Anti-fouling paint on a trailerable boat?

svTrekka · #1 (**permalink**) 10-25-2010

I recently purchased a Montgomery 15 sailboat (#416) and have been sailing the boat about once a week in the Galveston Bay. My boat lives on a trailer in my backyard. Some may say I’m a little fussy but my boat has a complete fresh water wash down after each use. I also flush my 3 HP Yamaha outboard after each use using a pair of mouse ears on the end of a garden hose. My boat very seldom (if ever) spends more than just a day in the brackish waters of the Galveston Bay. I have no anti-fouling paint on the bottom and prefer it that way. I enjoy the performance I get from having a clean bottom on my sailboat.

This coming summer I plan to trailer my boat to the Pacific Northwest. My plan is to launch the boat in Olympia Washington and to sail the entire length of the Puget Sound arriving at Port Townsend just in time for the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. My adventure on the water in the Puget Sound should take about a week (7 days). My question is this: how long is reasonable to leave a boat in the water without anti-fouling paint? Also, is a week too long to go without a fresh water flush of my outboard motor?

-Dave-

sailingdog · #2 (**permalink**) 10-25-2010

The freshwater flush isn't really a problem. Many engines go far longer without a freshwater flush.

As for whether you need antifouling paint for your trip, a week might be too long...but you might be able to get away with it if you scrub the bottom while its in the water. It is really dependent on the temperature, the rapidity of the growth, etc...

paul323 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-26-2010

If your boat is painted, you may want to check with the paint manufacturer. I remember painting my 18'dingy with an Interlux topside paint; they advised that the paint I was using not designed to be submerged for long periods of time (thus 'Topside'), and after a few weeks (cannot remember details) *could* soften and discolor.

sailingdog · #4 (**permalink**) 10-26-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul323

If your boat is painted, you may want to check with the paint manufacturer. I remember painting my 18'dingy with an Interlux topside paint; they advised that the paint I was using not designed to be submerged for long periods of time (thus 'Topside'), and after a few weeks (cannot remember details) *could* soften and discolor.

HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY ANTI-FOULING PAINT ON THE BOAT, and I don't believe from his post that the hull is painted at all. He is wondering if he needs to paint it for a week-long trip...

paul323 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-26-2010

Easy sailingdog, no need for bold and capitalisation.

I never said anti-fouling paint. My 18' dingy hull was painted with Interlux topcote. Even its bottom. Worked fine for many years daysailing, and was a very shiny and robust finish. When I was in a very similar situation to the svTrekker I had exactly the same question - should I paint it with bottom paint, as I was going to leave it in the water for a few days? Thus my conversation with Interlux and the response I posted.

Some smaller dingies are painted. Most have gelcoat, but some are painted.

svTrekka · #6 (**permalink**) 10-26-2010

Thanks for the discussion. Trekka (my Montgomery 15) has a gel-coat bottom, no bottom paint at all. I really don't want to put bottom paint on her and was hoping I could get away without it.

sailingdog · #7 (**permalink**) 10-26-2010

You'll probably want to dive and scrub the bottom mid-week using a scotchbrite pad or a piece of carpet. If you do that, you should probably be okay for a week.

Sublime · #8 (**permalink**) 10-26-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by svTrekka

I recently purchased a Montgomery 15 sailboat (#416) and have been sailing the boat about once a week in the Galveston Bay. My boat lives on a trailer in my backyard. Some may say I’m a little fussy but my boat has a complete fresh water wash down after each use. I also flush my 3 HP Yamaha outboard after each use using a pair of mouse ears on the end of a garden hose. My boat very seldom (if ever) spends more than just a day in the brackish waters of the Galveston Bay. I have no anti-fouling paint on the bottom and prefer it that way. I enjoy the performance I get from having a clean bottom on my sailboat.

This coming summer I plan to trailer my boat to the Pacific Northwest. My plan is to launch the boat in Olympia Washington and to sail the entire length of the Puget Sound arriving at Port Townsend just in time for the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. My adventure on the water in the Puget Sound should take about a week (7 days). My question is this: how long is reasonable to leave a boat in the water without anti-fouling paint? Also, is a week too long to go without a fresh water flush of my outboard motor?

-Dave-

Are we actually talking about a total of two weeks on the water (a week there, then a week back)?

zz4gta · #9 (**permalink**) 10-26-2010

A week in the PNW, yeah, you'll be fine. Just hose it off and scrub at the end of the week.