Ask Nigel

By Nigel Barron

With the arrival of winter, a common project for boat owners is hauling out the boat for a fresh coat of bottom paint. In the Pacific Northwest, where we rarely see a winter with a deep freeze that lasts longer than a few days, we can accomplish this maintenance year round. We may need to build some extra tape gutters, or let the paint dry a little longer than normal before removing the stands for the pads, but it is possible. While things have changed a bit in the world of paint, the general idea that you need antifouling properties in the paint has not. Copper is still an essential ingredient, but many brands are using copper more effectively and making the paints safer for our waters. The first step is to get on someone’s schedule! Going into winter, most boatyards are booked out three to four weeks, so planning ahead is key. As the season wears on, boatyards get super busy, so it’s also a great time to think about any other projects you can do while the boat is hauled out. Some common tasks include painting the underwater metal, checking the running gear, or changing out the anodes. Is it time to service the outdrives or the sail drive? Think about all those things that you can get done now, which will help you get back on the water come spring. The second step is to find out what type of paint you have on your boat, as knowing this helps the boatyard deliver an accurate quote. You’d be surprised how often boat owners only know the color (it’s probably black)! You don’t have to know the exact type of paint— just know whether you have hard or ablative paint. If you have ablative paint, a diver won’t clean your bottom. You will find that boatyards will often price bottom paint as a package that includes the haulout, pressure wash, environmental fees, tarp fees, paint and labor. The big question is always, “one coat or two?” Hard paint typically gets one coat, while ablative gets two. There may be some variables in the estimates, as the boatyard may not know if additional preparations are required until the boat is hauled out and they can get a good look at the current condition. Some conditions might be large sections of paint with adherence issues or excessive amounts of hard or soft growth on the bottom that can’t be handled with a standard pressure washer. After you have determined if you have a hard or ablative paint, ask the boatyard about their brand recommendations. Certain brands work better in fresh or salt water and some paints may not work at all for boats that live on a trailer for half the year. So, it’s really important to discuss these conditions with the boatyard so that you get the right type of paint for your boat. Once your appointment is confirmed, plan ahead and make sure you’re on time to the appointed haul-out time. The bottom paint procedure takes around five to seven working days, and please let the boatyard know in advance if you’d like to see the boat before she’s returned to the water! Good luck!