't pay nearly that much for a 30 foot boat. We used to keep our 22 footer in the slip. Can you paint what you can get to on the trailer and let the yard touch up the rest just before it goes into the water? I'm assuming they don't have a ramp and are using a travel lift? You don't say.

I can't imagine it'll take you more than an hour or so to paint it and you can do it just before it goes into the water.

deniseO30 · #3 04-12-2012

Wow. for $200 or so in paint and supplies you cant find a day or 2 half days to do it? It's only a 22ft boat!

sevseasail · #4 04-12-2012

I though it was a lot of money too, for a boat not worth $3000.00, but like I said, i have no time. besides, they are the only ones that work on sailboats around here, not much choice, I called another guy and he's response was" what's a catalina 22??" he works on powerboats; lots of those around here... (inland lake)

I know I can paint in about one hour, that's not what takes time, the prep is what takes time, plus I don't want all that anti-fouling dust on my driveway.

The yard is not on the water so, i will have to trailer to them and I imagine they will use a lift, I know they have one, I've seen it.

I might just do it myself, take an entire weekend and deal with it. Sanding, washing, lifting the boat from the trailer (that alone would take 1/2 a day) painting, and lift the other end and do it again.....

Thanks!!!

Thank you!!!

deniseO30 · #5 04-12-2012

this may sound like I'm being a smart A$$ but how will you find time to sail if you don't have time to do the basics?
Tape the water line.. sand the hull with 100 grit.. wipe it down to remove all the dust. then roll on paint. = is all a yard would do. some don't even sand them.

CorvetteGuy · #6 04-12-2012

I would agree, time to sail time to work, Deffenition of Sailboat in the dictionary.... A hole in the water, which one throws time and money.
A quick sand and some tripple XXX or act bottom paint your in for the season.Don't forget a mask of sorts and a bottle of rum, call it a work party.
GL happy sailin

DrB · #7 04-12-2012

something wrong.

It should take max 15 minutes to tape the waterline, 15 min or so to wet scotchbrite it/wipe it dry, and 40 minutes max to paint it. 2 h total start to finish with prep and clean-up.

I have a 33 ft boat, and my wife and I do it in about 2h and it is a LOT more area than your boat.

Paint everything that you can up to the trailer supports. When you go to launch it, as the boat moves off the trailer, stop it and paint the areas where the pads/supports were. Allow it to dry for about 2 minutes and proceed with launching. The solvent in the paint evaporates real quick. If your using a water-based paint, dry it with a hair dryer to accelarate the drying.

deniseO30 · #8 04-12-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrB

Paint everything that you can up to the trailer supports. When you go to launch it, as the boat moves off the trailer, stop it and paint the areas where the pads/supports were. Allow it to dry for about 2 minutes and proceed with launching. The solvent in the paint evaporates real quick. If your using a water-based paint, dry it with a hair dryer to accelarate the drying.

Oh My! I new there was an easier way!

jfitzgerald · #9 04-12-2012

Ditto DrB's advice. Also, realize that after a few weeks in the water, that fine, bright water line will look as dull as the previous paint. Some of us slovenly souls skip the fine lining when in a hurry to launch.

sevseasail · #10 04-12-2012

Thank you all for pitching in...

OK, to answer some things.
I only have Sundays off, if I spend them working on the boat i wont be sailing on that day. if i need 4 days to do a bottom job that's one month of sailing out the window...

What's holding me right now is the bottom paint. like I said, i don't want to have to launch and retrieve several times.

I though it would be more difficult of a job, now, with all of your support I'm building confidence and getting ideas on how to do it and it's looking more appealing by the minute.

I know what boat means..... Bring Out Another Thousand.... I know. That's why I have always sailed on friends' boats and never owned one, now i think I'm old enough to have one of my own and I accept the consequence$$$$...

Now, another question, if I were to put a barrier coat before the bottom paint, how much more work are we talking about?? Sanding to the gel coat plus X coats of barrier coat, plus 2, 3 coats of bottom paint.....

Thank you!!!!