Paint or not paint
 

I keep my V20 in the water all season on Lk. Michigan. It's my first season keeping it in the water. The bottom is not painted so it quickly gets covered with gunk and algae. Performance goes to hell when the bottom is not clean. I've taken it out twice and powerwashed it and cleaned it with muriatic acid. It works but is a pain in the ***.

Thinking in the spring of putting a primer and Awlgrip Allstar bottom paint. Supposed to last 5 years.

Your thoughts or comments?

Re: Paint or not paint
 

Boater, I know it's more expensive on the front-end, but if it's possible get a boat lift...talk about dodgin' A BIG PAIN IN THE UBANGEE...keepin' that hull outta the water solves more problems than moss on her belly...water-intrusion over time, blistering...after seein' my friends have the bottoms of their hulls redone from keepin' their boats in the water, it might be LESS expensive in the long-run... ;)...ALMOST makes me glad I gotta trailer...almost... ::)...

Re: Paint or not paint
 

I'll tell ya RaP I have a 45min haul to launch and it is still worth it to me. That being said I found a marina down at the Atlantic Highlands where I go out that will let you park your trailered boat right there for 400 a season. I'm seriously thinking about it, money is right I am just concerned about leaving my boat in a fairly open yard because of theft, electronics motor prop enclosure etc.

Re: Paint or not paint
 

hey they make a clear bottom coat for trailer boats now. It has a teflon in it for better speed too. The stuff only works after it's been wet for 6 hours. Works great i've heard.

Re: Paint or not paint
 

45 mins is nothing...keep it at home on the trailer...no brainer for me...

Re: Paint or not paint
 

I second that willy, leave it at home. Thieves will be thieves.

Re: Paint or not paint
 

Don't have the option to leave it at home. Also don't have a vehicle to tow it. (I borrow my brother's truck as needed.) I'm also 70 miles from the water. The small marina doesn't allow lifts. (Wow, that sounds depressing.) Regardless of all that, I'm happy as hell to have a boat albiet 20 years old. I grew up on a 1974 Wellcraft V20. My father's pride and joy. Now I one of my own.

Sorry for the digression.

The clear coat bottom maybe an option. Does any one know who makes it?

Re: Paint or not paint
 

hey B93 here's the brand or last i heard it was last time i saw any it was at BoatersWorld.

http://images.shipstore.com/ss/image...OFASTCLEAR.JPG

Re: Paint or not paint
 

The Dohpinite stuff has been pulled from the market and there is a class acition lawsuit against the company.
Apparently it did not work.

Re: Paint or not paint
 

hum their are other ones out there i've seen.

Re: Paint or not paint
 

If it was a more secure set up as far as thieves go would you guys do the park at the marina on trailer thing or no. It would sure be a lot sweeter to drive there , launch , pull out and drive home w/o the beast in tow. I never understood, don't guys in marinas, in the water have to worry about the same thing ( thieves ) what do you guys that marina up in the water all season do for security

Re: Paint or not paint
 

Willy, whatcha towin' with?...45 mins. don't sound that bad to me...I like havin' her at home to tinker with and keep those batteries HOT... ;D...security at a marina is like ethics in Congress...NON issue... ::)...

Re: Paint or not paint
 

Tow vehicle is non-issue, 2004 250 Super duty 4x4, will tow my house ;D But I gotta run thru Jersey traffic Rt 287 Rt 22 and RT 35 etc and at the best times, say early morning it is a norton buster. Plus I got spoiled with my best friend down in Toms River NJ he has his Grady in the water, how sweet it was to fly down there in the Honda Civic , save 25 bucks in gas jump in cast off be fishing within five minutes of arriving, if I park it at the marina on a trailer I can still tinker and such but I am just not comfortable with leaving my stuff in a fenced in yard for all the sh*t birds here to tinker with also. Just the cop in me I don't like it. Well RAP looks like I just talked myself out of parking at the marina ::) See venting is a good thing ;)

Re: Paint or not paint
 

Well, there ya go!!... ;)...buddy of mine lived onna houseboat inna marina w/his 20' CC 175HP fishin' boat tied along side...they stold his rods and all else not screwed down while he slept 10' away...not even safe from the water!... :(...

Yeah, you got the towin' thing covered... ;)...

Re: Paint or not paint
 

The sad update to the story...

The marina we are at in New Buffalo, MI is closing. Few other marinas available. None have slips available for small boats. We are on the wait list for in/out service in New Buffalo, costing 3X what I paid this year! Lack of a vehicle to tow has my options limited or nonexistent. Bright side is if I get in/out service I won't paint my bottom.

Maybe I should move out east or down south.

Re: Paint or not paint
 

EAST! EAST! Here in Maine we keep them in the water, and theft is almost unheard of. I don't know why nothing gets ripped off here, maybe people are friendlier, but it may be the really burly lobstermen with 12 guages. With people living on islands all around, there are boats out at almost all hours of the night, and unusual activity sticks out like a sore thumb. Man, it's a bummer that even in the US of A, people can't leave their posessions in a locked yard without fear of theft.

Re: Paint or not paint
 

Well I live in the east and I love the fishing here!! But If I had a chise I would move south to NC or SC nice fishing there all year round!!

This might be a good time to think about a tow vechile?? This way you can come and go when ever you want at no cost to the mariners.
Also better cause you can go fish were ever you want. At the same mariner you are stuck in the same area all the time.

Re: Paint or not paint
 

hey willy do you keep it at the skippers shop because thats where i had mine for about 10 years but i am thinking about trailering it because they got so cheap down there with no security and only 1 water outlet let me know if you kept it there i probably know you

Re: Paint or not paint
 

Come on down MJ! There's a 15 lb fluke waitin for ya off the coast of NC or SC I bet!

Re: Paint or not paint
 

Many years back my boat was broken into at the marina. They broke the lock on the cuddy cabin but once inside they found nothing of interest because they didn't take anything. All I had was my tackle box, life jackets and mounted VHF radio. Lots of guys around me leave rods and reels in plain view, and all their electronics mounted in plain sight, but I've only heard of one fellow loosing anything to thieves.

Just up the creek from me is a huge dry-stack storage facility -- a temptation to me since the re-fit. But we like being able to go out at a moment's notice -- day or night -- so we keep her in the water.

Now let's see . . . this thread was about paint or something . . . ;D

Re: Paint or not paint